Halal meat: are you eating it without choosing it?

British public has no idea that they are eating halal meat, a senior member of the Church of England’s governing body said yesterday.

In comments likely to spark controversy, Alison Ruoff said, ‘this is just another back door way to the Islamification of our country.”

Livestock destined for halal meat is dispatched in a process that involves the animal being prayed over by a Muslim butcher as its throat is cut. Some religious abattoirs do no stun the animal, as Sharia law stipulate that the animal must hear the prayer. It’s estimated that it can take around 30 seconds to die.

Alison Ruoff continued: “We are still a Christian country in that 71% of people in the UK believe in a Christian God, not a Muslim God.”*

The interview on Premier Christian Radio’s Woman to Woman show yesterday tackled the issue of unlabelled halal meat being sold to unsuspecting customers in supermarkets; an issue that affect people of all faiths, and not just Christians.
Ruoff revealed that most stores stock halal lamb only, with Morrisons being the only store to label their products.

She believes that most meat imported from New Zealand is halal, enabling them to sell on to Muslim markets. She alleged that economically it’s cheaper to butcher the animals in the same way, rather than halal and non-halal.

Joy Barrow, Interfaith Relations Officer said: ”No person should be made to eat halal meat. Clearly it’s an issue of labelling.”

However, a Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “The specifications we give to our lamb suppliers relate to the safety, legality, quality, hygiene, animal welfare standards and product packaging for our lamb. We do not ask or check for compliance with any specific halal requirements, so couldn’t robustly support any halal claim on our packaging.”
Although when asked to explain a previous Sainsbury’s Head Office claim that all meat is halal, a later statement said, “In the case of lamb, Sainsbury’s purchases it from suppliers that use halal licensed abattoirs, which adhere to our strict quality and animal welfare standards.”
 
A Morrisons spokesperson said, “We only sell 100% British fresh beef, lamb and poultry. None of it is halal. The vast majority of our fresh beef and lamb is processed at our own abattoirs in Britain.  We adhere to high standards of animal welfare.  All of the cattle, lamb and poultry are stunned prior to slaughter.
 
However they went on to say: “Our own label frozen lamb is currently sourced from New Zealand and is halal, the animal is humanely stunned before slaughter and a prayer is read. We sell a limited range of halal and Kosher-branded frozen food products which are all clearly labelled as such.”

Peter Kerridge, CEO of Premier Christian Media Group said, “This is clearly a matter for concern. If meat were labelled properly people would have an educated choice on whether to eat halal meat or not. The British public, whatever religion they are, have a right to decide for themselves.”

Courtesy by: Inspire Magazine

Selangor sets up RM10m fund for Muslims affected by new guideline on non-halal jobs

The Selangor government today announced that it was allocating RM10 million to help train and provide capital for Muslim workers in the state who are doing non-halal (not permissible in Islam) jobs.
A statement issued by the Selangor Menteri Besar's press secretariat here today said the government symphatised with the plight of Muslims who worked in factories producing alcoholic drinks or outlets where liquor was sold.
Among the businesses the workers would be trained in are tailoring, beauty  salon operations, cooking and reparing of handphones, the statement added.
Those interested can contact any officer from the sectoral division of the state economic planning unit at 03-5544 7115/7965 or visit the division's office at the 5th Floor of Bangunan Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, Shah Alam.
The announcement comes in the wake of guidelines under Selangor Syariah law enactments which prohibit Muslims in partaking in any non-halal job.

Courtesy by: Malay Mail

What the Hell Is Halal? (Hint: Heavenly)

One of the biggest complaints about Seattle's light-rail system is the distance between stops. If you live between two stations, it's a bit of a schlep--a miserable experience on a rainy day. As someone who mostly rides the train for the food, it means that I see dozens of restaurants that pique my curiosity but which are a longer haul from my stop than my level of hunger is usually willing to wait.

But it's time those cafes (and my post-holiday muffin top) got some attention. The stretch between the Columbia City station and the Othello is especially rich with diverse food possibilities--Chinese, African, Vietnamese, and barbecue line Martin Luther King Jr. Way. So from the latter, I jumped off and headed north.
The Cafe: While riding light rail, a sign I see frequently is "Halal," usually followed by some descriptor like "African Meats." Frustrated by my own ignorance, I found myself under the bright, welcoming sign at Moga's Market (6727-B MLK Jr. Way S., 723-3588).
Inside were shelves of culinary basics: flour, sugar, and the like. Racks of clothing filled an adjacent room. Hanging from the racks were the burqas and hijab headdresses worn by the women chatting at the counter. There were also stands filled with long beautiful skirts that made me wish I were six inches taller. But there was no sign of these halal meats, so finally I asked.

