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Kyai Haji Syamsudin      people who equalized terrorism with the   enzymes derived from nuts as one of the             economy regulation” in the field of    or on the package stating that the
                 (center) founder of the   Islamists’ vision on the establishment   ingredients used in its food seasonings             halal certification and it obtained    product or package is lawful”. Hence,
                 Pondok Pesantren Duri    of the Shari‘a and the Caliphate in     product. As a result of this finding, on 16           the same position as in the case of    food or goods must first pass a test by
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                                                                                                                                                      73
                 Sawo, Ponorogo, East     Indonesia. Nevertheless, the chaotic    December 2000,the MUI issued a fatwa                  Islamic banking.  LP-POM is the only   the accredited inspection institution
                 Java                     relations between HTI and the MUI       declaring that Ajinomoto products were                institution authorized to inspect and   which in this case is LP-POM MUI. A
                                          did not last long but were the cause    declared “unlawful” (haram) and that the              identify whether food is halal or not.   halal certificate is valid for two years
                 Source: Documentation
                 Pondok Pesantren Duri    of a series of heated debates. Both     Muslim community in Indonesia was not                 The MUI’s halal fatwa is not a religious   and can be extended. The inspection
                 Sawo                     seemed to have understood each          allowed to consume it.                                recommendation like fatwas on other    institution can conduct random tests on
                                          other, and even started to resume their                                                       issueswhere it has a binding effect on the   certified products at any time and the
                                          cooperation to release decisions in line   Gus Dur as the President of Indonesia              public. In the case of halal certification   outcome may influence the decision
                                          with the interests of Islamic orthodoxy   at the time responded to the MUI’s                  for industries, the same as in the banking   on the issuance or extension of the
                                          in Indonesia, as later will be seen in   declaration on the unlawfulness of                   sector, the MUI halal fatwa is a ruling   certificate. 75
                                          MUI fatwas related to the religiously   Ajinomoto products. According to                      instrument with the power to enforce
                                                                                                                                                          74
                                          awkward status of the Ahmadiyah, the    him, the MUI had been mistaken to                     much likestate rules.  Furthermore,    Fatwa, Religious Violence, and the
                                          unlawfulness of secularism, liberalism   issue a fatwa on this food seasoning                 this monopoly has turnedinto the MUI’s   Development of Islamic Thought
                                          and pluralism, etc.                     productandthe Muslim community                        primary means of fundraising after Gus   The ascendancy of conservative
                                                                                  could safely consume the Ajinomoto                    Dur’s administration had discontinued
                                          Although the MUI seemed to be more      product.  However, his criticism had                                                         groups within era of Reformation MUI
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                                          welcoming and sensitive to political    no effect on the fatwa. On the contrary,              itssubsidy.                            can no longer be denied. MUI’s shift
                                          issues in this period, the council also   Gus Dur’s opinion was considered                    Halal certification is the process of halal   toward conservatism has become more
                                          paid attention topurely legal and common   more politically-inspired than having              labeling for a product manufactured or   apparent by the issuance of several
                                          social issues. A clear example of this   been made for purely religious reasons.              sold in Indonesia, so the cleanliness   fatwas that tended to affirm the struggle
                                          are several fatwas on cases such as     Therefore, Islamic political parties along            and the suitability of the product for   of conservative groups. So, it is not
                                          lawful food, and the provision of halal   with the other parties in the House of              consumption is guaranteed with the     surprising that the presumption emerged
                                          certificates for food and cosmetic      Representatives generally supported the               standard rulings contained in Islamic   that the MUI and conservatives groups
                                          products. The most famous case and      MUI’s fatwa. The disputes between the                 doctrines. The only agency authorized   had entered into a relationship beneficial
                                          one that received much public attention   legislative council and Gus Dur at that             to produce halal certificates is LP-POM   to both, and that it even strengthened
                                          was the MUI’s fatwa on Ajinomoto, the   time were worsening by the day.                       MUI,based onLaw no. 7/1996, in which   their respective positions. Conservatives-
                                          food seasoning product from Japan.                                                            paragraph 30 (2) (e) states that “any   fundamentalists are convinced to have
                                          After having had a halal certificate    The Ajinomoto case had set the                        person producing or importing food     secured their existence because the
                                          from LP POM MUI from June 1999          precedent for the MUI’s monopoly                      packages to Indonesia for commercial   fatwas of the MUI tend to be in favor of
                                          until November 2000, Ajinomoto had      over what Tim Lindsey called “Islamic                 purposes must add amark to the product   their line of struggle. While the MUI also
                                          started to use bacto soytone containing   71. Ichwan 2005, “Ulama, State and Politics”, p. 69.  73. Lindsey 2012, “Monopolising Islam”, p. 266.  feels that public recognition proves its
                                          pig enzymes to replace poly-peptone     72. Ichwan 2005, “Ulama, State and Politics”, p. 70.  74. Lindsey 2012, “Monopolising Islam”, p. 268.  75. Lindsey 2012, “Monopolising Islam”, p. 267.



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