Asda to remove pork and alcohol in high Muslim population areas
Mar 04, 2015 in Britain 
Supermarket chain Asda is planning to remove products containing pork and alcohol from its shelves in areas where there is a high Muslim population a spokesman has recently issued.
It comes after an increase pressure from Muslim groups such as The Muslim Council of Britain, and The Islamic Shariah Courts of Britain who have expressed concern that large supermarkets such as Asda do not reflect the 21st century Multi-cultural values and customs of British Society. Mohammed Kahn who is the deputy secretary of Food Standard & Chaplaincy for The Muslim Council of Britain has said “I think that everyone can agree that high street names such as Asda are obliged to take into consideration the needs of the communities in which they operate in. In areas of Birmingham and London where there is a large Muslim demography, their priorities must come first. I don’t think anyone can contest that!”
Last year statistics show there had been a high increase in complaints filed against big supermarket chains for failing to properly mention the use of animal or alcoholic ingredients that are used in many food and medicinal products. Another rising issue is the displaying of alcohol during the holy month of Ramadan and the displaying of Halal meat next to pork which has upset many people who have a Muslim background. All this has led Asda to consider changing its store policies in various areas of the country to meet the needs of the community.
It has also been noted that alcoholic provisions should be lowered in areas with high violent crime areas, following a court ruling last month. Some supermarket chains will only be allowed to serve 2 cans of larger per customer on Friday and Saturday evenings in Liverpool and Manchester. This has sparked outrage across the country, with opposition groups calling this “the rise of British prohibition”. The hashtag #BritishProhibition was trending on twitter when the news was revealed.
Asda Public Relations Spokesman Andrew Smith issued a statement saying, “We totally understand the issues that are being raised, and will choose to take the right measures in order to continue serving the community and meeting to their standards.”
From the morning following 31st March 2015, 13 Asda stores in England will stop selling alcoholic drinks and other products that contains alcohol such as deodorants and cough sweets. The selling of pork meat and products that contain pork will also be removed.
Muslim groups and community leaders from across the country support this move. Labour MP Mahmood Islam for Birmingham has posted on this Twitter: “I’m happy that Britain is becoming more and more multicultural, this is a chance for everyone to celebrate the melting pot of diversity. Well done Asda for recognizing this.”
