www.sundaytimes.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,17598854%5E2761,00.html

No ham for Christmas: Muslim menu for WA hospital

By TREVOR PADDENBURG
18dec05

A WA hospital has scrubbed baked ham from its Christmas menu, fearing Muslim patients could be offended.





It has also overhauled its entire menu so that all meals are now halal – containing only meat and other food prepared according to Muslim customs.

But Port Hedland Regional Hospital staff and many non-Muslim patients are outraged, saying it is a case of political correctness gone mad.

Kitchen staff are so angry that they have organised a petition demanding ham be put back on the Christmas menu.

Other WA hospitals are also introducing halal dining, though the Health Department says Port Hedland is the only one to convert its entire menu to suit Muslims.

Hospital directors decided to axe the traditional festive season baked ham because of the high percentage of Muslim patients.

Eating pork or ham is forbidden under Muslim custom.

Until now, Muslims were asked to supply their own food if they did not want to eat hospital fare.

The hospital's nursing director, Judy Davis, said though ham was not on the menu, Christian patients would not miss out on festive cheer.

"We'll still make Christmas special – we've got prawns and all sorts of other special treats," she said.

But one long-time Port Hedland hospital worker told The Sunday Times the menu change was "unAustralian".

"It's going to be a boring old Christmas lunch for the patients," he said.

"After all, what's Christmas without a ham, or Sunday morning without bacon and eggs?

"The management of the hospital are unable to stand up to a minority and keep our Australian way of life intact. They are bowing to the pressure of a select few."

He warned that the only politically correct fare would soon be "a bowl of rice and a cup of tea".

"No wonder the true-blue Australians are getting angry," he said.

"Now all we need is for someone of the Hindu faith to jump up and down and we'll have no beef.

"Before we know it, if you're sick in Port Hedland, you will have to be happy with a diet of boiled rice and a cup of tea."

A Health Department spokeswoman said the menu change was about meeting the needs of the Islamic community.

She denied it meant sacrificing Christian traditions.

"Port Hedland has one of the largest Muslim communities outside the capital cities of Australia, and has done so for many years," the spokeswoman said.

"Changes to the menu meant pork and ham were no longer offered to patients.

"However, other meat and alternatives are available."

She said no patients had complained, but the Health Department was aware that staff at Port Hedland were unhappy.

"We are aware that staff would like ham for Christmas lunch, and this will be provided by the hospital," the spokeswoman said.

"The majority of hospitals try to take into account the different patient mix when deciding on their menu, and offer several choices."

I guess no Jews ever visited that Hospital?  Because otherwise I'm sure all their food would already have been kosher, right?

Fuck that!  Just hearing that kind of bullshit makes me want to forcefeed a Muslim some ham for Christmas.  

im offended because I like ham, those people are hate mongers to people like me who love ham.

Quoted: Fuck that!  Just hearing that kind of bullshit makes me want to forcefeed a Muslim some ham for Christmas.

+1

But you don't understand, the needs of the few outweigh EVERYTHING else!!!  FUCK POLITICAL CORRECTNESS AND ALL WHO CONDONE IT!!

Shit like that is the reason I'm the biggest asshole i can be to allot of people. They made me do it

Is there a certain type of person that gravitates to these positions of decision making in
government, corporations, hospitals, schools, etc. ? Professing to avoid offending some
at the cost of offending others ( and it always goes in the same direction doesn't it?) is self
defeating. Is it just PC or is something else going on?

Other WA hospitals are also introducing halal dining, though the Health Department says Port Hedland is the only one to convert its entire menu to suit Muslims.

Offering halal and kosher options for Jews and Muslims = good
Forcing diet restrictions on all, because of the few? Bad

Why is it that the people who make these decisions don't have a problem with removing the civil rights of the few in order to please the many (gun control), but fall all over themselves if the consequence is not right deprivation, but rather the possibiliity that someone might be offended?  

Fuck them.

No, No. This is a good idea. Shouldn't offend anyone.

I guess the next step is prohibition of alcohol. You see, Muslims don't drink. So shut down all the pubs, mate! Anything worth doing is worth doing to the most ridiculous extreme.


ETA

Quoted: I guess no Jews ever visited that Hospital?  Because otherwise I'm sure all their food would already have been kosher, right?

No, the Jews will be pissed because the prawns mentioned in the article are a no-no for them.

GARCON! Rice and tea for everyone!