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Muslims and Vegetarians File Appeal against McDonald’s

by Sound Vision Staff Writer

The latest round between Muslims versus McDonald’s is currently underway.

A group of Chicago area Muslims are appealing a May 19, 2003 decision by Chicago Cook County Circuit Court Judge Richard Siebel in the Illinois Court of Appeal. This decision approves a settlement between the fast food giant and various plaintiffs, rewarding them $10 million in damages.

The settlement between McDonald’s and Hindu, vegetarian, Kosher and other groups aims to compensate for the fast food giant's false claim since the early 1990s that its french fries and hash browns were fit for vegetarian consumption. In fact, McDonald's has admitted that it uses beef extract in these products, thus provoking the ire of vegetarians, Hindus, Kosher groups, Muslims, and others who ate these items thinking they were suitable for their consumption (http://www.soundvision.com/info/mcdonalds/latest.asp).

One of the major Muslim objections to this settlement is that the community is not being recognized as a distinct group as the Kosher groups which are given one million dollars in damages or Hindus which are also receiving separate allocations. Instead, Muslims are being lumped into the same group as vegetarians and are being given about half a million from money allocated for vegetarians.

This is a problem since Muslims may consume some vegetarian products but they are meat eaters if the meat is slaughtered in a specific manner. Therefore, they should be considered a party separate from vegetarians for discussion, as well as for fund allocation purposes.

In response to the proposed settlement, Muslims across the US filed 400 objections and 2,000 notices to opt out of the suit. The latter action would allow those who chose it sue McDonald’s even if the settlement goes through.

McDonald's, which offers a Halal diet in several hundred restaurants in the Muslim world and in a couple of locations in the US, has not been responsive to Muslim demands and opposed the Muslim assertion that instead of putting Muslims as part of the vegetarian allocation of funds, they be given separate treatment like other groups. The Muslim argument, although strong, was opposed by McDonald's and other attorneys on the grounds that Muslims did not file a lawsuit against McDonald's like the other groups. Whereas Muslims argued that enough Muslims have objected to the settlement to qualify the proper treatment.