of sausage casings

Blogger at Screenshots was among the first to highlight the issue of an IKEA restaurant allegedly serving non-halal sausages to its customers. It was claimed that the halal logos used were expired and no longer valid, and there was doubt as to whether or not the material used to produce the sausage casings were in fact halal. What a whammy for our nation which prides itself as a bustling regional hub for halal produce. In fact, this issue has already received attention internationally. Now the said IKEA restaurant faces a legal probe by the Selangor Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Department to determine if it has indeed breached its obligations to the Muslim patrons who frequently indulge in the Swedish meatballs and gourmet sausages. Of course, IKEA has been a responsible corporate citizen and has temporarily closed its restaurant operations to perform the religious cleansing, or "samak" to allay the fears of its Muslim customers.

Wannabe newsmakers have taken this golden opportunity to steal some limelight, reiterating the importance of upholding the halal status and certification (see here, here, here, here and here).

However, the most interesting development (in my opinion) is a news piece that carries a report from one of the alleged non-halal sausage manufacturers, almost pleadingly clarifying that their sausages carry an authentic halal certification. What's interesting is the fact that there has been very little media coverage concerning this matter. Instead, the media decides to publish news and opinion pieces that are rehashes of the same old. It gives the impression that we are a "reactionary" society, i.e. a controversial news breaks, and government, NGO's, private entities, corporations, "influential" individuals, are all roped in to give their 2 cents worth. Following which, the newspaper editor decides to publish even more opinion pieces which seem to agree with the masses, with one or two "opposing" opinions published just for formality's sake. The impression is generated that "yes, we the public agree that this news is true, and we agree with whatever the powers in play say, and yes the government is doing a good job". So much for freedom of press. If indeed there are innocent parties suffering silently because of media black out, what unity is there in such an uneven playing field?

What is the point?

The general consensus of the public seems to be that the halal issue must be taken very seriously. We cannot afford to simplify the problem if we are to continue to be a regional halal hub. And I agree with that notion. I respect the constitution that states Islam as the official religion of this country. With that comes the issue of halal, and I am not opposing it in any way. And I know that it won't be opposed by most Malaysians, including this enterprising gentleman.

What I hope won't happen - as this issue gets blown out of proportion - is the opportunists who will seize the moment to impose further restrictions on the non-Muslim population. One need not be reminded of the controversy that was brought up when a certain primary school canteen prohibited home-cooked food from non-Muslim households on the pretext that it contains non-halal material that may "contaminate" the canteen's utensils, tables, and waste disposal systems.

What I do hope for, however, is for non-Muslims to truly understand what is halal, and why is it so important for Muslims to keep to their religious tenets. From understanding stems acceptance (not mere tolerance, which is akin to "i don't know why you do it, but I guess I can live with it").

And from acceptance, stems unity.