Spokesperson for the Islamic Ministry, Sheikh Ahmedulla Jameel, has said that the Halal-Haram Committee of the Maldives has begun to determine whether ‘Golden Churn Creamy Butter’ contains any unlawful substance in it, after Malaysia’s Islamic Ministry declared that the product contains the deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA) of swine and may be haram for Muslims.
The product is a popular food commodity in the Maldives and found in many local convenience stores.
Jameel said that the Islamic Ministry had received no official information from the Malaysian authorities, and was going by media reports.
‘’The Committee will declare whether it is haram or halal, as it is the committee that determines the status of food products in the Maldives,’’ he said, adding that the Islamic Ministry did not have further information to share on the matter.
Malaysian newspaper reports said the issue came in to light in April 18 when the Johor State Religious Department (JAJ) circulated a memo within its department to alert them of a swine DNA finding in Golden Churn Pure Creamery Butter products.
“There has been much confusion regarding the Golden Churn product. We have released a media statement before stating that the product contains pig DNA but many doubted it,’’ the newspaper quoted the Assistant Islamic Minister Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman saying.
President of Religious NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf Sheikh Abdulla Bin Mohamed Ibrahim said he heard about this incident but did not have any official information on the issue.
”These kind of issues do occur in the Maldives, in many cases these companies produce both types of the same product, one type which is for Gulf countries,” Sheikh Abdulla said. ”But the Maldives have sometimes received stocks produced for the Europe.”
He said the NGO has recently discussed the issue with the Islamic Minister.
”The ministry told us that because the cost of establishing a laboratory was expensive they were were many challenges they faced in solving the issue,” he said.
Andrew Ballantyne, Executive Chairman of the Australian company that produces the butter, Ballantyne Foods, said in a statement that both Ballantyne factories in Australia and New Zealand had been certified halal by halal certification authorities for all the butter brands produced and distributed by the company.
“It is important to understand that each delivery of butter out of Australia and New Zealand carries mandatory quality standards from relevant Government Food Authorities including Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, (AQIS) and the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) in additional to strict Halal certification requirements. We confirm that our Golden Churn butter complies with the requirements of these authorities,” Ballantyne stated.
“Ballantyne only use high quality milk to make cream that is churned into butter. Ingredients are: cows milk, milk solids (non fat), moisture and 1.5-2 percent salt. No other additions, colours or preservatives are permitted.”
The particular canned butter variety under question in Malaysia had been certified halal by New Zealand Islamic Processed Food Management, “a recognised Islamic authority in New Zealand. NZIPFM is duly accredited by Jakim to certify products that are produced in New Zealand.”
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This is what is yet to come in the future. The mullahs will be the ones who decide every aspect of our life, and they will do this by gaining more and more political power. And soon, we will no longer be paradise on earth, but hell on earth as we get transformed into a country like Afghanistan. Act now before it is too late.
...simple idiosity of the first category!
...little do these extremists know that the color chemical used by wahabis on their hair and beard has elements of pork fats. hahahahaha
Malay people are very lazy by nature, even few of them are credible academics. The people who brought prosperity to that country are the Chinese and the Indian community.
What a mess Maldives is facing because of Mullahs. How can Malay Mullahs make statements that particular brands of butter have pork elements in it? Maybe a local Malaysian butter manufacturer has bribed the Mullahs to state that “Golden Churn Creamy Butter” has pork fats in it. A good idea of marketing strategy to sell new brand.
Do these idiots even know what butter is made from, obviously they don't, chicken milk is fine guys, get a life!
hehe wait until the Mullahs find out that pig DNA is used in the ink of all bank notes , then what? By the way stop using Haram Dollars you silly people
May be our body also have pork DNA now. After all we have been eating those butter from the beginning.
maybe jamalu kiru butteru
This is a whole load of crap. As an expat Muslim working here, I am appalled to see Sri lankan made sausages by keels and cargills are freely available here. These sasuages are not halal certified. I have personally informed by telephone to the Islamic ministry long time ago and no action taken. There is no use of saying bismillah before eating when you know it's not halal!!
To make halal killing the animal had to bleed to death. Incredible that such cruelty is considered something good! Anyway that's another story. We in the Maldives will see many more such stupid actions by the Mullahs in the future. Actually if everything goes well for them Maldives will be another Afghanistan very soon.
Azmi, your statement is wrong! It doesnt mean that the animal has to bleed to death. It's a shame you being a Muslim and don't know the method of halal.
How about eating CAMEL DUNG, surly this will be HALAAL since it is blessed beast!
I don't know about the others, but I am actually very curious about this.
They found 'Pig DNA' in a random sample of canned butter? What are the chances of that happening?
URU mask halal or haram tho Committee meehun kairee ahabala.
When these guys became scientists ?
