UK govt ordered to provide halal food to quarantining Pakistanis

LONDON: The UK High Court of Justice has ordered the British government to provide halal food to a Pakistani petitioner at Sehr and Iftar times during the 10-day mandatory quarantine — a decision that will be applicable to thousands of Muslim travellers currently in quarantine at various locations across the UK.

The court has also ordered the government to allow the claimant to exercise outdoors twice a day rather than once, as being confined in a room for hours at a time was beginning to take a negative toll on the claimant’s mental health.

The order from the Deputy Judge Mr Richard Clayton QC came after solicitor Fida Chaudhary challenged the Secretary of State for the Department for Health and Social Care and the Secretary of State for Transport on behalf of Mrs Robina Raja who arrived from Pakistan on 22 April 2021 and was transferred to quarantine at local hotel.

The judge ordered that Mrs Raja shall be provided with halal food at the start and end of prescribed times for fasting during Ramadan, while subject to quarantine.The court was informed that as soon as Mrs Raja arrived at London Heathrow, she was assigned a security guard and throughout her journey through the airport she was unable to move anywhere without his consent.

She informed the hotel receptionist that she would be fasting as it was Ramadan and she required halal meals at specific times around 3.00am to start the fast and around 8.15pm to break it. She was then told that breakfast, lunch and dinner was being provided in accordance with hotel arrangements and that they were unable to provide her with food on the required times irrespective of whether it was Ramadan. The hotel told her that they were not able to accommodate her in accordance with Ramadan requirements. She was shocked as they did not even try and take into account religious concerns.

Upon arrival at the hotel Mrs Raja was informed that under no circumstances would she be allowed to leave her room unless it was for a walk around the hotel outside, which was limited to 15 minutes a day. She was also told that she would be under strict supervision and would require prior approval from the hotel’s management for the walk. Her room windows were all sealed shut restricting fresh air from coming in, resulting in her feeling suffocated at all times which aggravated her chronic asthma. She felt like nothing less than a prisoner, according to her petition in the court.

The unhygienic room, which was infested with flies, alongside her asthma, triggered her sinus allergies, the court was informed. She was informed that the hotel staff would not be cleaning the room during her 10 days stay.

Fida Chaudhary told The News that he became aware that his client’s complaints did not appear to be isolated. He said: “A consistent concern had been that quarantined Muslim people who were fasting in the holy month of Ramadan were not receiving appropriate halal food at the time of starting and breaking their fast. I also became aware of a report that some Muslim families were served bacon at the hotels. This was extremely disturbing.”He added: “We took this case to the court immediately and we are glad that those fasting will now be able to get Sehri and Iftar on time and will be allowed to walk twice a day.”