With clarification: I don't see any reason why people should have to drop their religious beliefs when they come to another country, and halal food is part of Islam. It doesn't actually hurt anyone for halal restaurants to be opened up in neighbourhoods with a high proportion of Muslims. It's also good business sense. 
It is very much not-good, however, when immigrants move into one area and then continue living their lives as if they were back in their old country without learning the new language, or making any effort to integrate or whatever, which often happens.

It is very much not-good, however, when immigrants move into one area and then continue living their lives as if they were back in their old country without learning the new language, or making any effort to integrate or whatever, which often happens.
And that kind of nuances and the realization that there are serious differences between countries in which problems exist and how they manifest themselves are what I'm missing in BG's posts (well, in DS's too, but really, there I don't expect them anymore).
Of course, I agree with her and with you in balking at Celia seeming to dismiss the real problems almost entirely. (Is there anyone left I haven't disagreed with?

French fast food chain goes halal
19/02/2010 06:34:59 AM
- 1516 Views
...how is it "discriminatory?"
19/02/2010 06:49:24 AM
- 977 Views
just as a note
19/02/2010 01:06:30 PM
- 600 Views
(It wasn't a reference to Hinduism)
19/02/2010 05:29:40 PM
- 597 Views
Not necessarily prejudiced or bigots
19/02/2010 12:03:17 PM
- 903 Views
Not sure that works
19/02/2010 12:58:20 PM
- 665 Views
it's not discrimination in the slightest
19/02/2010 01:13:03 PM
- 783 Views
Re: Not sure that works
19/02/2010 01:44:27 PM
- 616 Views
Re: Not sure that works
19/02/2010 02:15:37 PM
- 771 Views
Re: Not sure that works
19/02/2010 02:33:30 PM
- 862 Views
dude. Every time anyone makes a choice, it's discrimination.
19/02/2010 02:40:18 PM
- 690 Views
Re: dude. Every time anyone makes a choice, it's discrimination.
19/02/2010 03:22:14 PM
- 775 Views
...I don't think that's a thing?
19/02/2010 05:31:52 PM
- 641 Views
To the contrary
19/02/2010 07:07:40 PM
- 680 Views
the restaurant does not have 100% halal food.
19/02/2010 07:40:52 PM
- 626 Views
Keep in mind that France doesn't have remotely near as many fastfood restaurants as the US...
19/02/2010 01:23:49 PM
- 844 Views
but what's wrong with eating halal meat?
19/02/2010 01:33:17 PM
- 680 Views
Nothing per se, it's largely symbolic. I'm not sure how large the changes in the menu actually are.
19/02/2010 01:42:54 PM
- 808 Views
Not a theologian, are we?
19/02/2010 02:06:38 PM
- 769 Views

but is it the jews and observant christians complaining?
19/02/2010 02:30:58 PM
- 603 Views

I've no clue
19/02/2010 02:46:53 PM
- 797 Views
why would they be serving pork at a fast food anyways?
19/02/2010 02:53:36 PM
- 597 Views

I checked the standard menu - other than one special burger with bacon, it's true there's no pork. *NM*
19/02/2010 02:55:44 PM
- 311 Views
Well normally bacon is considered pork
19/02/2010 03:07:45 PM
- 609 Views

Dude, it's France. They don't do English breakfasts.
19/02/2010 03:19:48 PM
- 761 Views

American Breakfast, the english stole it from us
19/02/2010 03:36:42 PM
- 708 Views
Not a theologian, are we?
19/02/2010 02:31:17 PM
- 626 Views

from what we discussed in Meat Sciene
19/02/2010 02:35:59 PM
- 688 Views
Re: Not a theologian, are we?
19/02/2010 04:03:41 PM
- 839 Views

