France shuts down halal store because it does not sell pork or wine

The store stocked exclusively halal products.

PARIS: A French court has reportedly ordered the closure of a halal supermarket here as it did not sell pork or wine, saying the products at the shop “did not fit the broad concept of general good".

The Court ruled that Good Price mini-market did not comply with the lease agreement, which said it must act as a "general food store".

The authority in Colombes, which brought up the case against it, argued that local residents were not being served properly as it did not sell the items.

Citing court papers, The Independent reported on Monday that the store stocked only halal products.

When the local authority questioned the manager, he reportedly said that "It's business. I look around me and I target what I see."

Defending him, his lawyer contended that alcohol is only a complement to food and "not part of the general diet", and hence, it had no obligations to sell it.

However, the court observed that its products were "restrictive and did not fit the broad concept of general good."

Terminating the store's lease, the court ordered the tenant to vacate the place and pay a fine of €4,000 to the local authority in legal costs.