හලාල් ඉවත් කරයි.

It is not a matter of bussiness.....It is the matter of generalising halal food to everyone including people in other religions.
If they want to export to Muslim countries that portion can be prepared according to halal procedure and tag in as halal.
Muslims think halal procedure is less painful to the animal but others may look at as a ruthless way to kill an animal...So the people who do not want to eat halal food should have that oppurtunity.When the entire product of a company is tagged as halal is it fair to other people ?

@WB, I understand your concern, and this is the main argument the Christian groups have against halal in UK. Of course it's valid and that should be respected. I think that's why ACJU has proposed the same yesterday, i.e. two processes for halal and non halal. And this applies only to chicken and beef.
I think SL is ahead of even UK if these ACJU proposals are implemented.

And if the companies does not want to maintain two processes because of cost concerns, then the only option for ACJU is to withdraw from halal certification. And the Muslims in SL will not be affected by non halal environment, coz they know where to get there meat stuff. I used to get my portion of halal mutton even in Vietnam when i was living there believe me. And I never buy chicken from supermarket in SL even if its Bairaha coz we don't like 'ice' chicken. I used to slaughter myself. And I'm still doing when I'm at home.

Yes now its upto the relevant companies to take the decision....

Thats it.

Guys useful links,
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bkDmEUJ99Z4

Should listen to discussions like this. An old item though. Very informative.at least those days people spoke to each other with respect even with differences in opinions.

By Charundi Panagoda


Halal, a word that has stirred much controversy and tension in the country, is simply Arabic for “permitted,” as opposed to Haram, Arabic for “prohibited.” Under Sharia Islamic law, Halal and Haram designate objects and actions permissible or sinful for Muslims.

More commonly, Halal is a term referred to food items Muslims are allowed to consume under Islamic dietary guidelines. The Quran explicitly forbids Muslims from consuming pork, blood, carrion, alcohol, meat over which God’s name has not been pronounced, animals slaughtered in the name of any other than God and animals that have been strangled or beaten to death, killed by a fall, gored to death or killed by another animal and not finished off by a human.

In order to ensure that food they consume does not contain any Haram products, Muslim communities worldwide rely on the Halal certification, including predominantly non-Muslim countries such as the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Thailand.

In Sri Lanka, Halal certifications are provided by the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU). Established in 1924 as a “non-political, non-governmental national religious institute,” the organisation was incorporated by Act of Parliament No. 51 in 2000. ACJU consists of over 4,000 Muslim theologians (ulamas) and “acts as the accepted authority concerning religious affairs of the [Sri Lankan Muslim] community.” ACJU services include Sharia rulings (fatwa), moonsighting (hilal), advocacy, Islamic banking and Halal certification.

According to the ACJU, Halal certification is a process of “screening” ingredients in food production with the goal of clarifying to the Muslim consumer whether the product is contaminated with any Haram material.



ACJU’s Halal Certification Committee consists of 10 theologians and eight experts from fields of science and technology. The certification is processed through five sectors — abattoir sector which applies to slaughter houses, food premises sector applicable to buildings and areas food is prepared and served such as restaurants, product sector which applies to foods processed and manufactured in Sri Lanka, endorsement sector for foods imported or re-exported and storage sector applicable to warehouses and cold rooms.

Currently, ACJU has given certificates for more than 4,500 products and about 200 organisations. In December 2006, the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) recognised ACJU Halal certifications in a gazette directive but rescinded that directive seven months later. On September 10, 2007, the CAA issued another gazette directive recognising Halal certificates issued by a “recognized body,” but rescinded that directive in February 2008. Chairman of the CAA Rumy Marzook refused to comment due to the sensitive nature of the issue.

Despite allegations, Halal certification from ACJU is voluntary. The organisation issues certificates only if the businesses seek it, President of ACJU M.I.M Rizwe (Mufti) said. The applicants first must submit a letter of request for certification followed by submitting the actual application. After a site investigation, if the Halal Certification Committee approves the application, a certificate will be issued with a service fee. The ACJU conducts announced or unannounced site visits periodically to maintain standards, and certificates must be periodically renewed.

Recently, ACJU has been under fire over allegations of profiteering from Halal certifications. Accusers ask ‘does the ACJU need to issue Halal certificates for everything from soaps to brushes?”

