News From : DagangHalal.com (13 Jul 2009)
Muslim leader, Imam Omar Betita yesterday reiterated his group’s stand on avoidance of genetically-modified products as the debate on what will become of the ordinance to ban such materials in Negros Occidental goes on.
“It is proper for local government units to fairly implement the GMO ban. And make sure of the implementation, that there should be no exceptions,” Betita, head of the DAR AL-DHIKR Islamic Call and Guidance Center in Bacolod City, said in a letter to Gov. Isidro Zayco.
Betita, who is also the chairperson of the National Halal Accreditation Board of the Philippines Inc. in Region 6, had earlier upheld the Islamic rule for Muslims to avoid using or consuming products that are not proven to be clearly “halal” or “haram”.
He said that GM food is neither halal nor haram because the scientific community is divided on whether they are safe for human consumption and are free from environmental hazards.
Under Islamic law, halal are products that are allowed to be used or consumed while haram are those that are not.
Betita said that exploiting technology, which may give rise to unexpected substances that could be damaging to health and the environment should be avoided.
“Until the scientific community has reached a clean consensus on its safe consumption and clearly would not pose danger to environment, patronage of such GM products may indeed have to be avoided,” Betita said.
Source: The Visayan Daily Star
Link: http://www.visayandailystar.com/2009/July/14/businessnews2.htm