Halal Meat Pastries With Pork DNA Served To Prisons From Northern Irish Company

A company headquartered in Northern Ireland that supplied halal meat pies to prisons is in big trouble after it was discovered that the meat they used in their beef pastries actually contained pork DNA.

Food distributor 3663 said McColgan Quality Foods Limited supplied a 'very small number of halal savoury beef pastry products' that contained pork traces to prisons.

The company said all halal products from the manufacturer had been withdrawn from supply.

[snip]

In a statement the company said: '3663 would like to clarify that the very small number of halal savoury beef pastry products that have been withdrawn from supply were only ever distributed to custodial establishments.

The Ministry of Justice said 3663 has not been suspended, but a 'sub-contractor' has been.

3663 has said it was 'shocked', and described as 'wholly unacceptable' the discovery that some of the halal products it supplied were found to contain pork DNA due to McColgan Quality Foods being accredited by the Halal Food Authority.

The rest here.

Okay, as a quasi-vegetarian (one who eats fish and seafood but no other meat products), I would be horrified to discover some tofu dish I consumed had traces of beef, pork or chicken DNA, but I'm not in jail.  Had these foods been distributed to a non-jail population, I would have some sympathy.  But if prisoners are so religious that they eat halal (not all Muslims eat halal), then what are they doing in jail?  Sorry, but people in jail do not deserve special dispensation or consideration when it comes to their meal choices, regardless of their religious affiliation, and that goes for vegetarians as well.

3 Jordanians With The Paralympic Team Charged With Sexual Assault in Northern Ireland

Well, isn't this interesting. Three men from Jordan- associated in some way with the Jordanian Paralympic team- have been arrested and charged by Northern Irish authorities "in relation to allegations of indecent assault." In some cases with a child. Teams are in training for the Paralympics which are scheduled to take place in London from August 29 through September 9. The Jordanian team happens to be training in Antrim, Northern Ireland.

No details yet whether they were athletes or just part of the delegation, but a man in his 20s and two men in their 30s have been charged.

"...a 23-year-old, was charged with two counts of sexual activity with a child, one count of sexual assault on a woman and voyeurism.

A second man, aged 35, was charged with two counts of sexual activity with a child, and the third, aged 36, was charged with one count of sexual assault on a woman.

Not much else is known.

 Do they really think they can get away with in the West what might be acceptable in their own country? If the allegations are true, throw the book at them.

UPDATE 8/23/12:

The three have been identified as powerlifters and their trainer.

In Northern Ireland, police said a 14-year-old girl claimed that she posed for photographs with Omar Sami Qaradhi, 31, before he groped her between the legs in the town center of Antrim on Aug. 18.

That same day, a 16-year-old girl said she and a friend were walking along the river near the sports center where the men were training when they blocked their path. Police allege that one of the men pushed the girl towards Qaradhi, who wrapped his arm around her waist and tightened his grip before she ran away.

Qaradhi is facing three charges of sexual assault, two of which are against a child. He also is charged with one count of voyeurism after allegedly entering a women’s changing room at the local sports center.

The two other men were identified as Motaz Al Junaidi, 45, and trainer Faisal Hammash, 35, who also appeared at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

They are heading home, but have promised to return for the October 18 hearing. Good luck getting them back to Ireland once they're safely home in Jordan.