I have not done any research into halal and all I know is what people have told me. Ive heard it's like kosher in the sense that it is a set of rules brought from pagan times, they both have restrictions on some meats like pork, and they both use a blade to slaughter the animals. But it is my understanding that halal slaughter is somewhat humane because they simply cut the animal's throat; hugely different from kosher where they must avoid cutting the arteries.