"Halal is from God," one of the women at the counter explained. "At Safeway, that meat isn't Halal. Like Allah."
With the language barrier making details a little difficult, I did some Wikipedia sleuthing back home. Based on the Internet encyclopedia and my conversation at Moga's, it appears Halal is a designation similar to kosher. Halal meat is slaughtered in a ritual method known as dhabiha.
"And you sell Halal meat here?" I asked the woman, glancing around the store.
"It's in the back, we cut it," she replied. "Do you want beef? Goat? Chicken?"
I ordered a pound of halal steak and another woman headed for the back. 15 minutes later she returned with a gorgeous red chunk of beef that looked well over a pound. "$3.99," she said.

I don't think I've ever paid that little for such pretty meat.

Courtesy by: Seattle Weakly

Islamic finance growing in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is aiming to become a Central Asian hub for Islamic finance, with plans to launch its first corporate sukuk this year and a new Sharia-compliant bank.
"By attracting [foreign direct investment], a more effective role should be played by Islamic finance mechanisms," said Asset Issekeshev, the deputy prime minister and minister of trade and industry, who was in Abu Dhabi to announce that Astana, the Kazakh capital, would host this year's World Islamic Economic Forum, which takes place in June.
"The Kazakh government these days works very actively towards the practical introduction of Islamic finance tools within the country," Mr Issekeshev said.
Kazakhstan is seeking foreign investment to help diversify its economy into areas including petrochemicals, renewable energy, tourism and agriculture. The UAE and Kazakhstan also have "good potential" for cooperation on food security, Mr Issekeshev said.
Yerlan Baidaulet, the chief economic adviser at the Kazakh ministry of industry and new technologies, said the country had two prospective issuers for its flagship corporate sukuk, one a South East Asian company registered in Kazakhstan, and a local company.
"It's very important for us to create a regional centre for Islamic finance," Mr Baidaulet said, adding that the sukuk would be sold internationally. He said he expected it to be issued within the next two to three months.
Mr Issekeshev added that Kazakhstan could open its second Islamic bank this year, after the opening there last year of a branch of Al Hilal Islamic Bank, which is owned by the Abu Dhabi Investment Council.
Astana has courted the UAE in the past, with ventures including the US$1 billion (Dh3.67bn) Al Falah Fund, which invests directly in oil and gas projects in Kazakhstan.
Foreign direct investment in Kazakhstan is the second-highest among member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States after Russia, with $122bn worth of inflows since 1993, Mr Issekeshev said. There has also been some direct investment from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
The Kazakh government is also seeking investment in renewable energy to tap the country's wind and solar potential.
"We have to admit that we are learning, but Kazakhstan has a vast potential in renewable sources of energy," said Askar Mussinov, the country's ambassador to the UAE.

Non-Muslim countries hold $580 million Halal food market

FAISALABAD  (January 15, 2011) : Halal food market of $580 million is in the hands of non-Muslims as they cater to the needs of 2 billion Muslim consumers around the world. Pakistan needs to harness the potential of exporting Halal food to Muslim consumers as in the United States out of 9 million Muslims each person spends around $6 everyday on Halal food which is processed and handled by non-Muslims.

Addressing the participants of inaugural session of international seminar on Halal Food Production organised by National Institute of Food Science & Technology here in Nestle Hall on Friday morning, Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Vice Chancellor, University of Agriculture said OIC member countries used to make only 8% trade with each other against a vast potential and opportunities as all available food in Middle East is processed by the non-Muslims.

Dr Khan said this was a complete value chain of monitoring, capacity building, handling, storage, value-addition needed attention to produce Halal food. He was of the view that every year 3 millions Muslim lives remain at risk due to unavailability of Halal vaccine. Dr Khan urged the need for holding multi-disciplinary research by taking the religious scholars on board and to capitalise the vast trade potential.

Earlier, delivering a keynote address, Dr Winal Dahian, Director of the Halal Science Center, Chulalonghorn University Thailand said Muslim countries have ignored the significance of harnessing the trade potential of Halal food, thus Brazil, China, India, Thailand and Switzerland became the major players of the sector. Dr Dahian underscored the need to see the origin and various processes involve in producing Halal Food adding that sometime, a food stamped as Halal is not found Halal as they use Haaram ingredients in the food.

He emphasised the need to establish local Halal food certification system in Pakistan strictly bounded by Islamic traditions and principles to ensure complete adherence to Shariah requirements. Pakistan has potential to become a hub of global Halal food and could enjoy direct access to millions of consumers in Middle East, Central Asia and South East Asian countries. He emphasised that there was a need to strengthen the link between Pakistani public and private sector with international organisations to get benefits from their experience.

