Alhumdulillah, The Bolton Council of Mosques (BCoM) in conjunction with the Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC) organised an Ulama & Community leader’s event at the newly opening HMC certified restaurant in Bolton, called Dhanak Deira.

The seminar began with recitation of the Quran; Maulana Muhammad Adam (President of BCoM) who gave a very warm welcome and an update of the BCoM activities to the cream of Bolton present at the event. Thereafter, CEO of the Lancashire Council of Mosques, Dr. Mahmood Chandia outlined the outcome of the investigation led by the BCoM Halal Sub Group regarding Halal Meals in Schools and concluded that at present there is only one certifying Halal body in the UK which is HMC, that has a thorough monitoring system in accordance with a Universally Accepted Islamic Criteria.

HMC NEC Vice Chairman Maulana Yunus explained the problems of the Halal industry and the role of HMC in tackling these problems. Maulana Yunus outlined in great detail the Islamic and British Law Perspective on religious slaughter and pre-slaughter stunning along with the ever increasing problem of mechanical slaughter. And concluding with the Fact that the most Abused word is 'HALAL'.

After the HMC presentation, Maulana Mahmood explained the way forward in relation to the Halal School Meals and assured the leading members of the community that we will ensure the meals will stay Halal till the plate & fingers of our innocent children, and thus highlighted some of the procedures already in place within the School. Mash Allah! May Allah Accept.

Maulana Muhammad then stunned the audience by forwarding the question put to him by one of the members of the Local Authorities that the provisions of HMC-Meals are available in the Bolton School now. Is this the same certified meat which is consumed in the homes of these children & is this the same certified meat consumed in the curry mile roads in Bolton & Manchester?

Finally, before the Q & A Session HMC NEC Chairman Sheikh Muhammad Bin Khalifa gave some brief words of the importance of making struggle for Halal and the history of HMC.

The HMC Panel was then called in front of the key community members of Bolton, to answer any question whatsoever. Mash Allah like usual HMC NEC & Blackburn LAG Member Maulana Hanif tackled the key questions. One question was raised regarding Mechanical Slaughter & it's allowances written in the books by some scholars, for which Mash Allah HMC Sheikh Zakaria came forward and explained the whole concept, procedures, types & the understanding of our scholars of Mechanical Slaughter in detail with all of the references detailed by our Scholars in their Books. Alhumdulillah there were no questions left to ask in the end.

Before the dua the Certified Outlets of Bolton was announced, and the final dua was made by Sheikh Khalifa.

I would like to say Jazakullah to all those who took part in making the event a success BCoM & the Halal Sub-Group, Maulana Mahmood (LCM). All of the HMC LAGs which took part especially Blackburn. and of course a very special Jazakullah to the HMC Team who travelled all the way from London & Leicester in order to make us realise that 'It's not Halal because it say's Halal, But it must be HALAL'.