Tap water, 'halal' or 'haram'?

Upon reading the complaints of East Cengkareng villagers that their skins became itchy after using water supplied by the Drinking Water Company (PAM) published in Suara Pembaruan of Jan. 21, 2001), I remembered my talk with a second echelon official of the Directorate General for Supervision of Drug and Food in a halal bihalal event. He questioned PAM's potable water status, halal (religiously permissible) or haram (religiously forbidden).

Indonesian President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid is of the opinion that Ajinomoto is halal according to research by BPPT, LIPI, POM, three universities and head of LPCM MUI, the bactosoytone and Ajinomoto's end products do not contain any traces of pork.

On the other hand the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) is of the opinion that Ajinomoto is haram because it utilizes a haram enzyme bactosoytone, though the utilization of the enzyme took place in America.

The official gave an example of PAM's potable water using water from Ciliwung river as its raw material. The Ciliwung river is contaminated by human stool, animal excrements, carcasses of mice, fowl, dogs and also waste water containing the blood of chickens, sheep, cows and pigs from the slaughter houses, which are all haram.

The river water is then pumped up to the water purifying installation where the dirt and filth settles, thereafter it is sieved and chlorinated to kill the germs and bacteria.

Though the PAM water looks clean, it is haram because it has utilized haram water; haram remains haram though later we boil or distill the water.

So, he said, it's up to us to consider whether PAM water is halal or haram referring to Gus Dur's view on Ajinomoto and MUI's decree.

SUNARTO PRAWIROSUJANTO

Jakarta