Earlier, GD NIFSAT Professor Dr Faqir Muhammad Anjum said that Agro-climatic condition of Pakistan ranges from tropical to temperate regions favours the growth of array of agricultural commodities. He said agricultural production is dominated by livestock and crop production, which accounts for 53.2 and 43.9% of agriculture's GDP, respectively.

To meet food deficit particularly in the case of edible oil, he said that the country has to continuously depend on imports. Besides agricultural crops as Pakistan is also blessed with a climate that is suitable for cultivation of a large variety of fruits and vegetables.

Courtesy by: Business Recorder

Europe Goes Halal

The European Union, bowing to pressure from Muslim lobby groups, has quietly abandoned a new measure that would have required halal [religiously approved for Muslims] meat products to carry a label alerting consumers that the animals were not stunned, and therefore conscious, just before slaughter. With the exponential growth of Europe's Muslim population in recent years, thousands of tons of religiously slaughtered halal meat is now entering the general food chain, where it is being unwittingly consumed by the non-Muslim population.
Muslims have the right to choose halal foods, but non-Muslims do not have the right to choose not to eat the ritually slaughtered meat.
Halal, which in Arabic means lawful or legal, is a term designating any object or action that is permissible according to Islamic Sharia Law. In the context of food, halal meat is derived from animals slaughtered by hand according to methods stipulated in Islamic religious texts. One such method, called dhabihah, consists of making a swift, deep incision with a sharp knife on the neck that cuts the jugular vein, leaving the animal to bleed to death without stunning. Of vital importance, according to the Koran, is that the animal's blood flows from its body by "natural convulsion."
Many non-Muslim veterinary experts say the method is cruel and should be outlawed. In Britain, for example, the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC), an advisory body to the British Government, says in a report that cutting an animal's throat without stunning induces "significant pain and distress." The FAWC also says: "Slaughter without pre-stunning is unacceptable and the Government should repeal the current exemption."
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) says: "The BVA believes that all animals should be effectively stunned before slaughter to improve the welfare of these animals at slaughter. However, as long as slaughter without stunning is permitted, the BVA has argued for any meat from this source to be clearly labelled to enable all consumers to fully understand the choice they are making."
Animal-welfare legislation in Europe requires that abattoirs stun all animals prior to slaughter unless they are being ritually killed according to the practices of a non-Christian religion. But critics say the religious slaughter exemptions are being abused and millions of cows, goats, turkeys and chickens are being slaughtered according to halal standards and then sold to unwitting, non-Muslim customers, providing producers with a large and profitable market.
In Britain alone, it is estimated that more than 150 million halal animals are killed each year. Critics say this number is far more than is needed by the Muslim community, and that the growing success of halal products in Europe is being driven by the fact that the non-Muslim public is unaware of the halal origins of the meat. They say the ability to sell halal meat products by stealth has opened up vast new markets across Europe, which, by extension, is leading to a huge increase in the number of animals slaughtered using halal methods. The European halal food market is currently valued at €50 billion ($67 billion), and is expected to grow by at least 25% by 2020.
Critics of halal say that by dropping the halal labelling requirement, the EU effectively is institutionalizing a discriminatory two-tier approach to identifying the origins of meats. This controversy, as with so many others, highlights the growing assertiveness of Europe's Muslim community, and demonstrates once again how the rise of Islam is stealthily overwhelming the daily lives of hundreds of millions of non-Muslim Europeans.
Amendment 205 to the EU food information regulations, passed by members of the European Parliament in June 2010 by a vote of 559 to 54, would have required all meat or meat products from animals slaughtered without stunning to be labelled as follows: "Derived from animals that have not been stunned prior to slaughter." Although halal meat is well labelled in specialist butcher shops and food outlets, the EU regulation would have alerted non-Muslim consumers to supplies entering the mainstream food system.
Not surprisingly, the move to require halal meat producers to provide consumers with more information on the packaging of their products has enraged Muslims, who claim that the move has little to do with animal welfare, and reflects a bias against Islam. In any event, halal slaughter is permitted in all but four European countries (Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland) and halal-related controversies are becoming increasingly commonplace.
In Britain, for example, a London Daily Mail investigation has found that the country's major supermarket chains, fast-food restaurants, even some hospitals and schools are serving halal food without telling those who are eating it. Cheltenham College, which boasts of its strong Christian ethos, is one of several top British schools serving halal chicken to pupils without informing them. Even Britain's biggest hotel and restaurant group Whitbread, which owns the Beefeater and Brewers Fayre chains, admits that more than three-quarters of its poultry is halal.
