Spain Muslims Introduce Halal Culture

CAIRO – In an effort to accelerate integration of the sizable minority, a Muslim body in Spain is planning a seminar on Tuesday, March 12, to improve access of Spanish Muslims to halal food and services.
“Halal is a global concept that refers to the set of practices and conducts that are permitted, according to the Shari`ah or Islamic law,” the Halal Training School, a training center sponsored by the Islamic Council of Cordoba, said in a press release obtained by On Islam.net.
“For this reason, the “II Seminar: Halal, a global concept”, has been organized with the motto "A door to integration and the opening of new markets".
The seminar aims to help Muslims get due information about halal concept, its fields of application, standards, difficulties and developments in the market.
“The Halal Institute continues working, with this line of training and dissemination of the Halal concept, towards the normalization and social integration of the Muslim community, as well as improving their access to Halal food and services,” the release said.
The seminar is recognized by the University of Cordoba and sponsored by the Campus of international excellence (CEIA3) and the Halal Institute.
It will be opened by José Carlos Gomez, Vice Provost of postgraduate studies and continuing education of the University of Cordoba.
Leading among attendees are Librado Carrasco, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Cordoba, Mariam Isabel Romero, General Manager of the Halal Institute, Natalia Andujar, Director of Educaislam, Salud Serrano, lecturer at the UCO and Hanif Escudero, the Director of the Halal Training School.
The concept of halal, -- meaning permissible in Arabic -- has traditionally been applied to food.
Muslims should only eat meat from livestock slaughtered by a sharp knife from their necks, and the name of Allah, the Arabic word for God, must be mentioned.
Now other goods and services can also be certified as halal, including cosmetics, clothing, pharmaceuticals and financial services.
Halal food is consumed not only by 1.5 billion Muslims around the world, but also by at least 500 million non-Muslims in the $2 billion global industry.
Halal Culture
A series of lectures will be held as part of the seminar to spread comprehensive theoretical knowledge of halal production and services.
“For the Halal school it is important to guarantee high quality learning,” the press release said.
“For this reason, the training is imparted in an academic context, guided by experts in Islamic food legislation, in Shari`ah and Islam and by professionals in the food industry.”
Several lectures will be given by experts as Manuela Jodral, Professor of Food Science of Food, Said Bouzraa, Chief Auditor of Aud Halal, and Flora Saez, Director of Communications of Nur & Huda Travels.
The event will also conclude the second course of technicians in production of Halal food, which has been held since January 14.
Practical courses would also be offered to attendants.
“The day also includes activities such as Halal Cooking Show led by Ibrahim Romero, Halal chef who will prepare a menu, while telling us his tricks and techniques for cooking Halal.”
Spain has a Muslim minority of 1.4 million, making up about 3 percent of the country’s population, according to the Islamic Commission of Spain.
Islam is the second religion in Spain after Christianity and has been recognized through the 1967 law of religious freedom.

Halal returns to ACJU

With the government distancing itself from issuing Halal certificate, the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) said they would proceed with Halal certification regardless of its consequences.
Speaking to The Nation, Aslam Zubair, Media Coordinator at the ACJU cited that “the ACJU had not ordered the government to take it over but merely suggested for it to be brought under the preview of a recognized institution or ministry in an attempt to negate the controversies.”
At a meeting held at their head office on Friday (1), President of the ACJU Ash Sheikh Rizwie Mufti met with members of the organization and urged for them to continue the issuance of the Halal certificate.
The move comes in the wake of the government turning down the ACJU’s request to take over the Halal certification process.
“Not putting the Halal logo does not make it Haram. But because non-Muslims are reluctant of buying products that do have the logo on it, we are urging companies to confine the label only to products sold for the Muslim community,” he said. “The product might be the same, so will the ingredients, but because the logo has caused so much uproar, there will be products with and some without it,” Zubair said.
Zubair cited the ACJU accepts Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella’s opinion that the Halal issue had been blown out of proportion. “First there was an issue with the logo, then the name, then the implications.”
In a media statement the ACJU reiterated its stance that the issuance of Halal certification with the intention of facilitating the availability of Halal foods to Muslims on a service oriented basis without any commercial motive.
Meanwhile, reacting to the ACJU’s decision, General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera said they would continue to hold ‘peaceful protests’ against the issuing of Halal certificates by the ACJU.
“We have repeatedly stressed that the Halal certification is unnecessary and we urge companies to refrain from applying for Halal certificates and those that already have obtained the certificates to withdraw them immediately” he noted.
The Thera warned that if companies continued to keep the Halal label on their products, they would have no choice but to urge a general boycott of those companies and their products.
He dismissed the ACJU’s claim that only one company has so far withdrawn their Halal certification. “That is an absolute lie. We know for a fact that around 10-12 companies have already written to the ACJU informing them of their desire to withdraw Halal certification from their products. We have the letters with us”, he claimed.

AlHuda CIBE will conduct a research study for Islamic Microfinance in Azerbaijan

An agreement for the advancement of Islamic microfinance was signed between AlHuda Centre of Islamic Banking and Economics and Vision Fund AzerCredit in a splendid ceremony at the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku. According to the agreement, AlHuda CIBE will conduct market research in different cities of Azerbaijan including Baku to formally initiate Islamic microfinance in Azerbaijan. Mr. Zubair Mughal, Chief Executive Officer, of AlHuda Centre of Islamic Banking and Economics and Mr. Sameer Jaffer Ali, Deputy Chairman Board of Directors, of Vision Fund AzerCredit signed the agreement. 

