Halal Options offer Muslim Students in University of Houston Wider Variety in Food

Houston - One of the more largely practiced religions in the University of Houston (UH) campus is Islam, The Daily Cougar news reported.

The Muslim Student Association (MSA) has been working with UH dining services in order to better the halal food options available in the dining halls for the Muslim student population.

In recent years, with help and suggestions from MSA, dining services have successfully been able to install a halal station at the fresh food company-dining hall in Moody Towers. This has proven to be a vast improvement for the University in welcoming and sustaining students’ varying cultures and beliefs.

“When I first came to UH, in the fall of 2012, the halal options were extremely limited, and I can’t remember a single food truck or dining hall that offered halal meat,” Chemical Engineering Senior and President of the MSA, Ahmed Sarraj said. “But three years later, seeing that halal chicken is now even offered at the Bullritos on campus, this situation has changed for the better.”

Increasing the halal options on campus is an example of the thriving and diversified atmosphere that UH is continuing to foster. The Muslim student community has shown gratitude towards the dining services’ halal incorporation.

“I really appreciate the fact that the school is (making) an effort to accommodate different groups of people especially when it comes to Muslims living in today’s society,” chemical engineering freshman Usayd Siddiqi said. “The campus’ halal availability is also an opportunity for other students who previously were not familiar with what halal was, to be exposed to this particular culture.”

Although UH is doing a good job of beginning to accommodate certain individual’s religious beliefs, some of the members of MSA suggest there be a wider variety of dietary options. A station dedicated to halal choices is a great start, but Muslim students would like to eventually see halal being incorporated into the entirety of the dining hall menus.