In 2001 Illinois's Halal Food Act went into effect, regulating the advertising of food as in accord with what Muslims consider permitted and ritually clean. Some Muslims objected that law went too far in legislating a particular interpretation, while others have called for more effective enforcement of the law. It may take time for a marketplace of private certifying agencies to develop; in the meantime, vendors and consumers occasionally find their own approaches to problems of authentication, as seen in this window of Awami Bazaar at 2340 W. Devon Avenue.

Photographer: Douglas Knox
Source: Douglas Knox