No, Muslims Did Not Accept That Spitting Completes Halal As This Viral Post Claims!
Writer: Anish Yande
He is an English Literature student who's currently pursuing his Masters Degree in Multimedia Journalism from Christ University (Bangalore). He believes that storytelling is one of the most effective mediums to forge connections among people in the diverse yet divided world we live in. He focuses on developing and sharing stories of perseverance with a unique personal and social aspect through all the work he does.
India, 19 Dec 2021 1:49 PM GMT
Editor : Bharat Nayak |
As the founding editor, Bharat had been heading the newsroom during the formation years of the organization and worked towards editorial policies, conceptualizing and designing campaign strategies and collaborations. He believes that through the use of digital media, one could engage the millennial's in rational conversations about pertinent social issues, provoking them to think and bring a behavioral change accordingly.
Creatives : Anish Yande
He is an English Literature student who's currently pursuing his Masters Degree in Multimedia Journalism from Christ University (Bangalore). He believes that storytelling is one of the most effective mediums to forge connections among people in the diverse yet divided world we live in. He focuses on developing and sharing stories of perseverance with a unique personal and social aspect through all the work he does.
The Tamil Nadu-based right-wing party Indu Makkal Katchi falsely stated that the Muslim community in a court admitted that spitting is essential to Halal food preparation in a court proceeding The Logical Indian Fact Check team verified the claim.
Social media posts claiming Muslims have accepted in a court that 'Halal food isn't complete unless the cook spits on the food' have gone viral. The Tamil Nadu-based right-wing party Indu Makkal Katchi tweeted that the Muslim community in a court proceeding admitted that spitting is essential to Halal food preparation.
Based on the claim, the social media post cautions people against eating in Muslim restaurants. The Twitter post has been retweeted 1.7 thousand and liked 1.8 thousand times.
A snippet from court proceedings. pic.twitter.com/CypwlgE8WF
— Indu Makkal Katchi (Offl) 🇮🇳 (@Indumakalktchi) November 22, 2021
It has also spread across several Facebook and WhatsApp Groups. Click here and here.
Included below is the screenshot from the viral post that has gone viral across social media.
The tweet consists of a screenshot from a Bar and Bench article about the court proceeding. The text reads, "The religious scholars of the Muslim community have been proclaiming publicly that saliva is a necessary ingredient for certifying Halal in the preparation of food materials." The religious scholars took the above view by interpreting holy texts and their valid interpretations. The tweet goes on to state, "...It is highly disheartening to see that the food materials prepared following the rituals and religious practices of another religion with its certification are accepted as food material for the preparation of Nivedyam/Prasada in a Hindu temple with its own rituals and customs."
Claim:
The viral post claims that as per a court case in Tamil Nadu, the Muslim community admitted that Halal food is not complete until the cook spits in it. The post alleged that this is true throughout the nation, especially in Tamil Nadu.
Fact Check:
To clarify, according to the Islamic Council of Victoria, Halal is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permitted. With reference to food, it is the dietary standard as prescribed in the Qur'an. Halal foods are free from any component that Muslims are prohibited from eating as per Islamic law. The food must be produced using utensils and equipment that have been cleansed according to Islamic law
The Bar and Bench article discusses a November 27 hearing in Kerala High Court. The case is S. J. R. Kumar vs The Travancore Devaswom Board & Ors. The petitioner, S. J. R. Kumar, filed a case against Travancore Devaswom Board, alleging that the Sabarimala Temple uses Halal certified jaggery in their prasad.
Travancore Devaswom Board is an autonomous body formed under the Hindu Religious Institutions Act XV of 1950. The board administers 1248 temples in Kerela which also includes the Sabarimala Temple. This writ petition states the "illegal actions on the part of the Respondents in procuring Halal Certified Jaggery to prepare "Prasada." including "Aravana" and "Unniyappam" at Sabarimala Temple in violation of rituals and customs prevailing in the Hindu Community."
As per a The News Minute article, a division bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and PG Ajithkumar, which heard Kumar's plea, advised him to understand the concept of halal properly. They stated that items other than food could also be halal-certified. These items should not contain any prohibited ingredients in Islam or are not in contact with pork and alcohol.
The text in the viral tweet is a part of the writ petition filed by S. J. R. Kumar. The text in the plea is the same as in the viral screenshot. The Bar and Bench article acknowledges that the excerpt is also part of a "plea". Thus, the petitioner made the plea and not a statement made by Muslim community members as the viral tweet claims.
Conclusion:
The viral post that claims that Halal is not complete until the cook does not spit in it is based on disinformation. In actuality, the 'court proceedings' which the tweet refers to is a written plea by a Hindu petitioner, and the tweet does not provide the entire context of the court proceeding.
Also Read: Raising Marriageable Age To 21 Years Raises More Questions Than It Answers