Muslims in South Africa protest against labeling of pork as halal

Muslims in South Africa are expressing outrage over allegations that a leading meat supplier reportedly relabeled pork as halal.

According to BBC news, the head of Cape Town-based Orion Cold Storage, Patrick Gaertner, said he has received death threats since the allegations surfaced. He adds that he is the victim of a smear campaign by rival businesses.

Muslim companies have obtained a court order banning Orion from using the halal label, which means food has been prepared according to Islamic law.

Orion has vehemently denied all charges and has, in turn, made charges of sabotage, blackmail and extortion against two rival businessmen.

The company has also been accused of relabeling kangaroo water buffalo meat as halal, even though they were not slaughtered according to Islamic law.

The company acknowledges that some products may have wrongfully been labeled as halal but accuses rivals of having paid off some its employees to switch labels before the meats were loaded onto trucks.

Gaertner told a local radio station that, whatever the outcome of the case may be, it would take his company several years to rebuild its reputation.
“I take these allegations extremely seriously. I believe that I have been sabotaged. I have been blackmailed. I did not give in to the blackmail. Those charges were brought on October 22,” he said according to Eyewitness News.

(Written by Sara Ghasemilee)