Re: Not a theologian, are we?
19/02/2010 04:51:14 PM
- 740 Views

Re: Not a theologian, are we?
19/02/2010 04:54:26 PM
- 810 Views

Re: Not a theologian, are we?
19/02/2010 05:03:28 PM
- 579 Views

Oh, and then there's something else, though I don't know if it's a factor here...
19/02/2010 02:41:46 PM
- 637 Views
Re: Keep in mind that France doesn't have remotely near as many fastfood restaurants as the US...
19/02/2010 01:57:15 PM
- 744 Views
You think the reasons are as objective as that ?
19/02/2010 02:24:36 PM
- 572 Views
Simply put : Many are afraid France is being taken over by the Muslims.
19/02/2010 02:14:19 PM
- 721 Views
Re: Simply put : Many are afraid France is being taken over by the Muslims.
19/02/2010 05:02:18 PM
- 639 Views
Are you refering to something specific ?
19/02/2010 07:18:38 PM
- 648 Views
Re: Are you refering to something specific ?
19/02/2010 07:21:35 PM
- 557 Views
In a sense that's what blocked the inclusion of Turkey into the EU.
19/02/2010 07:26:51 PM
- 570 Views
Re: In a sense that's what blocked the inclusion of Turkey into the EU.
19/02/2010 07:30:33 PM
- 601 Views
The question there is what's pretext and what's actual reason.
19/02/2010 08:53:44 PM
- 628 Views
Re: The question there is what's pretext and what's actual reason.
19/02/2010 08:55:53 PM
- 684 Views
i can't see why it matters that they did. i think it's great. *NM*
19/02/2010 05:23:44 PM
- 355 Views
So, what is the difference between Halal Beef and normal beef? *NM*
19/02/2010 07:06:21 PM
- 284 Views
Call me an obvious bigot and prejudiced then. I think the way they did this is bad.
19/02/2010 07:10:40 PM
- 659 Views
Having two sources of meat would raise prices even more
19/02/2010 07:56:21 PM
- 611 Views
Not to mention the fact that anything served as halal would have to be cooked separately
19/02/2010 10:55:06 PM
- 583 Views
I wonder how teh Saudis or Iranians would react...
19/02/2010 08:51:11 PM
- 619 Views
most halal foods would always qualify as kosher, i believe.
20/02/2010 02:26:49 AM
- 546 Views
So let me get this straight...
20/02/2010 08:42:04 AM
- 748 Views
wow. first of all FRANCE is changing nothing
20/02/2010 06:28:27 PM
- 722 Views
I think you missed his point
20/02/2010 10:12:18 PM
- 618 Views
There are many answers one could give, but the most basic one is quite simple...
20/02/2010 10:20:14 PM
- 743 Views
And yet having come of their own free will...
20/02/2010 11:11:51 PM
- 599 Views
Way to read half a post. I am impressed.
21/02/2010 12:10:39 AM
- 615 Views
It always starts small.
21/02/2010 12:32:11 AM
- 584 Views
and really... in this case it's a private enterprise we're talking about
21/02/2010 12:55:27 AM
- 583 Views
Re: wow. first of all FRANCE is changing nothing
20/02/2010 10:13:12 PM
- 788 Views
Yes, i'm sure there is no other restaurant in that whole area.
21/02/2010 02:04:29 AM
- 742 Views
that's not the point.
21/02/2010 08:46:14 AM
- 656 Views
So if your French every restaurant should only be allowed to serve what you want served?
22/02/2010 07:18:00 PM
- 598 Views
I don't think French society should be forced to consume Islamic food.
23/02/2010 01:31:03 AM
- 602 Views
No one is forcing anyone to do anything.
23/02/2010 02:47:56 AM
- 647 Views
Sure they are.
23/02/2010 03:05:12 AM
- 631 Views
well they apparently still have 354 of that particular restaurant
23/02/2010 03:20:07 AM
- 593 Views
Don't you get it?
23/02/2010 03:51:09 AM
- 574 Views
Actually they're not ragheads.
23/02/2010 03:43:14 PM
- 565 Views
If you have a sarcasm meter, you might want to switch it on. *NM*
23/02/2010 05:37:41 PM
- 286 Views
Indeed, 354 throughout the whole of France, which actually isn't that many.
23/02/2010 03:42:30 PM
- 616 Views
So Muslims should be forced to eat French food because the French are lazy to open more restaurants?
23/02/2010 04:43:13 AM
- 540 Views
well don't you see?
23/02/2010 12:41:40 PM
- 624 Views
Re: well don't you see?
23/02/2010 05:02:16 PM
- 584 Views
I agree with you. *NM*
23/02/2010 05:10:53 PM
- 277 Views
This is meant to be an edit...
23/02/2010 05:14:23 PM
- 641 Views
I agree, Bekah, but it's not like there's not a middle ground
23/02/2010 05:25:30 PM
- 580 Views
It's the sheer numbers that are worrisome
23/02/2010 06:25:17 PM
- 721 Views
Very true. Test case: Lebanon
24/02/2010 12:26:43 AM
- 573 Views
Really?
24/02/2010 10:02:18 AM
- 578 Views
Re: This is meant to be an edit...
23/02/2010 05:43:03 PM
- 787 Views
"Propaganda"? Kind of exaggerating there...
23/02/2010 07:48:39 PM
- 689 Views
How is it not propaganda?
23/02/2010 08:31:12 PM
- 766 Views
I can certainly see your vitrol. Now I'm a bit confused though.
23/02/2010 08:54:54 PM
- 610 Views
Re: I can certainly see your vitrol. Now I'm a bit confused though.
23/02/2010 09:08:33 PM
- 1020 Views
The language really isn't the problem in France.
23/02/2010 08:15:52 PM
- 736 Views
I will conceed that point
23/02/2010 08:53:26 PM
- 709 Views
But a lot of them were already in a part of France or had been born in a part of France
23/02/2010 05:30:24 PM
- 619 Views
It's funny because it's true - Algeria was administratively a part of France, iirc. *NM*
23/02/2010 07:51:17 PM
- 247 Views
Why should you have to completely change who you are?
23/02/2010 05:35:51 PM
- 584 Views
Yes, of course
23/02/2010 05:48:10 PM
- 575 Views
Yes, but the difference was I knew it was hyperbole
23/02/2010 07:01:49 PM
- 571 Views

The French didn't seem to feel the need to go native when they were in Middle Eastern countries
23/02/2010 05:55:28 PM
- 814 Views
What are you refering to?
23/02/2010 06:00:45 PM
- 603 Views
Brush up on your history then
23/02/2010 06:25:53 PM
- 636 Views
Thank you
23/02/2010 06:34:19 PM
- 573 Views
I would think that simply having McDonalds there is a greater threat to French cultrue
23/02/2010 06:52:34 PM
- 710 Views
They had Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and for a while Lebanon and Syria.
23/02/2010 08:00:08 PM
- 784 Views