Zan Azlee
Published: Jan 18, 2025 6:49 PM
COMMENT | I am a Muslim. Surprise! Yes, I am. So it goes without saying that when I eat food, I would try my best to eat halal food. This is not just the case when I am out, but also when I am at home.
I buy food and groceries that are usually halal, or at least that’s what I think. So according to logic, the food that I prepare in my home should be halal and safe to be consumed by Muslims.
My wife and I also like to entertain friends and family. We like to organise lunches, dinners and barbecues that last till the wee hours of the morning.
The food that we prepare and serve usually is made from the groceries that we buy, which we think is halal. Do we actually have halal certification for the food we prepare? Not really. We just hope that people who come and eat don’t mind.
My family and I are not that strict on the halal certification when we go out and eat, or even with the groceries that we buy. Of course, we eat at halal-certified restaurants, but we are also totally fine eating at restaurants run by non-Muslims that don’t have legitimate halal certification but just say that they are Muslim-friendly and don’t serve pork or lard.
We also eat at Muslim restaurants that don’t have halal certification.
Published: Jan 18, 2025 6:49 PM
COMMENT | I am a Muslim. Surprise! Yes, I am. So it goes without saying that when I eat food, I would try my best to eat halal food. This is not just the case when I am out, but also when I am at home.
I buy food and groceries that are usually halal, or at least that’s what I think. So according to logic, the food that I prepare in my home should be halal and safe to be consumed by Muslims.
My wife and I also like to entertain friends and family. We like to organise lunches, dinners and barbecues that last till the wee hours of the morning.
The food that we prepare and serve usually is made from the groceries that we buy, which we think is halal. Do we actually have halal certification for the food we prepare? Not really. We just hope that people who come and eat don’t mind.
My family and I are not that strict on the halal certification when we go out and eat, or even with the groceries that we buy. Of course, we eat at halal-certified restaurants, but we are also totally fine eating at restaurants run by non-Muslims that don’t have legitimate halal certification but just say that they are Muslim-friendly and don’t serve pork or lard.
We also eat at Muslim restaurants that don’t have halal certification.
I choose to trust these eateries. What do they have to gain from lying anyway? It’s not like pork is cheaper than any other kind of meat. Also, it is pretty nonsense to believe that if a Muslim were to eat non-halal food, it would instantly and magically turn them into non-Muslims.
So there goes the theory that all non-Muslims have an ulterior motive of deceiving and converting Muslims out of Islam.
Right to ask
The halal certification which is inspected and given out by Jakim (Islamic Department Development) is very strict and also very costly. Most restaurants or food producers who do choose to get certified are usually those who have the deep pockets and resources to do so. There are many that don’t even bother to get the halal certification.
All restaurants and food products that carry the halal certification are guaranteed to be halal, but just because a restaurant or food product doesn’t have the certification does not mean it is not halal.
The friends and family who come to my house whenever we host lunch or dinner parties know that the food that we serve is halal and they don’t question it even if we do not have the halal certification.
However, that being said, if they do decide to ask us if our food is halal, I wouldn’t be offended and would just simply reassure them that it is and probably explain to them why it is halal. They have every right to ask if they are in doubt.
It would probably be the same if a vegetarian wanted to be sure of what he or she is eating and asked, or a Hindu asking wanting to know if there is beef or not in a dish.
Just chill
So my response to this ham sandwich debacle is that everyone needs to chill in their reaction to it all. Isn’t it just natural for Muslims to question if a food product that has a name that usually has non-halal connotations?
Honestly, ham is widely understood to be a form of processed pork. Although there is such a thing as turkey or chicken ham, it is not as common as ham ham.
Even if it were me, if I wanted to be sure if something is halal, I would just ask and once I get an answer, I do whatever I want with it. So I would say that this is just a matter of having some form of religious and cultural sensitivity and understanding.
In all honesty, I don’t see any form of oppression of offensiveness in this issue at all. Pork, ham and all other non-halal foods are still being sold openly with no problems.
So let the authorities investigate the issue and if there is going to be any legal action to be taken, hopefully, it is fair and just. It’s really a small matter and we shouldn’t be overreacting and making a mountain out of a molehill.
It will all be over soon and hopefully, lessons will be learnt and mistakes will be corrected and not repeated. Enough said.
ZAN AZLEE is a writer, documentary filmmaker, journalist and academic. Visit fatbidin.com to view his work.
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