CAIR-NY Welcomes Expansion of Halal Food Options in NYC Schools, Calls on City to Make Policy Permanent
(NEW YORK, NY, 12/21/2022)— The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today applauded the Mayor’s Office and NYC Council’s “Cafeteria Enhancement Experience” program, which also expands the Halal food options in all NYC schools. The civil rights group further called on the city to make the expansion of Halal food a permanent program as a baseline item in the city’s budget.
[NOTE: “Halal” is the Arabic word for foods permitted under Islamic dietary laws, which is similar to “kosher” for Jews.]
Yesterday afternoon, the Mayor’s office, represented by School Chancellor David C. Banks, City Council Representative Rita Joseph (District 40), and community partners hosted a press conference at Hillcrest High School announcing the 50-million-dollar capital investment into lunch systems across NYC schools, taking a two-pronged approach to improve the process and the options available. The first element is to enhance the way food is delivered itself, reducing the likelihood of long lines and opting for a self-serve approach. The second element is the expansion of food options, including halal food.
There are currently 79 schools Halal-certified, with the option for any school to participate. Foods are labeled clearly with an (H) indicating that Imams have inspected the food and trained school staff to ensure there is no cross-contamination.
SEE: A peek at the future of high school cafeterias
NYC school lunches may look a little different
Afaf Nasher, executive director of CAIR-NY, said in a statement:
“Every student, regardless of faith, deserves a lunch that meets their religious guidelines. For too long, Muslim students have been forced to either skip lunch or eat a non-religiously permissible lunch. CAIR-NY welcomes the expansion of halal lunch options to more schools and efforts to improve the school lunch experience.”
“As a product of NYC public schools myself, I never had halal food, and applaud the efforts of our Muslim community to demand equal access to basic needs, such as food for our school children.”
She added that CAIR-NY will be hosting a series of workshops focusing on what parents need to do to get this option into the schools for their own children in the weeks to come.
Earlier this year, CAIR-NY welcomed the announcement by the Brentwood Union Free School District that it would permanently offer halal meal options to students in all of its public schools.
CAIR-NY provides free anti-bullying workshops and offers a booklet, called "An Educator's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices," designed to help school officials provide a positive learning environment for Muslim students.
SEE: An Educator's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices
CAIR-NY's mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR-NY es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: Afaf Nasher, Esq., CAIR-NY Executive Director, 917-669-4006, anasher@cair.com; Ahmed Mohamed, CAIR-NY Legal Director, 646-481-2103, ahmedmohamed@cair.com