UNP MP Kabir Hashim said if there’s an issue of ACJU’s authority to issue certificates or profiteering allegations, then it’s the “government’s job” to set up a process for transparency and supervision via the Sri Lanka Standards Institute or Muslim Affairs Department.

“I think there is a big misunderstanding regarding Halal certification, it’s not forced on anybody and it’s preposterous to claim Halal certificates are ‘Islamifying’ the country,” he said. “If there are issues the state should supervise, like the predominantly Buddhist Thai government does. I believe mostly because of free market economy and globalisation, many companies need Halal certificates to access certain local and foreign markets.” While some food items can be clearly deemed Halal or Haram, some items are Makrooh, or doubtful or questionable, especially when ingredients are not listed.

For example, many bread products may contain a dough conditioner called L-Cysteine, considered Haram because L-Cysteine is mainly sourced from human hair, duck feathers or according to a manager from its Chinese production company, hog hair. As the final bakery products will not list L-Cysteine as an ingredient, ACJU says Halal certification is necessary to “assure” Muslim consumers.

How necessary Halal certification is for Muslim consumers, however, depends on individual preferences. Some Muslim consumers said their eating habits depended on ACJU Halal certification, others said they were only concerned whether meat and poultry was Halal, and the rest didn’t care either way and ate what they wanted.

Halal “only a pretext for ulterior motives”–Hakeem

Justice Minister and Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Rauf Hakeem said a recently-appointed Cabinet sub-Committee is currently holding discussions between the Muslim community and Bodu Bala Sena organisation over the Halal certification issue. �Convening for the first time last Friday, Minister Hakeem said “encouragingly” both parties are willing to compromise and come to a viable solution. The Minister added that one of the possible solutions being discussed is for the government to create a mechanism to supervise certification in an acceptable manner. Also under consideration is for an accredited government institution to get involved, similar to the process in other countries.

“These are all just ideas, but at the same time we can decide if we should let the same system continue in a manner acceptable to both parties,.” Minister Hakeem said.
The Minister added that it is the “right of Muslim consumers” to consume Halal food. He said Halal certifications are being used as a “pretext,” “unfortunately and worryingly” to create “unnecessary misunderstandings that could result in violence.”

“ACJU has been subjected to all sorts of absurd probing [allegations of ‘Islamifying’ and funding foreign terrorists], this is why it appears that some kind of supremacist tendencies are developing in the country affecting harmonious relationships between communities, instigated by certain vested interests,” the Minister said.

Halal controversies are not isolated to Sri Lanka. In the past few years, right-wing politicians, media groups and even Presidential candidates in the UK, Canada, France and the US have made similar accusations of Halal “Islamifying” countries and being “secretly imposed on non-Muslims.” Some countries, like the Netherlands, have banned ritual slaughter provoking outcries from both Muslims and Jews, who have kosher guidelines similar to Halal.

Commenting on the rising Halal-phobia in France, a Muslim activist and author wrote, “I suspect it’s fear. Fear and politics. Both fear and politics operate the same way in France, conveniently blaming all French social ills on Islam. Hence, the reaction toward halal.”

What about cruelty to animals, ask activists�

According to Islamic law, meat permissible for consumption is produced by a method of ritual slaughter called Dhabihah, where a butcher who is of the People of the Book (Jews, Muslims and Christians) slaughters the animal with a swift, deep incision to the throat with a sharp knife that severs the jugular veins and the carotid arteries (but leaving the spinal cord intact) so the animal dies by exsanguination, or blood loss. The butcher has to recite an Islamic prayer offering the animal to God before slaughter.
The Dhabihah method, though not without criticism, is believed by Muslims to reduce the pain felt by the animal. Animal Rights Activist Sagarika Rajakarunanayaka said, while Islamic law prescribes that an animal must be treated humanely before slaughter with food and water, these Islamic principles are often ignored by local Halal-certified butchers.

“The butchers only care about killing as many animals as speedily as possible and they do it in cruel and inhumane fashions,” she said. “They are only worried about the Halal label on the meat, not whether the prescribed laws are followed. No one, not even the Buddhist monks protesting this, is bothered about the animal cruelty aspect.”
She added that without supervision there’s no difference between religious and non-religious butchers.

