Tuesday 12 February, 2013
HISTORY,
HARPING AND MUSLIMS
Third Response to
Shenali Waduge
Hameed
Abdul Karim
This halaal certificate affair keeps
coming up in Shenali Waduge’s every argument, despite the fact that I explained
this in my very first response. So I am compelled to repeat myself. The halaal
issue popped up when non-Muslim restaurants like McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and KFC
opened shop here. It was they who approached Jamaithul Ullama for this
endorsement so that they could cater to Muslim clients fearing that if they didn’t
have this certificate they would lose out on the Muslim consumer. As far as I
know only these three establishments ‘hang’ these certificates. I can
understand her ‘grievances’ if you find halaal certificates ‘hanging’ in Saiva
or Sinhala Kamay Kades dotted all over the country. The halaal certificate is
not compulsory as Shenali would have us believe. A popular biscuit factory, a
soap factory and a foreign food outlet have rejected the halaal certificate. No
Muslim is complaining. But of course you wouldn’t expect Muslims to buy these
products or eat at outlets that proclaim they are not halaal. And I don’t think
anybody should find fault with us over this.
