I argue for an approach to food ethics that would take into consideration issues related to justice and sustainability. Controversial issues in Islamic food ethics, such as animal slaughter and genetically engineered (GE) food products are investigated in my paper. The first part briefly presents traditional religious considerations of ḥalāl food, and then moves to consider arguments related to animal slaughter. The largest part of the research paper dedicated to issues related to GE food. The claim made by the proponents of GE that it will increase yield and contribute to the alleviation of hunger is exposed, largely drawing upon the documents published by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Drawing upon Thomas Pogge, it is shown that research related to poverty and hunger is being manipulated by big industry players that benefit from the status quo. It is argued that the introduction of GE crops has corresponded to an increasing monopolization of seed by biotechnology companies. Life itself has been manipulated, picked apart, re-assembled—and then patented and monopolized. Numerous verses in the Qur’an prohibit injustice, the practice of monopolizing food falls under this framework. Any items that promote and facilitate the monopolization of food should therefore be banned, including GE crops.
0 Comments