Something to note is that in the Quran god mentions that if you're starving then none of the rules apply and you can eat anything you need to. The dietary rules seem to function moreso as a test of dedication rather than a inviolable rule.
It goes further than that. If you're away from home and in a place where halal is not available, or you are a guest in someone's home and it was not reasonable for you to bring your own food, then eating anything is halal. And even without these things, there is ritual cleansing.
Intent matters.
Like there was an intense controversy in Malaysia a few years ago where a traveling "show" called "I Want To Touch A Dog" allowed Malay Muslims to come, touch a cute dog, and then quickly perform 7 ritual cleansing steps. The argument centred on the intent - driving to a place to touch a dog shows an intent to break the rule, and might even invalidate the cleansing.
All mumbo jumbo of course but it's interesting at least.
That's super interesting. Honestly I found it fascinating just how chill god was in the quran about a lot of things that i figured were hardline rules. The haj, Ramadan, the prayers all had plenty of exceptions allowed... Its just unfortunate how very not chill god goes on to be about topics like women, slavery, and non-believers etc...
AFAIK, the first part of your answer is correct, the second part I don't think so. There are some laws in Islam that came down with some of the reasoning behind the prohibition including pig meat being essentially unclean.
you can touch and pet a dog, but slobbering over you yes you need to do the ritual thing.
Owning a dog is only permissible for guard and shepherding.
Also the trade of anything with canines is not allowed only adoption (cats and dogs) This was propably to prevent puppy and cat mills which are notoriously horrific.
Have I ever had my throat slit and dealt with that pain and adrenaline keeping me conscious up until there's not enough blood in my body to stay conscious? Obviously not.
My point is we have instantaneous ways of killing animals yet for some dumbass ancient religious traditions certain people need their food to suffer.
It seems to me that people who follow kosher and halal dietary restrictions should move to the areas surrounding Yellowstone (Idaho, Wyoming and Montana).
Apparently if someone genetically engineered a potato with pig genes (to make it extra tasty when roasted, presumably), it would be one but not the other, due to philosophical differences between Judaism and Islam.
Muslim here, As long as you are travelling to a country that is considered people of the book, you shouldn't worry about the food unless it has pork in or make you drunk (yes you can have alcohol in your food if it doesn't make you drunk, as most food ferments but it has to be minisucule amounts).
I think all Australian meat is Halal by trade.
Also for sea animals all are permissible (except Shia don't eat shellfish or rabbits due to it having a claw or something)
All predatory land animals and avians are not allowed to bea eaten.