One of Britain’s biggest halal meat companies has agreed to promote British Army recruitment to its customers, despite longstanding controversy among British Muslims over Britain’s military interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan and other Muslim-majority countries.
Tariq Halal Meats, which supplies halal meat to Muslim households and businesses across the UK, will display messages encouraging customers to join the Armed Forces in its shops nationwide.
The move follows an agreement signed between company founder Dr Tariq Sheikh and Major General Karl Harris at the firm’s Wembley headquarters on Armistice Day, November 11.
Sheikh said more than three million customers visit the company’s stores annually and would now encounter messages encouraging them to consider military service.
The agreement, known as the Armed Forces Covenant, also commits Tariq Halal Meats to providing employment opportunities for former military personnel and additional support for reservists and military families.
Britain’s military has played a major role in several wars and interventions across the Muslim world over the past 25 years, most notably the US-led invasions and occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq.
British forces also participated in NATO’s bombing campaign in Libya in 2011 and subsequently carried out airstrikes in Syria as part of operations against ISIS.
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These military interventions have attracted significant criticism from British Muslim organisations and anti-war campaigners, particularly over civilian casualties, the destruction caused by war and the long-term consequences for the countries involved.
Muslim recruitment
Muslims remain significantly underrepresented in Britain’s Armed Forces.
According to government figures, Muslims account for approximately 0.4% of regular military personnel, despite representing around 6% of the UK’s population.
The British Army itself says it has more than 450 Muslim personnel serving in its ranks.
Although there are multiple factors behind this underrepresentation, Britain’s military operations in Muslim-majority countries have been a source of opposition to military service among the British Muslim community.
The new agreement represents an attempt to strengthen connections between the Armed Forces and British Pakistani and Muslim communities through a business with an established presence in the halal food market.
Sheikh, who was born in Gujrat in Pakistan’s Punjab province, encouraged young British Pakistanis to see military service as part of their heritage. “This is your country and this is your Army,” he said.
He urged them to consider joining the military, serving in the reserves or encouraging their children to participate in military cadet organisations.
Sheikh also referred to the historical recruitment of soldiers from Punjab into the British Indian Army before partition in 1947.
Major General Harris similarly highlighted the contribution of South Asian soldiers to Britain’s military history, particularly during the First and Second World Wars.
What the agreement involves
Alongside the recruitment campaign, Tariq Halal Meats has made several commitments to serving and former military personnel.
These include guaranteeing job interviews for applicants leaving the Armed Forces, granting paid leave to reservists for annual training and offering flexible working arrangements to partners of serving personnel affected by military postings.
The company’s franchise partners will also support local cadet organisations and hold annual remembrance activities.
The Armed Forces Covenant is a voluntary scheme through which businesses and other organisations pledge to support military personnel, veterans and their families.
Tariq Halal Meats was established in Southall, west London, in 1994 and has since grown into a major supplier within Britain’s halal meat industry.
