The Jakarta Post
When food sellers in Bogor's Chinatown heard about Mayor Diani Budiarto's plan to make Bogor halal, they had one question on their minds. What exactly is a halal city? The word halal is a commonly used Arabic adjective that means sanctioned by Islamic law. Halal food refers to delicacies that are permissible under Islamic law; a halal restaurant would mean a restaurant selling or serving food ritually fit according to Islamic law. What then is a halal city? For one, there will be no pigs in the Bogor slaughterhouse as they are considered haram or forbidden by Islam. Last month while opening the city's new slaughterhouse Mayor Diani announced that pig slaughter was not allowed in the new establishment. He added that by August the city of Bogor would not accommodate pig slaughter. Bogor has also banned pig farming. Diani, currently serving his second term as ...