In the winter of 2020, UCR Food Service Department has made unprecedented efforts to include Halal food from the Highlander Alliance Building into the Chronic Tacos menu. Although the quantity is limited and only includes halal chicken, it is celebrated and appreciated by the UCR Muslim population, and all students can purchase it upon request. However, more than a year later, after returning to face-to-face classes, Muslim students were cancelled for this availability, causing many to express feelings of dissatisfaction and rejection. 

Halal food refers to food that is religiously allowed to be eaten by Muslims. Although certain types of meat are not permissible in nature, such as pork, the difference between halal foods also depends on the way the animals are slaughtered. Compared to the mainstream method used in most slaughterhouses, the more humane method of slaughter and the previous humane treatment is to designate meat as a halal/allowed method. 

There are some food choices that do fall under Islamic guidelines, such as seafood, vegetarian, or vegan options, but these choices are often limited and often costly. Maher Oueida, a fourth-year political science major, explained the economic disadvantages that this often causes. "This limits my chances to eat on campus... In places like Panda Express, the price of beef and chicken substitutes has risen, where shrimp is the only halal protein, and the cost is higher."

For students who are unwilling to pay extra fees, many people say that they either have to prepare food at home or bear the consequences and inconvenience. Awad Hani, a fourth-year biology major, emphasized: “I spent a whole day on campus, and most of the time I had no food to eat.”

Another common complaint of Muslim students is the social exclusion that this may cause. Students sometimes choose to leave campus to buy food because there are many restaurants that serve halal meat around UCR. “If Muslims are uncomfortable eating on campus, it’s difficult to eat with friends. Some of us missed social gatherings and had to worry about leaving campus to buy food,” Maimuna Nawi, a third-year psychology student De (Maimoona Naveed) explained. Naveed is also a board member of the UCR Muslim Student Association and a community outreach intern at the Middle East Student Center.

In response to these concerns, students representing the Middle East Student Conference are currently drafting a piece of legislation to reflect the demand for halal food on campus. "Since 2017, this conversation has been under discussion and hardly any progress has been made. As a campus that prides itself on having the most diverse student population, the lack of food diversity that suits the needs of the student population is disappointing to say the least. ," said Janine Nassar, a second-year student in political science and administrative studies, said the president of the Palestinian Justice Student Club. 

The resolution to be discussed is the idea of ​​implementing a restaurant specializing in halal and vegan options to replace the closed MOD Pizza. Alaa Mido, a third-year student with a dual major in business analysis and economics, an outreach intern at MESC, and the president of MESA, discussed this idea. She said: "Including a halal menu will greatly serve the Muslim population and make them feel representative on campus. Eating halal meat is not difficult and expensive. Expanding halal options will make us feel inclusive."

"There is a lack of vegan, gluten and halal food on campus, UCR should have a restaurant to meet the dietary needs of students," she emphasized. Mido explained that the restaurants mentioned in the proposal include The Halal Guys and The Halal Shack, the latter being specifically designed for university campuses. 

The resolution aims to revise SR-S21-010, a proposal for diversified food choices to meet various dietary needs. It will be proposed in the Senate in the coming weeks.