A friend of mine had contacted SANHA to verify the Lancewood cheese issue.

Answer

A Shar'i hukm (ruling) cannot be acquired from something which itself is in need of a hukm. Thus, SANHA's citing the examples of ginger beer, hamburger, white wine vinegar, etc. displays their ignorance of the operation of the principles of Fiqah. Ginger Beer cannot act as a mustadal (basis for deduction) since it itself is in need of a mustadal for a verdict of permis-

sibility or impermissibility. Thus, if we say that ginger beer is permissible, we must produce a valid Shar'i basis for such a claim.

It is plain ignorance to aver that cheese with a 'synthetic' pork ingredient is halaal because ginger beer is halaal. First it has to be proven that ginger beer is halaal. For this, a Shar'i daleel is necessary. Thereafter we shall study whether the same mustadal on which ginger beer's permissibility is based could act as a mustadal for the permissibility of SANHA certified synthetic pork cheese.

The inability of SANHA to present a Shar'i basis for its 'halaal' synthetic pork permissibility, and its scrounging in the beer barrel for justification has constrained the Carrion Halaalizer to cite ginger beer and hamburger as its daleel. This displays the bankruptcy of their knowledge and the total non-existence of any Shar'i basis for their averment. Ginger beer, hamburger and white wine vinegar are not Shar'i daleel. These individual items themselves require Shar'i rulings to confirm permissibility or im-

permissibility.

The word 'beer' refers to an alcoholic drink or liquor. It is therefore not permissible for Muslims to name any of their drinks with this term. While this name by itself will not render the contents haraam, ginger beer is in fact haraam because of the alcohol content regardless of how little it may be.

It is therefore not valid for Sanha to claim that its haraam 'halaal' certified' synthetic' pork is halaal on the basis of ginger beer. Let us assume for a moment that ginger beer contains no alcohol, hence is halaal. While we shall condemn the word 'beer', we shall not say that the beverage is haraam for the simple reason that the contents contain no haraam ingredients. But this is not a basis for halaalizing synthetic pork. Pork is pork whether it is pig's meat or an artificially prepared substance which has the flavour and taste of pork. It is absolutely abhorrent for a Muslim, especially so-called Ulama, to aver that a product which smells like rotten pork and tastes like rotten pork on account

of the pork-produced essences, etc., is halaal. SANHA's molvis no longer have any skin on their face as a direct consequence of halaalizing carrion and consuming riba, hence it is tolerable for them to say synthetic pork is halaal.

They should commit 'suicide' by jumping into the faeces-blood filled water in the scalding tanks of the carrion plants they certify, to cleanse the earth of their vile presence. How can a Muslim say that a product in which the flavour, taste and stench of pork have been introduced is halaal?

Also understand that a stepping stone leading to haraam is also haraam. By saying that the pork item, be it synthetic pork, is halaal, SANHA opens an avenue for neutralizing the resistance of Muslims to pork. When they become addicted to consume SANHA's halaalized 'synthetic' pork, the next step will be the consumption of actual pork. While this filthy substance is 'synthetic' to the industry and to the SANHA carrion halaalizer, it is pork in terms of the Shariah. It is khinzeer li ghairihi, hence haraam.

Permissibility for this type of pork cannot be argued on the basis of a product which has a haraam name, but no haraam ingredients. If bottled milk is named khamr, the name will be haraam while the milk remains halaal. But, no Muslim who understands the meaning of Imaan will purchase a bottle of milk with the name khamr emblazoned on the bottle despite the hillat of the milk. Since there is no semblance of haraam in the milk, it remains halaal. But SANHA's synthetic pork stinks like pig meat and tastes like pig meat. SANHA's claim that the pig cheese is halaal is shocking and disgusting. Ask non-Muslims who consume this filth for their opinion about the taste and odour of the pig cheese.

Furthermore, the names ginger beer and wine vinegar are the adoptions of non-Muslims. We have no control over them. But to have a halaal emblem on a product advertised as pork, not even 'synthetic' pork, is intolerable. The certification is the perpetration of Muslims, not of non-Muslims.

Similarly, it is not permissible for

Muslims to buy hamburgers even if there are no haraam ingredients in this product although in reality all hamburgers are haraam. Ham is pig/ pork. Just as a man may not refer to his wife as a prostitute, so too may a Muslim not refer to his halaal food with haraam names. The same applies to monkeygland sauce. This product is haraam, and there is no need to go into details as far as the masses are concerned because they lack knowledge and the understanding of the principles of the Shariah which render such products haraam.

It is not permissible for a Muslim organization to issue a halaal certificate for vinegar named 'white wine vinegar' even if the vinegar is devoid of wine. The haraam connotation is sufficient to refrain from certifying the product although the product will be halaal if it contains no haraam ingredient. But Lancewood Vark (Pig) cheese does contain haraam ingredients, viz., SANHA's certified synthetic pork. This ingredient is HARAAM. The labelling error story is not fit to convince even baboons.

Whether the present day wine vin-

egars are halaal or not, we have no sure information. We never investigated vinegar production. However, if the vinegar is manufactured from wine which undergoes a total transformation and becomes vinegar, then it will be halaal. But, if after producing the vinegar, wine is added as an ingredient, then the vinegar will be haraam. We shall have to investigate vinegar production before we are able to speak with certitude on this issue.

Vinegar has always been manufactured from wine even during the age of the Sahaabah. The metamorphosis which the wine undergoes totally eliminates the properties of the liquor and an entirely new product, viz., vinegar is produced, hence it is halaal. However, we do not know the process by which vinegar is made nowadays. According to the Shaafi' Math-hab, all vinegars produced industrially nowadays are haraam. Thus, today's commercially produced vinegar is HARAAM for followers of the Shaafi' Mathhab.

There is absolutely no merit in the pork argument of SANHA. Pork, regardless of its kind, cannot become

halaal by means of SANHA shenanigans. The Haraam pork cheese bearing SANHA's 'halaal' logo, stinks like pigs and tastes like pig flesh according to non-Muslim pork devourers.