Additional Director General for Livestock Development D. R. T. Rathnayaka said non-religious butchers in Sri Lanka often hammer the animal with an iron rod or use bolt guns to render animals unconscious before slaughter. “In most places, they cruelly tie down the animals and beat them to control them before slaughter,” he said.
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/130224/news/halal-food-for-thought-34292.html

Issues of Divergence and Contestation: Some Reflections on the Concept of Halal
23 Feb, 2013 Kasun Adikari Colombo, Peace and Conflict, Religion and faith

Photo by AFP’s Ishara S Kodikara, via ABC

“Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor upon tradition; nor upon rumour; nor upon what is in a scripture; nor upon surmise; nor upon an axiom; nor upon specious reasoning; nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over; nor upon another’s seeming ability; nor upon the consideration, ‘The monk is our teacher.’ Kalamas, when you yourselves know: ‘These things are bad; these things are blameable; these things are censured by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to harm and ill,’ abandon them.”- Kalama Sutta: The Buddha’s Charter of Free Inquiry

Introduction
Violence in the name of religion has become the predominant model for politics in the modern world. In the present context, has increased in its frequency, scale of violence, and national reach in Sri Lanka. Too much emphasis is wrongly placed among the majority on various aspects on the practice of other religions especially on the concept of halal. It’s telling that more verbal and political energies are being channelled to create anxiety about this.

The purpose of this article is to provide a basic understanding on the concept of halal and how it operates internationally, to people from my own community since they often tend to be provided with inaccurate, lacking and sometimes simply fabricated facts of the same. Hence, right understanding of the concept may help to alleviate vague or poor understandings and in some way enhance peaceful relationship between Sinhalese and Muslims which we have been maintaining it for more than thousand years without any cracks.

What is halal?

Twenty years back when I was reading for my first degree at University of Moratuwa, I raised this question to one of my batch mate and now it is at the heart of a controversy for the majority Sri Lankans.

Oxford dictionary defines ‘halal’ as ‘religiously acceptable according to Islamic law.’ The word halal refers to anything that is considered permissible and lawful under religion. Muslims are supposed to live their lives by this concept, with its connotations of cleanliness, integrity and self-restraint. The opposite of this word is haraam. The term halal is widely used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law. In fact, it refers to permissible behaviour, speech, dress, conduct, manner and dietary. In a Muslim’s life, every aspect of life is regulated by Islamic law; therefore, the Halal-Haraam dichotomy almost always applies to everything, and Muslims make sure they understand what is what since saying or doing Halal will lead to Paradise and Haraam to Hell.

Halal Foods

Halal foods are foods that Muslims are allowed to eat under Islamic dietary guidelines. The criteria specify both what foods are allowed, and how the food must be prepared. Why Muslims want halal foods at all? “the logic behind this is that remaining blood in the body may become polluted and harmful to humans”.

The foods addressed are mostly types of meat. In order to be halal, permitted animals must be slaughtered according to prescribed methods of slaughtering (halal slaughtering), which emphasised on the aspects of hygiene, health, safety and humane treatment. A study conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Humane Society International concluded that the animals that are slaughtered according to halal method complies with the hygiene and environmental health issues and halal meat should be labelled when it is put on sale, so that members of the public can decide on the choice.

Halal Certification

Halal is not only concern on meat foods, it emphasise that Muslims must ensure that all foods, particularly processed foods, pharmaceuticals, and non-food items like cosmetics, are also halal. Frequently, these products contain animal by-products or other ingredients that are not permissible for Muslims to eat or use on their bodies.

Halal certification tells Muslims that their ingredients and production methods have been tested and declared permissible by a certification body (i.e., internationally or locally recognised halal certification bodies certifies the product as halal, preferably with a trademarked and unique symbol). It also allows companies to export products to most Middle Eastern countries and South East Asian Countries.

Since the introduction of halal certification, many mainstream manufacturers, especially pharmaceuticals, prepared foods, and other products, as well as hotels, restaurants, airlines, hospitals, and other service providers have pursued the halal market. These companies purchase halal-certified products.

International Perspective

Halal Food Authority (HFA) is one of the UK’s largest regulators of halal foods. HFA is well established, both within the halal slaughter and wider food industry. Today, from Kelloggs cereals to KFC; from ASDA to British Airways, the HFA logo can be found on food products declaring them to be approved as halal.

