re: #2 Bob Levin

In reference to the cut, halal sacrifice is the same as kosher: The knife must be very sharp (for the same reason as in kosher) and the cut should be in a single stroke that severs the trachea, esophagus, and the two jugular veins without cutting the spinal cord (if the spinal cord is cut, the nerve fibers to the heart might be damaged leading to cardiac arrest thus resulting in stagnation of blood in the blood vessels). The blood must be drained completely before the head is removed.

There are other restrictions, such as the animal must be handled as gently & calmly as possible, it shouldn’t be shackled, intention must be made, the name of God uttered, etc.

Regarding seafood, the four Sunni schools of Islamic law are in agreement that all types of fish are halal for consumption, however the Hanafi school disallows shellfish (though some scholars have made an exception for shrimp) and eels. I think one or two of the other schools also disallows eels (I’m not sure why). It’s also disallowed to eat fish that have died of natural causes. I don’t know if things like squid fall under the category of “fish” (samak in Arabic). I’ve never looked into it in any detail as I’m severely allergic to seafood, so those things aren’t going to end up in my kitchen anyway. :)