A fusion of science and divine research is needed to decide whether this butter is haraam or halal. A laboratory of international standard should established with mullahs as technicians because ther have to determine not only the status of butter but the entire food stuff consumed locally. It will be a big challenge because they have to examine all the pharmaceutical products as well.
Whats the big deal in this. Just carry out a simple DNA test of the butter here in Maldives. If you dont find any pig element in it, the butter can be safely said 'Halaal': End of story then. Why go on speaking about this like this. Do the test by ourselves if we are not sure of the halaal status of it. Thats it.
This is a load of crap,
I bet Malaysia is just trying to shoo away Foreign Competitors so they could stock the shelves with home-based products. Similiar accusations have been made to other products like Redbull containing cocaine but its been falsified.If you could kindly check out
http://halalmedia.my/jakim-undecided-golden-churn You could see they are clearly having difficulty making up their minds
And plus Malaysia is known for being stupidly paranoid over such matters. One should question their motives of doing so..My guess is they just want to own higher share of the market
Its such a shame to hear this, its a good qualitied butter and our country has been using this for years..I dont understand why the media is making this such a big deal when other muslim countries ( more devoted to religion in my opinion ) would falsify this fact. There's brunei theres Saudi..there are statements from Singapore regarding this matter..how many countries must undergo investigation before we believe that all this is just a business tactic for Malaysia?
i seek refuge in Allah, from satan the rejected
In the Name of Allah, the most Gracious the most Merciful
SWINE MEAT or FAT haram? GRAPES or WINE haram?
[5:3](Portion of Vs.) Prohibited for you are animals that die of themselves, blood, the MEAT of pigs....
same verse in another translation
(5:3) (Portion of Vs.) Forbidden to you are carrion, blood, the FLESH of swine....
another verse on the same subject
[6:145] Say, "I do not find in the revelations given to me any food that is prohibited for any eater except: (1) carrion, (2) running blood, (3) the MEAT of pigs, for it is contaminated, and (4) the meat of animals blasphemously dedicated to other than GOD." If one is forced (to eat these), without being deliberate or malicious, then your Lord is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
an incident where FAT was prohibited instead of the MEAT. Allah Ta'ala did not run out of ink to mention specifically!
[6:146] For those who are Jewish we prohibited animals with undivided hoofs; and of the cattle and sheep we prohibited the FAT, except that which is carried on their backs, or in the viscera, or mixed with bones. That was a retribution for their transgressions, and we are truthful.
Halal-Haram Committee of the Maldives??
[5:87] O you who believe, do not prohibit good things that are made lawful by GOD, and do not AGGRESS; GOD dislikes the AGGRESSORS.
16:116 You shall not utter lies with your own tongues stating: “This is lawful, and this unlawful,” to fabricate lies and attribute them to God. Surely, those who fabricate lies and attribute them to God will never succeed. They enjoy briefly, then suffer painful retribution.
6:148 (Portion of Vs.) Say, “Do you have any proven knowledge that you can show us? You follow nothing but conjecture; you only guess.”
[7:179] We have committed to Hell multitudes of jinns and humans. They have minds with which they do not understand, eyes with which they do not see, and ears with which they do not hear. They are like animals; no, they are far worse--they are totally unaware
[47:14] Are those enlightened by their Lord the same as those whose evil works are adorned in their eyes, and they follow their OWN OPINIONS?
recall the truthful HISTORY in Quran when a heifer was commanded to be sacrificed and how they questioned the command!
[2:68](Portion of Vs.) They said, "Call upon your Lord to show us which one.
[2:69](Portion of Vs.) They said, "Call upon your Lord to show us her color.
[2:71] He said, "He says that she is a heifer that was never humiliated in plowing the land or watering the crops; free from any blemish." They said, "Now you have brought the truth." They FINALLY sacrificed her, after this lengthy RELUCTANCE.
[12:111] In their history, there is a lesson for those who possess intelligence. This is not fabricated Hadith; this (Quran) confirms all previous scriptures, provides the details of everything, and is a beacon and mercy for those who BELIEVE.
[11:120] We narrate to you enough history of the messengers to strengthen your heart. The truth has come to you herein, as well as enlightenments and reminders for the BELIEVERS.
can we follow a committee/ imams/parents blindly?
[38:61] They will also say, "Our Lord, these are the ones who led us into this; double the retribution of hellfire for them."
[7:38] He will say, "Enter with the previous communities of jinns and humans into Hell." Every time a group enters, they will curse their ancestral group. Once they are all in it, the latest one will say of the previous one, "Our Lord, these are the ones who misled us. Give them double the retribution of Hell." He will say, "Each receives double, but you do not know."
swine meat or swine fat is haram? grapes or wine is haram?