The oldest and most well-known halal certifier in the United States is called the ‘Islamic Services of America’. In 2011, ‘Halal Products Certification Institute’ was established in California and became the first worldwide corporation that certified halal consumer products such as cosmetics, personal care products and perfumes & fragrances. The institute was established by Islamic intellectual scholars and Muslim scientists to assure the dissemination of halal consumer products.

Also in Europe, several organizations have been created over the past 20 years in order to certify halal products. A survey recently published by a French association of Muslim Consumers (ASIDCOM) shows that the market of halal products has been developed in a rapid way.

In South Africa, most chicken products have a halal stamp. The South African National Halal Authority (SANHA) issues certificates and products bearing this logo range from water, snacks, and even meat-free products (which may contain non-halal ingredients). The South African National Halal Authority also licenses the usage of the Halal logo in restaurants where the food is halal in addition to no alcohol or pork products being served.

McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) have been declared to be halal in most of the countries. In the United Kingdom, China, Malaysia or Singapore, halal fried chicken restaurants having thousands of outlets serve halal foods, such as the ChicKing Fried Chicken, Brown’s Chicken, and Crown Fried Chicken companies.

Also, in New York City there are numerous halal food carts in business which serve gyros, chicken platters, and other halal fast foods, whereas in Europe, there are many of halal certified Doner kebab shops. Very recently, twelve stores in the Mary Brown’s chain in Ontario and Alberta became 100% halal.

Thailand and Philippines also has a noticeable population of Muslims and halal meat shops country wide. Within the People’s Republic of China, which has a sizable Muslim minority population, halal food is known as ‘Qingzhen’ means ‘pure truth.’

Charges justifiable?

Almost all the halal certifying institutions around the world incorporated as non-profit organisations and they are categorised under service sector. Besides, Halal certification is a long and meticulous process that requires investment in expertise, equipment and manpower. Therefore, organizations certify halal products are compelled to charge a fee to meet their expenses. Like any other certification process, halal certification also has a management cost involved. For example, when a company obtains the quality standard, the system standard or the risk management standard certification, it is charged for various costs with regard to logistics, communication, human resources, professional services and consultation fees. In addition to that, halal certifying institutions has to bear the costs in relation to technological testing and research, human resource costs as they are obliged to maintain a dedicated team of food scientists, administrators, Halal auditors and a large team of supervisors based at certified plants.

Conclusion

From the above, it appears that the concept of halal has a global recognition and is wider in its scope. Specifically as far as Muslims are concern, the concept of halal is embedded with their day to day life and is considered as one of the significant aspects of practicing there religion.

As Buddhists, we must know how to regard other religions and their practices as we belong to the religious group that accepts and appreciates the reasonable teachings of every religion. Buddhists can also tolerate the practices of other religious, cultural traditions and customs, although they may not necessarily wish to emulate them.

In other words, Buddhists respect the other man’s views and appreciate other practices without harbouring any religious prejudices. If there are certain Buddhists who feel they are unable to appreciate the ways of other religious practices, then the least they could do is to maintain their silence and refrain from any undue criticism: this attitude is very important for peaceful co-existence. If we study the teachings of Buddhism, then we can understand the basis of our religion and our attitude towards the other religions. To practise a religion we must be honest, sincere, truthful and kind to others: we must avoid deceit and cruelty: and in our relation with others we must be broad-minded.

According to the Buddha, if we adopt aggressive and violent methods to solve our problems, we cannot find the real solution to overcome them. No doubt, we can suppress some troubles and temporarily win the battle as long as our opponents remain weak. But when our opponents get the chance, they will not keep quiet and will not forgive us. Therefore, if we act with violence, we can never find lasting peace. This is why the Buddha once said: “Hatred is never ended by hatred, but only by loving-kindness.” Buddha also said: “It is not that I quarrel with the world but the world quarrels with me. A teacher of truth never quarrels with others.

Accordingly, non-violence is at the heart of Buddhist thinking and behaviour. Nothing in Buddhist scripture gives any support to the use of violence as a way to resolve conflict. One of Buddha’s sermons puts this very clearly with a powerful example that stresses the need to love your opponent no matter how cruelly he treats you:

“Even if thieves carve you limb from limb with a double-handed saw, if you make your mind hostile you are not following my teaching.”- Kamcupamasutta, Majjhima-Nikkaya I – 28-29