By M. A. Mohamed Saleem

Over the past several months Sri Lanka is witnessing rising tensions between Buddhists and Muslims. Protest against ‘halal’ certificates issued for Sri Lankan products reached a crisis point when the All Ceylon Jamaithul Ulema (ACJU) announced withdrawal from further involvement in the certification process except, when required for export, the halal documentation will be given free of charge. Although, the ACJU’s decision is seen as strategic in the interest of peace, it has led to more questions and confusion, and unless these are cleared in a transparent manner peace, we all desire, in the country will be evasive. Significant at that press conference "… was a clear admission on the part of the ACJU that halal certification was not necessary or strictly mandated as per religious (Islam) edict".

For a Muslim everything must be halal (permissible and acceptable to God) as opposed to haram. At all times, how halal is ensured is a personal responsibility of every Muslim and this continues to be practiced wherever Muslims reside, particularly in the rural settings. With urbanisation and super-market culture, several synthetic products, and cloned and recycled ingredients get incorporated into manufacturing-consumption chain and preclude the traditional basis for making a private judgment of something as halal. A certification process by a body like the ACJU gives credence and confidence about such a product. In the same way, Muslims take warnings given by the ACJU of something being not halal (haram) very seriously, and adjust their habits accordingly. The admission on the part of the ACJU that "… halal certification was not necessary or strictly mandated as per religious (Islam) edict" is a serious infraction of trust conferred on ACJU by the Muslims of this country. The ACJU that set out, through initiating halal certification, to protect Muslim families from haram seems to have now shifted its interest to only protect the export sector without even caring to give proper guidelines as to what an ordinary Muslim could do from now on when halal tagged merchandise go off the shelves.

What should be clear to all is that observing halal is a strict religious requirement and cannot compromised but, a certification alone may not guarantee something as halal. World over there have been instances of halal products sourced from properly halal- certificated suppliers containing non-halal substances. Halal certification does not obviate individual’s responsibility for ensuring something is genuinely halal, and therefore, ACJU decision to desist from halal certification will not be of great significance to the halal observance by the Muslims. However, what is significant is that a lot of mistrust has been created between the Muslims and the other communities, particularly the Buddhists, by the Halal certification issue which is now deemed unnecessary. The ACJU had known this all along and still pursued halal certification with all vigour. Sadly, credibility has been called to question as ACJU is now offering certification free of charge after vehemently defending a fee collection for every certification to maintain an army of halal monitoring service personnel and, after information leaked out about an alleged secret arrangement of ACJU with someone in the business community to underwrite all costs for "free of charge" halal certification for export, the mistrust between various parties further strengthened.

There is no question that everyone should be able to exercise free choice. In a non-Muslim country like Sri Lanka it is also understandable that Buddhists are now being coached into avoiding products that are labeled halal as it has an Islamic slant. As the current anti-halal campaign gains currency across the country there may be more pressure on Sri Lankan Buddhists already employed or seeking employment in Muslim (Middle Eastern) countries, where they will not be able to find anything other than halal products, to leave those countries. Any earnings and repatriation of earnings to Sri Lanka from Muslim countries that are totally immersed in halal foods and dealings will, in time to come, be considered not-permissible or haram by the ‘revivalists’ like the Bodu Bala Sena and JHU disregarding the potential loss of money transfers from these Muslim countries that keeps Sri Lanka afloat. No disciplined society allows hate campaign of any form by one group against another. In Sri Lanka, however, the anti-Muslim campaign is prospering with impunity of the perpetrators and full knowledge of the power structure. It is likely that such an environment is now being encouraged as a logical and legitimate step in a religious purification effort, although in a purified form of Buddhism, we understand, there is no place for hate and aggression even against the worst enemy.

Muslims, also being citizens of this country, have equal rights like any other and, all along, they have lived as peace loving people. They have suffered extensively and were subjected to ethnic cleansing under the militant group(s) that set out to divide the country. The stand of the Muslims always has been to preserve the integrity of this country, and they will continue to do so. At a time when this country has to engage in reconciliation and rebuilding it is unfortunate that there is a growing anti-Muslim campaign. The halal certification issue has been unfortunate, and although it was unnecessary by its own admission, out of enthusiasm for human service the ACJU has pushed the halal issue to the point of causing loss of trust, both within and outside the Muslim community. In the interest rebuilding trust between communities an apology from the ACJU to the entire people of this country seems appropriate.