Why did the chicken cross the road?To get away from the Halal butcher.That’s what disgruntled fast food fans are claiming after issuing calls for a boycott of the Finger Lickin’ chicken chain for converting all its products to Halal derivatives..In a memo to franchisees, the changes were quietly introduced in Ontario in May to be followed by all of Canada by year-end.“This initiative is a testament to our commitment to providing diverse and inclusive menu options for all our customers,” it says in the letter, dated May 8.As part of the initiative, workers in Ontario have been trained in Halal food handling procedures, and collaborated with Muslim ‘team members’ in anticipation of the roll out..All products will be Halal certified, including chicken on the bone, tenders, popcorn chicken, wings and sandwiches. In addition, it will be discontinuing pork products at all locations except those co-branded with Taco Bell.It has partnered with Halal suppliers such as Maple Lodge Farms, the self-proclaimed supplier of Canada’s #1 Halal brand, Zariah Halal with long-standing experience delivering products to the Muslim community.For those who don’t know, Halal is a particularly inhumane way of slaughtering livestock where the animal’s throat is slit while it’s still alive so it pushes the blood from its body faster. From there it’s blessed by an imam cleric. .Predictably, Twitter (‘X’) users were outraged, equating the move with appeasing Hamas and Hezbollah. “Next thing you know, their female employees will wear burqas and each meal will come with a prayer rug,” wrote one.Others complained Halal chicken is cheaper than other options — although the claim is dubious.Supporters criticized the ‘Halal is Hamas’ narrative with the suggestion that deep fried fast food is disgustingly unhealthy to begin with. “To all the clowns screaming to boycott KFC because there shouldn’t be religion forced in food… I look forward to your boycott ChickFilA posts.”
