Dear Brothers        

Assalamualakom

I wish to place on record my complete disgust in the owner of the
above Halaal store.

We went for supper on the evening of 13th May 2010 at the above store
and witnessed the owner, Ben Govender behave extremely unprofessional.

Although the shop was very quiet, there was a big family who came for
some celebration and were disturbed by the owner who seemed somewhat
under the influence in his appearance.  Our family was waiting for our
food when there was suddenly a lot of screaming and cussing by the
owner who seemed to be verbally attacking the Muslim manager. We
enquired from those around us what was happening and apparently the
owner was heavily inebriated and was unhappy with the Sanha manager
telling him that he must read his namaaz in the toilet and not in his
office.  He was walking all over the store screaming and using such
terrible language in front of the customers who were mainly women and
children.  I was disgusted with this behaviour. Never would a Muslim
find such behaviour in a Halaal restaurant surely? It was only when
one of the men from the big family approached the owner and enquired
why he was attacking the manager, did things calm down.
Our main concern was if the owner had to enter the kitchen and perhaps
somehow the utensils and preparation areas should become contaminated.
With this thought in our heads we decided it was better to pay and
leave instead of having the question over our heads while eating.

The only reason why we enter this establishment is because its
certified Halaal by Sanha.  I am surprised that Sanha certifies this
establishment if the owner is allowed to enter the store in such a
state of inebriation with a Halaal certificate on the wall AND is
allowed to mistreat one of our Muslim brothers?. Doesn’t it pose a
question on the Halaal status of the store in such a circumstance?
Perhaps the Ulama could guide us in this regard.

We need an answer from Sanha on whether it is permissible to mistreat
the Sanha manager and whether the store is still considered Halaal
when the owner enters the shop inebriated.

Was salam
Ahmed Akram