Halal certificate not required, SLS is sufficient – Gnanasara Thero

The majority of the executive council members of All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama  (ACJU) are Tablighi ideologists, says Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera.

He made this remark making his testimony at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) probing the Easter Sunday terror attacks on Wednesday (10). The Presidential Commission had summoned Gnanasara Thera for a cross examination of his previous testimony and the summoning had been done based on a request by 10 parties including the ACJU.

ACJU representative Attorney-at-Law Javid Yusuf, who showed a list of names of the ACJU members to Gnanasara Thera, has asked if he can point out those who are supportive of Wahhabism.

In response, Gnanasara Thera named chairman of the religious body Ash Shaikh (Mufti) M.I.M. Rizwe as a Tablighi ideology supporter and identified its vice chairman Ash Shaikh A.C.M. Agar Mohamed as a Jamaat-e-Islami ideologist.

He further responded that several members of the ACJU executive council – M.M.A. Mubarak, M.M.M. Murshid and M.S.M. Thassim – are supportive of the Wahhabi ideology.

He went on to say 50 per cent of the ACJU members are of the Tablighi ideology, which falls under Wahhabism.

Responding the attorney’s further queries, Gnanasara Thera pointed out that the majority of the ACJU members being Tablighi ideologists results in gradually establishing an Islamic state in the country. There had been incidents, reported from areas like Atulugama, that contravened the law of the country, he continued.

In addition, Gnanasara Thera stressed that books containing Wahhabi ideology, printed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, could not have reached the island nation on their own. Such books can segregate the traditional Sufi Muslims living in Sri Lanka from the Sinhalese community and lure them towards Wahhabism, the witness added.

Gnanasara Thera went on to note that the bomb blast at the Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo was also carried out by a Tablighi ideologist.

The ACJU’s attorney then inquired Gnanasara Thera of the reason for being averse to Halal products. The witness responded that the he has no objection against Halal products as it is a right of the Muslims to consume products permissible to use according to the Islamic law.

Gnanasara Thera, however, pointed out that he does not see the need to apply the Halal certification to consumer goods such as tooth brushes.

Testifying further, he said the consumer goods do not require a Halal accreditation, while emphasizing the SLS certification is sufficient.