Moscow Couriers Refuse to Deliver ‘Haram’ Food, Citing Religious Beliefs
Delivery couriers in Moscow have begun refusing to deliver food items deemed haram (forbidden) in Islam. Workers from delivery services are indicating that they are unable to deliver products prohibited by Islamic law — particularly dishes containing pork.
One such case involved a customer who ordered pulled pork with lobio and French fries. The customer received a message stating that “the courier cannot deliver a haram dish” and that a replacement courier was being found.
Moscow Region Mufti Supports Couriers Refusing Haram Deliveries
Denis Hazrat Mukhutdinov, Mufti of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) of the Moscow Region, voiced support for couriers who refuse to deliver food not permitted for Muslims. He explained that even the simple act of handling haram food — without consuming it — could be a sin for a Muslim.
“Alcoholic beverages are forbidden in Islam, and participation in their distribution, production, or sale is also prohibited. The same rule applies to food. If food is forbidden under Sharia and Islamic law, Muslims cannot deliver, hand over, or buy it for someone else,” Mukhutdinov said.
Islam forbids the consumption of:
- pork and its byproducts,
- meat from animals that died of natural causes or were slaughtered without invoking the name of Allah,
- sacrificial animal meat,
- meat from birds of prey or predators,
- meat of dogs, cats, reptiles, and any food or drink containing alcohol.
Chechen Leader Condemns Ban on Public Prayers in Russian Region
In April, it was reported that the authorities of Russia’s Stavropol Territory banned public Islamic prayers (namaz), stating that such acts in public spaces would be considered unauthorized mass gatherings. Violators were threatened with fines of up to 300,000 rubles.
This initiative drew sharp criticism from Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who called it outright discrimination and legal lawlessness.
“Thirty million Muslims in Russia are not guests, not temporary neighbors, but part of the great multiethnic Russian people,” Kadyrov reminded, adding that President Vladimir Putin had once visited a mosque in Grozny and kissed the Quran.
*Note on Islam in Russia
Islam is a major religious minority in the Russian Federation, which has the largest Muslim population in Europe. According to the US Federal Research Division 1998 reference book, Muslims in Russia numbered about 19% of the religious population, and, according to the US Department of State in 2017, Muslims in Russia numbered 14 million or roughly 10% of the total population. One of the Grand Muftis of Russia, sheikh Rawil Gaynetdin, estimated the Muslim population of Russia at 25 million in 2018. Recognized under the law and by Russian political leaders as one of Russia’s traditional religions, Islam is a part of Russian historical heritage, and is subsidized by the Russian government. The position of Islam as a major Russian religion, alongside Orthodox Christianity, dates from the time of Catherine the Great, who sponsored Islamic clerics and scholarship through the Orenburg Assembly.
By Petr Ermilin
*Source: Pravda.ru