That is just religious conditioning. You cannot find direct answers to such questions from religious circles. Both Jews and Muslims have rather sophisticated sets of rules explaining what to eat and what not to eat. International food companies proudly indicate this point when they export foods to Islamic and Jewish countries.

The general explanation is like this (for Islam) you don´t eat the flesh of predators or any animal which feeds on its own excretion.

If you have obtained a food through illegal or unethical means regardless of what type of food it is, it is not helal to consume it.

If an animal is slaughtered by a non-muslim, or by a muslim who slaughters the animal without having a religious wash first and without asking God´s consent by repeating certain phrases, the meat of that animal is not helal.

Any sea animal other than fish is not helal.

Vegeterianism: refusing to eat meat is contrary to God´s will. However, if someone doesn´t eat meat through preference or because of a health problem. His diet is halal.

Alcohol consumption, transportation of alcoholic drinks, buying, selling and being in the company of those consuming alcohol are all haram.

In Turkey, most people don´t observe some of these rules.

 Not true of course, no Quranic basis...

I actually eat quite a bit of pork (pig).  I am half Italian and pork is a very common dish for us.  The last I checked, Italy WAS on the Mediterranean....did someone move it again? 

Yilgun - again, I find your post a bit....well...antagonistic.  People from all over the world eat many different things.  Who are you to say what is good and what is bad, what is clean and what is dirty? Your post makes you sound like a bit of a culinary snob!

Pass the bacon please!!

I guess I´ll never know Cause I´ve seen chickens eat some nasty things, including their own poo But then again, they are a cheap form of meat... if chickens would have been forbidden people´s diets would get limited.

I´ve also had discussion with muslim people on shrimps... Some say (although I highly doubt them ) that tiny shrimp are okay, but things like lobsters are not. I think it´s not an interpretation issue, but that shrimp are just not halal. I guess they just made up these exception-rule for themselves so they could eat shrimp

 Even in Saudi Arabia lots of restaurants serving shrimps and lobsters, Saudi´s eat them freely...

 I did not know this!

Someone told me it´s different in the 4 schools if seafood other than fish is allowed. Anyone?

So....scallops wrapped in bacon is definately out?  DAMN!!

Saudis are people too. Islam recognizes the fact that humans are prone to commit sins. Many points are left open for free reasoning. I have found a quotation from Mohammad which explains what the basis must be when determining what´s halal and what is haram:

If something is harmful in large quantity, even a small quantity of it is haram too. Alcohol is one such food. It is harmful in large quantity and makes you forget the word of God; so even a tiny amount of it is haram too. At least, as stated by Mohammad.

As an example to the point I made at the beginning of the paragraph, the verse in Quran can be paraphrased like this: From dates and grapes one makes several drinks some are healthy and some are harmful. Use your reasoning to find which one is halal and which one is haram.

That´s a very interesting thread, I´ve learnt a few things - thank you, Vineyards.I wasn´t aware that seafood is not considered halal or that meat must be killed by a Muslim after a ritual wash. Not that it makes a difference to my life, but, still, it is interesting. Doesn´t it mean that a very religious person may have trouble when they go abroad and have to buy meat from supermarkets? There´s little chance it is halal...

Yersu - I´ve read something to the effect of what you posted. Sounds pretty logical, doesn´t it?

recently we have had some visitors from Turkey,all involved in preparing visit as it was international consisting of 9 nationalities forgot about halal things,anyway birdy was on a duty and the visit passed smoothly as far as food was concerned.And what a pleasure was to see relief on some face´s about stuff to eat)))

btw

i have more sisters and brothers now,as most of them did not speak English I was made to babysit them)))ehhh,family is growing!!!