While addressing the agreement ceremony, Mr. Sameer Jaffer Ali said that this agreement is a milestone for the foundation of Islamic microfinance in Azerbaijan. It will lead to the commencement of micro and SME finances based on Islamic principles. He said that Azerbaijan is a country with 99% Muslim population and its people have been waiting for Islamic finance for quite a long time. This agreement is the first step towards fulfilling their financial needs according to Islamic principles. He said that through research reports we will get the realistic and pragmatic information on Islamic finance’s requirement in Azerbaijan, keeping in view public needs and demands, Vision Fund AzerCredit will introduce Islamic Microfinance products in the Azerbaijan market. 

Muhammad Zubair Mughal, Chief Executive Officer, of AlHuda Centre of Islamic Banking and Economics, while addressing the ceremony said that Azerbaijan will prove to be a good market for Islamic finance products as there is a high public demands for these products and it will further increase in the coming days. He, referring to his research in the different cities of Azerbaijan (Goycey, Sabirabad, Mislli etc.), said that there is very high demand of Islamic finances in rural and semi-urban areas and people were happy and excited when they learned about Islamic microfinance. Moreover, he said that legal and revolutionary amendments are required for the advancement of Islamic finances in Azerbaijan. It’s hoped that in coming days this issue will be sorted and Islamic retail banking will start in an effective manner. Approximately 10 Islamic finance institutions, including one government bank, are providing Islamic finance facilities at corporate level, which is a luminous illustration of Islamic banking and finance in Azerbaijan. 

It should be noted that AzerCredit is the second largest microfinance institution in Azerbaijan, which is providing its services in 18 regions of the country through its network of 56 branches. AlHuda CIBE is a Pakistani organization which is performing Islamic finance research services in difference countries. Particularly for the progress of Islamic microfinance, it established a specialized Department, AlHuda Centre of Excellence in Islamic Microfinance, which is providing its services for the development of Islamic Microfinance Globally.

World’s First Post Graduate Diploma on Halal Industry is Launched

World’s First Post Graduate Diploma on Halal Industry is going to be launched in Pakistan from the 1^st of November, 2012 which will be presented through Modern Online technology concurrently around the world so that the education and awareness regarding Halal Food and products could be spread in Muslin and non Muslim Countries with special reference for those countries where Muslims are in minority and they remain tensed about Halal food products. While telling about the aims and objectives of this diploma, Chief Executive Officer of Halal Research Council, Mr. Muhammad Zubair Mughal said that this diploma would be of 8 months which will consist of 4 Modules and each module would consist of 2 courses. In first Module, concepts of Halal and General Guidance about Halal Food would be taught whereas Role of Food Ingredients and Halal Slaughtering in second Module, prospective of Halal Industry worldwide and Halal banking in third Module and Halal Standardization and prospective of Halal Industry in developed Area will be taught in fourth module.

He said that the Diploma is based on state-of-the-art technology in which a student can get log in to his/her account and can get benefit from different facilities like Lessons, Assignments, Live chat with tutor and online examination. He further said that it took 1 year to design this diploma which is a the result of efforts of Food technologists, Shari’ah Experts, agricultural scientists, livestock and Islamic banking experts. He said that in shaa Allah, with the help of this diploma, Muslims would have more knowledge regarding Halal food and would help in promoting Halal Industry.

It should be clear that Halal Food Industry is flourishing at a very rapid pace and its volume has reached to 2.3 Trillion Dollars. It is expected that this diploma would provide strong pillars to Halal Food industry on practical bases. For further information regarding this diploma, Visit www.halalrc.org  

Halal Research Council expand its international network

To meet the needs of awareness & promotion of Halal Industry Worldwide, Halal Research Council adds five new strategic partners to its network by signing an agreements with them in January 2013, so that, the concept of Halal and Halal food requirements to be fulfilled effectively. Halal Research council’s new strategic partners include Islamic Development & Research Academy (Belgium), Kenya bureau of Halal certification (Kenya), Halal Tech (Iran), Rangoon Consultancy (Pakistan) and Islamic Information & Documentation Center (Austria). The purpose behind strategic partnership is to take international Halal industry in confidence for the promoting Pakistan’s Halal market & industries. It should be noted that world’s Halal product is worth 2.3 trillion Dollars. As Pakistan is an agricultural country and due to its excellent livestock and 100% Halal products, it has an opportunity to be introduced as a Halal products leader, through which its foreign exchange can be increased by minimizing the trade deficit of Pakistan, which is the basic need of time right now.

M. Zubair Mughal- Chief Executive Officer of Halal Research Council said that Allah Almighty has given Pakistan a unique status in the world because of its strong Shariah principles.  Pakistan is the only country where 100% Halal products are available and due to this Pakistan's Halal industry has achieved an illustrious position in the world market. By taking its full advantage, we can Export Pakistani products with Halal logo to world's 2.3 trillion Dollars worth market. Halal Research Council has played a prominent role for the promotion of Halal industry. In the continuation of its services and taking a step forward, it will be arranging a conference on "Halal Tourism" in the near future. So that Muslims from different countries can get the understanding and awareness about Halal Tourism industry. He also said that Halal Research Council is the only institution of Pakistan whose Halal services are simultaneously available in 20 countries. He stated that Halal Research Council's strategic partnership network comprises on institutions from America, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Kyrgyzstan, Italy, Philippines, Brazil, Germany, India and Pakistan.  This year they had welcomed institutions from four new countries i.e. Kenya, Australia, Belgium and Iran; which is an honor for Pakistan. The main aim of this strategic partnership is to promote the online Distance Learning Program on Halal Industry. So that, Professionals of Halal and Food Industries get benefit from this diploma.