Danny Reinan, news editor

Augsburg University Dining Committee announced on Jan. 18 that the on-campus food services in the Christensen Dining Commons have begun transitioning to halal meats in the cafeteria. 

Some Muslim students at Augsburg have expressed optimistim and excitement for the change, which would make dining services on campus more accessible to Muslim students. One such student is Amal Mursal, a third-year studying Social Work.

“I think it’s greatly significant,” Mursal said in a statement to The Echo when asked about the transition to halal meats. “There are Muslims who attend Augsburg and it’s great to know the cafe is adding halal meats to the school. It’s important to accommodate everyone and this transition is going to allow many Muslims to use the cafe.”

“It’s important to accommodate everyone and this transition is going to allow many Muslims to use the cafe.”

~Amal Mursal, Augsburg student

This transition began two weeks ago and encompasses all meats except for pork. Nabo Cafe will also transition to using halal meats when it reopens – likely in the fall semester – while Einstein’s Bagels will be unable to provide halal ingredients due to its menu requirements.

In her announcement of the transition, which went out to all of Augsburg in a campus-wide email, Dean of Students Sarah Griesse acknowledged that some might not be familiar with the term halal. “The word halal literally means ‘permissible,’” she said. “Halal food refers to products that are prepared following Islamic dietary laws that determines what is permissible, lawful and clean.”

“According to Islamic guidelines, halal food is safe and it does not contain non-halal and najs (unclean) ingredients,” Griesse said. “It is processed and manufactured using clean equipment that is not contaminated.”