Members of the Sikh community in the Northern city of Bradford have come out against a halal meat plant being planned at a site next to a prominent gurdwara. The city’s leading meat retailer Pakeezah wants to convert a disused car repair workshop on Percival Street into a modern wholesale meat plant and the plans will come up for approval during a local meeting.
But since the site is so close to the Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara building, Sikhs in the local community fear the redevelopment could mean the smell of meat floating into the Guru Gobind Singh Gurudwara building.
It is believed that many people in the local area are strict vegetarians and the notion of meat being so near to the temple is disrespectful and insensitive. The smell of meet would be very offensive towards people who don’t eat it.
There are also concerns that beef might be processed at the site, which is only yards away from the Sikh temple. In the Sikh religion, the cow is viewed as a sacred animal and beef is prohibited in Sikhism as it is in Hinduism. This has angered the community.
All concerns will further be discussed at a planning committee meeting scheduled for later on this month.
By Tim Katoga
