The past week or so, a WhatsApp group I was added to was buzzing about the halal status of a known restaurant in the city. A diner had posted on his Facebook wall a reply to an email he had sent to an executive of the said restaurant regarding the halal status of the eatery. The executive said the restaurant was not a “certified Jakim entity” and that it was not its discretion to validate the halal status of its suppliers.
We all know what halal stands for. It means “permissible” or “lawful” in Arabic, and provides assurance that the food does not contain ingredients that Muslims are forbidden to consume, such as alcohol, pork, and meat from cattle and poultry that were not slaughtered according to Islamic protocols.
Some friends and I were aware that the particular restaurant did not have the halal certification and would never get one from Jakim, the department in charge of Islamic development in the country. This is not because of the meat used, but because it has liquor on its drinks menu. We know that restaurants that serve liquor cannot qualify for the halal status. Only the kitchens of such restaurants, especially those in hotels, can be given the halal status, provided that they do not use alcohol, pork, and meat from cattle and poultry that have not been slaughtered in the Islamic way.
This is not the first, nor will it be the last, restaurant whose halal status is questioned. Time and again, the halal status of food and beverage establishments will crop up on social media, throwing Muslims into a frenzy. There are many food outlets out there, and, as Muslims, it is our duty to find out the halal status of any eatery before we venture into it.
Through social media, we get to read shared statuses on what’s halal and what’s not. There are many who share so-called “information” blindly without verifying the facts, further contributing to rounds of mistruth and misinformation, thus, confusing consumers.
I have noticed that while we are quick to share unverified statuses, we close one eye to statuses that verify such claims. The halal status of a certain coffee outlet, for example, has been making the rounds for years after it first got on social media. Friends and family members were warned that the chocolate, vanilla and coffee drinks at the outlet contained elements of animal origin and/or alcohol.
In the shared posts I have received, no one had actually verified the claim with Jakim, even though the phone number of the department was attached to the posts. No one did a search on the department’s website. My guess is that it is easier to click the “share” button and get someone else to do the follow-up.
Of course, the department needs to be straightforward in its reply so that Muslims are not left even more confused. I remember clearly five years back, when Muslim housewives were alarmed over the halal status of a type of butter favoured for baking cakes and cookies.
Conflicting statements were issued by the department and state religious authority. Added to the confusion were statements from the foreign manufacturer, who provided proof of the halal certification from three Islamic bodies other than Malaysia. At the end of it, consumers who doubted the status of the product left it out of their shopping list.
And now, the latest brouhaha is over the “pork-free” signage posted at the entrance of some restaurants. It actually caught the attention of the authorities, with one state religious department issuing a restriction order on food outlets in the state not to use the term “pork-free” or “no pork” at their premises. It said the signage would confuse the public. Really?
In my mind, there is nothing confusing about the signage. It simply means that the particular food outlet does not use pork or pork-related products in its dishes. It does not in any way indicate that the eatery is halal. I believe most diners know this. So, I see no reason why action should be taken against food outlets with the “pork-free” labelling, as suggested by a deputy minister.
But, I agree with him that the public, especially Muslims, should be educated not so much on how to distinguish between a halal logo and “pork-free” labelling, but on where to source for information on halal food and premises. The authorities in charge should seriously look at how to effectively disseminate information to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
They should use social media networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, to promote Jakim’s directory of premises with the halal certification at the Halal Malaysia official portal and MyJakim mobile app.
The information is at our fingertips. Just tell us where we can find it.
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