Petitioner who questioned 'Halal' jaggery gets Kerala HC's definition on it
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Kochi: Hearing a petition on Thursday against halal-certified jaggery at the Sabarimala temple, the Kerala High Court told the petitioner that the concept of halal only says that the Islamic faith prohibits certain things. The court added that the certification only means no prohibited ingredients are added in a particular product, The News Minute reports.
The court told petitioner SJR Kumar, who questioned the procuring of halal-certified jaggery to prepare temple 'prasadam', that he should have gathered in-depth knowledge of the concept of halal before challenging the use of such products.
Kumar, who represents the organisation Sabarimala Karma Samithi and is a former president of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), had approached the court regarding the appropriateness of the use of halal-certified jaggery in preparation of 'aravana' and appam' and sought remedy for the situation. He claimed in his plea that religious scholars of Islam have said that saliva is a necessary ingredient for halal certification. He further alleged that food materials are certified halal after being spit upon, referring to the recent controversy in the state around allegations raised by a section of BJP and RSS leaders about the practice of spitting into the food.
Meanwhile, the court noted that the petitioner's understanding of halal is the same regarding the process of slaughtering animals in Islamic dietary rules. But the bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and PG Ajithkumar observed that a detailed hearing would be necessary before judging the issue.
On November 18, the Travancore Devasom Board (TDB) told the court that jaggery used in the temple is supplied by a company that also exports the same to Arab countries. That is why the 'halal' certification on the jaggery packaging. TDB manages the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala. However, it has also turned out that the company supplying the jaggery is not a Muslim undertaking, but only supplies also to Arab markets.