The controversial Saba Halal chicken market opened on Colvin Street this week in Alexandria.
Protests and lawsuits delayed the opening over the past two years, sparked by concerns about smells, trash and permits. But the D.C. Poultry Market is now open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., ALXNow.com reported.
The market is not the first for owner Abdul Mused, whose Saba brand operates 18 Halal markets in several states.
The market in Alexandria will receive several hundred chickens a few times per week, delivered by truck from an Amish farm in Pennsylvania.
The chicken is weighed before being moved to the slaughter room, where it receives prayers before it is killed, plucked, cleaned and brought back to the customer, all in accordance with Islamic traditions and laws.
The term Halal means lawful or permissible. Regarding food, it refers to food that is allowed and prepared in accordance with Islamic law. Those laws call for humane treatment during life, a religious invocation prior to death, specific slaughtering methods and other regulations.
Read more about the business in this 2019 Business Journals interview with Saba Live Poultry's founder.