Peace be upon the messengers
Praise and Glory be to the Lord of the Universe
people who claim to be "liberal" and democratic" should learn to accept that other people may wish to follow an organised religion, and indeed know whether a particular product does not contain anything that contradicts their dietary restrictions, whether imposed by their particular religion or any other reason. you mock not just people who chose to follow islam, but even liberal values
another sensationalised anti islamic headline, by the propaganda machine
Is 'mullah' bashing all most commentors here know about? There were rumors about s statement from Malaysian authorities, so the Islamic ministry just said they will look into the matter. whats the big deal!??
This is how mullas bring their own authority down and in turn make people disregard what religious leaders have to say. There are countless other food items more questionable than this butter. And if the mullas thought the way to check the food for halal status was to build a laboratory then I guess we should never listen to them anyways...
Soon there will be pig cloned organs in the medical industry, Mullah will get only pig cloned organs for transplant.
what a stupid things in 21 century/Halal-Haram Committee it is look as assotiation of bearded clowns idiots that soon will doing surgery on every tuna fish to see it is halal or haram and investigate every pice of sh...t to prove it is hell or heaven/
O God! help Maldives to be secure from the Adalath Santa Claus and idiots who downgrading image of the nation!
What happened to those who ate this butter in the past. Is there any health issue? Believe it or not, Pork is healthier than lamb
This whole affair is bullshit, do you realize how much Public image damage your causing the company.
Ofcourse Malaysia is to blame, they should surely sue for damages and libel
Are the comments criticisms of Islam or of a fundamentalist version of Islam? If they are criticisms of a fundamentalist Islam, it is the work of Maumoonism, who was kept in power to promote a liberal Islam as a balancing act between excessive liberty and excessive Islam, one extreme having naked drunks on resorts the other wishing to almost destroy tourist industry.
If secularism is what you want, no point combatting fundamentalism with moderate Islam, that is leading back to the creation of a moderate Muslim dictatorship.
can minivan make a follow up on this issue? both sides have seem to already made their point but at the end of the day, the people just want to know the real truth about the product so we can be guided whether to continue patronizing it or not.just as simple as that.
Rumors, scaremongering, and unconfirmed gossip; that's how the so-called 'islamic authorities' of today roll.
And then there are the lazy, gullible people who believe every word they say.
Now think it over. How can pig DNA be found in butter?. It's scientifically impossible. Like finding dry water at room temperature.
They just want to illegally hijack all market products.
“Seikhu Abdulla Bin Mohamed Ibrahim”
Is this lunatics Mullah from Maldives? Sound like from barbaric Saudi Arabia or Pakistan or Afghanistan!
When would Islamic Ministry come with Committees for anti-corruption?
Before I start reading the article I assumed there be lot comments here mocking about it. And I am right. These Maldivians seems to have no morality.
What took this committee so long to decide. All those who ate the non-halaal butter should sue the Halaal-Haraam committee for compensation. The committee has been negligent in giving public notice in advance.
And how long has this butter been used in Maldives? That would be huge compensation.
Ahmed Aliased.
Its now an acceptable truth that the food industries put all sorts of stuff to make production cheaper, they are not mandated to reveal all of it by law either, this is a much debated issue internationally....
one does not have to be "lazy or gullible" to consider that quantities of lard (pig fat) may very well be subsituted to make up the volume.
we should always question whats going
into our food,
as someone else pointed out,malaysian authorities raised the issue, and i think its very responsible of the islamic ministry to look into the matter... they are doing their job
this article is typical minivan anti islamic raving
i aslo want to point out that minivan has not revealed its sources when quoting the firms representatives.
another "sensationalised" attempt to paint muslims as stupid and demented
Maldives Halal-Haram Committee ??! LOL. How about right or wrong committee!!?
http://www.borneobulletin.com.bn/frontpage/BRU_BB_20110812.pdf
This hoax was dealt with a WEEK ago.
Most Maldivians are just slow on the uptake and far too gullible - they believe anything a bearded lizard tells them.
dhaippila, taking up an old hoax, and using it to rudely interrupt the production of my favorite food just so they could demonstrate just how much control they have on Maldivians is not being 'responsible'.
No, they are just being arrogant, and the arrogant soon will suffer punishment from the fist of Mankind.
I like pork and red wine and do not believe in religion bullsh...t 1500 years ago/when i visit resort i all ways eat pork and some friend send me wisky and wine / all religion it is manipulation of mind and nothing else/and no any stupid bearded mullah can prohibit it for me!
i am free man and will do what i wanna to do/
@Ahmed non muslim, your point is?
Please read.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/australias-ballantyne-foods-confirms-golden-churn-butters-halal-status/
get over with it already.
@Ahmed non Muslim, hey you have very bad taste. People don’t mix whiskey and red wine. Mind you people don’t eat pork; I believe they eat the byproducts.
Regarding lazy Malaysians and bloody dirty Pakistani trained brainless Mullahs they have to understand that no Maldivians will take their sermons seriously.
Another case of baseless fearmongering and gossip, laughed off by the almighty fist of Mankind. 😀