LETTER (March 23 2004): A study report, by Dr Hany Atchan, Ph.D and Lori Walter RN of the Muslim American Council for Consumers Advocacy, has raised serious questions about the so-called Halal quality of chicken meat, beef, mutton and even dairy products sold in the US.

The authors and various scholars have given a specific ruling, wanting Muslim to stop/ban the consumption of all such products produced on the feeding of pig offal meal.

The said report concludes with the observation, "Don't only worry about how your cow, sheep, goat or chicken was butchered and whether someone uttered "Bismillah Allahu Akbar" at the time of slaughter, but you should also be worried about the filth or "Najis" that they were fed before they arrived at your neighbourhood Halal store or at a restaurant table."

According to the National Renderers Association of USA, 8.535 million metric tons of rendered by-products (including pork meal) were produced in the US, during the years 2002.

Traditionally, excluding exports, 34 percent is used for producing pet food, 34 percent for poultry feed, 20 percent for pig feed and 10 percent for beef and dairy cattle feed.

Similarly, other countries involved in pig farming, also produce pig by-product meal for livestock and poultry feeding.

There are clear Hadeeths from Prophet Mohammad (SAW) which prohibit eating meat, drinking milk or even riding animals that regularly consume "Najs" (defined in Fiqah to include feces, swine or pigs etc).

The recent scare of the so-called Avian influenza due to the incomplete initial information given by the FAO & WHO, created an unwanted panic amongst consumers of many Asian countries, where local chicken meat and eggs intake dropped drastically.

In light of the consumers' perceptions, some interested quarters in Pakistan, who wanted to make quick money, started importing chicken, chicken products and beef from other countries; not withstanding the fact that the exporting countries have a large pig meat production, with every likelihood of slaughterhouses and rendering plants' products, including that of pig, being fed to the chicken, as a component of chicken feed.

It is noteworthy that pigs are considered as ideal vessels to carry and mutate viruses, including those responsible for the Avian influenza, SARS.

They were also involved in communicating the Mad Cow Disease in cattle. As such, there is a strong case to ban pig farming throughout the world and to prohibit the consumption of animals/birds, that are fed pig offal meal.

Islam has forewarned against pig meat consumption some 1400 years ago. A certificate of Halal for custom purposes cannot in itself, pronounce a judgment of Halal, so a chicken that has consumed pig offal cannot be said to be Halal! It is unfortunate that chicken meat, mutton and beef is imported from countries that produced pig meat in millions of tons, during 2003.

Consequently these countries have a large production of the pig offal meal for chicken/animal feeding.

Most Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia and UAE, do not give blanket approval to the import of animal products, such as, chicken, beef and mutton, from any country.

Instead, they send a panel of Ulema-e-Karaam and veterinarians to visit the country interested in exports, for inspection of their procedure for Zabiyah, health sanitation.

After ensuring that a procedure meets all the requirements of Halal, they issue plant specific authorisation for import. A simple certificate is not acceptable, even if imports are from Muslim countries.

One cannot imagine how imports of the said meat was allowed inside the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, where the teaching and practices of the Hadeeth and Sunnah are still upheld.

The matter must be dealt firmly to safeguard our faith and to avoid the use of any forbidden or Haram food in the country.

Our Islamic Scholars, leaders and religious institutions have the joint responsibility of looking into such delicate issues and to advise the public in the best interests of our society.

It is also the responsibility of the Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Food and Livestock to carefully study and request for the import of any meat from a foreign country, to ensure that it meets our religious and national demands.

Under the present situation, it would be in the best interests of the people and the country to immediately ban the imports of chicken, beef, mutton and dairy products from countries involved in the production of pork and, are involved in importing rendered animal offal meal for feeding their livestock and poultry.

We should seek mercy for our neglect and should pray to Allah: "Show us the straight way. The way of those on whom Thou have bestowed Thy grace, not the one of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy wrath and not the one of those who go astray" Aamin! (Al Quran-Al Rehman).

Courtesy Business Recorder