Town: Halal-only menu 'discrimination'

Roubaix Mayor Rene Vandierendonck, a Socialist, called for a boycott of the city's Quick branch, which removed all items from its menu that don't conform to Islamic halal dietary rules, and the town council filed a discrimination complaint against the chain, the BBC reported Friday.

Quick removed pork and other non-halal items from the menu of the Roubaix branch and several other locations in November. The move received condemnation from members of President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative UMP party.

"I'm not bothered by the fact that there is a halal menu," Vandierendonck said.

"But this is going too far because it is the only menu on offer and it has become discrimination."

The manager of the Roubaix Quick branch said business has increased slightly since the menu went halal-only.

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