Cadbury Declared “Pork-Free” in Malaysia

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Under Islamic Sharia law, in order to earn the distinction of “halal” or as I like to say, at risk of a fatwa against me from Cat Stevens alter-ego “Muslim Kosher,” must contain neither alcohol or pork. Last month, officials at the Malaysian Ministry of Health created a furor against the chocolate maker having declared two items positive for porcine DNA in testing.

No pork DNA

Today, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department said new tests on Dairy Milk Hazelnut and Dairy Milk Roast Almond bars along with other products showed no signs of swine. The same department had suspended the “halal” designation for Cadbury after the two products tested positive for pork in May.

Officials in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, apparently with no women to stone to death, jungles to raze for palm oil production, or books outside of the Koran that might need be translated to Arabic, determined that all Cadbury products should be tested despite the fact that neither candy bar in question is sold in the world’s fourth-most populous nation.

No matter the findings from the Malaysian Islamic Development Department, the Association of Islamic Consumers is maintaining its call for a boycott of Cadbury seemingly with no reason. Noor Hisham Abdullah, the director-general of the health ministry, said there could be a “possibility of contamination” from another source.

The contamination of hypocrisy

Now follow-up was given as to possible sources but given the size of DNA they could range between a deliberate smear campaign and a recently fired employee of Cadbury eating a “Baconator” from Wendy’s while getting a hummer from his Jewish mistress.

I’m not making light of anyone’s religious beliefs, rather pointing out the hypocrisy that exists in all organized religions.

Consumers in the Muslim world will, quite simply, boycott any product deemed an affront to their religion and Cadbury, rather than a woman with an uncovered head, seems this week’s target.

Perception is everything in a world when consumers have as many choices as we do. Whether it’s a Trip Advisor review written by an angry person with nothing better to do or a false claim of “pork” the Internet causes widespread indignation without cause.

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