Episode 89.  

Every culture has its food, and in America, each immigrant group has contributed to the bounty of culinary options––from Italian pizza to Jewish delis and much more. Muslims are no different. What this group has brought, however, is a wide array of foods, since Muslims hail from many countries. My guest today, Shahed Amanullah, a renowned entrepreneur, created a short list of restaurants that offered halal food in 1998. What began as a simple list for himself and his Muslim friends, has grown into a juggernaut. Now an app called Zabihah, it is the world’s first global halal restaurant discovery and delivery platform, including 14,000 locations in the U.S. and 50,000 worldwide. In this conversation, Shahed and I cover many aspects of the halal food scene, and the parallels with Jewish kosher laws among other things.

Highlights: 

• Halal food as a symbol of Muslim presence in America.
• Defining Halal and Zabiha.
• Variations in halal observance among Muslims.
• Halal as both a spiritual and communal expression.
• Evolving Halal standards debate.
• Shared principles and practice between halal and kosher traditions.
• Eco-Kosher and organic principles in halal practices.
• Spirituality of Food in Islam.

Bio:
Shahed Amanullah is an accomplished entrepreneur, product developer, and investor/mentor for early-stage startups. He is the founder of Zabihah, the world’s first global halal restaurant discovery and delivery platform, and serves as Managing Director of Elian Capital, a private equity fund manager and investment advisor based in San Antonio. Shahed holds a BS in Engineering from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Georgetown University.

Social Media links for Shahed:  

• Website 
• Twitter  
• Facebook 
• Instagram
• LinkedIn 

Transcript on Buzzsprout

More Episodes with Muslims:

• Bonus. Understanding the American Muslim Experience (Dr. Amir Hussain)
• Religious Pluralism vs. White Supremacy in America Today – Wajahat Ali
• How to be Visibly Muslim in the US Government – Fatima Pashaei

Social Media links for Méli:

• Website – the Talking with God Project
• Meli’s email
• LinkedIn – Meli Solomon
• Facebook – Meli Solomon

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The Living Our Beliefs podcast offers a place to learn about other religions and faith practices. Understanding how other people live opens your mind and heart to new people you meet. 

The Living Our Beliefs podcast is part of the Talking with God Project.