In London, the Harrow Council has provoked a storm of protest after announcing plans to offer Islamic halal-only menus in the borough's 52 state primary schools. Parents are outraged that meat prepared according to Sharia law is being pushed on non-Muslim children. In Derby, the Dale Primary School has only halal meat on the school menu for certain days of the week to avoid cross contamination with non-halal meat. In Blackburn, the Daisyfield Primary School has become the first non-Muslim school to become certified by the Halal Monitoring Committee.
In Birmingham, the Domino's pizza chain has opened a halal-only outlet that does not offer its customers ham or bacon. Critics say the new policy discriminates against non-Muslims. Domino's says it has "thought long and hard" about not offering pork products at the store, which serves an area with a large Muslim population. The company says there are "alternatives, such as turkey ham." Meanwhile, most of the in-flight meals on British Airways could soon be halal.
Also in Britain, the 2nd World Halal Forum Europe 2010 recently was held in London. The theme of the World Halal Forum Europe was: "Halal Products & Services -- Going Mainstream."
In Spain, Muslims have rejected efforts by the Spanish rail company RENFE to offer halal menus on its high-speed trains. The Muslim Council of Spain says it is not enough for RENFE to simply remove alcohol and pork from its menu. The company must also take into consideration how the animals are slaughtered, what type of oil is used in cooking, as well as comply with a list of other demands.
In Spain as a whole, the Muslim population has undergone an almost twenty-fold increase in just two decades and the internal market for halal products is now estimated to exceed 2 million consumers, in addition to the estimated 7 million Muslims who pass through Spain each year as they cross the Strait of Gibraltar to and from North Africa.
In Belgium, the Justice Ministry recently launched a pilot project to train prison guards, as well as doctors and nurses, about practical problems related to halal. Muslim inmates in Belgian prisons often refuse medication because it contains animal fat, and Muslim patients in Belgian hospitals sometimes refuse medical care during Ramadan. As part of its halal training efforts, the Justice Ministry commissioned a practical guide titled "Comprendre le halal" (Understanding halal).
Also in Belgium, the parents of children attending the De Kleine Kunstenaar kindergarten in the town of Houthalen recently signed a petition objecting to their children being forced to eat halal meat on a school trip. "Due to their religious beliefs, Muslims can only consume halal meat, but that does not mean our children must eat it," the petition says. The parents are asking for an alternative burger for their children, but the school says that request is "practically impossible."
In Denmark, an investigation found that thousands of tons of beef in Danish supermarkets are halal slaughtered. In Finland, a separate investigation found that McDonald's secretly served its Finnish customers chicken meat that was slaughtered according to Sharia Law.
In France, the Franco-Belgian fast-food chain, Quick, has removed bacon burgers from its menu and replaced them with a version using halal beef and a slice of smoked turkey. René Vandierendonck, the socialist mayor of the northern French city of Roubaix, says the move amounts to discrimination against non-Muslim customers. He has filed charges with justice authorities against Quick for what he says is prejudicial religious catering. He has also lodged a complaint with France's main anti-discrimination authority on the matter. Marine Le Pen, vice president of the National Front Party, says Quick's halal option is "an Islamic tax" on diners. Xavier Bertrand, secretary general of the ruling conservative Union for a Popular Majority (UMP) says Quick's menu change is undermining France's secular, integrationist social model.
Elsewhere in France, where the halal food sector has doubled in five years and is now valued at €5.5 billion ($7 billion), animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot says that 80% of French slaughterhouses are now halal because the method is cheaper and faster, and thus more profitable.
In Italy, the government in July 2010 signed an agreement with the Italian Islamic Community to establish a halal certifying organization. The Halal Italia certification scheme will guarantee compliance with Islamic laws for Italian food products such as tortellini and lasagne. The Italian market for halal is valued at €5 billion ($6.5 billion). Foreign Minister Franco Frattini says the Islamically-correct "Made in Italy" certification is designed to facilitate "the progressive integration of Muslim communities resident in Italy into the social fabric."
In Sweden, which has banned the religious slaughtering of animals since 1937, the Muslim Association of Sweden (SMF) is demanding that halal slaughter practices be legalized. SMF chairperson Mahmoud Aldebe says the Swedish government should respect the democratic rights of Sweden's Muslims to exercise their "religious freedoms" and help find a way to permit the practice.
In Holland, an elementary Catholic school in Weert decided to serve only halal food for its Christmas meal. The school has about 400 students, only ten of whom are Muslim. Margo Janssen, the school principal, says that serving only halal food for Christmas is a Christian thing to do because it puts others -- Muslims -- first.
Also in Holland, several Dutch prisons are now serving only halal food. The Dutch Justice Department says it is too expensive to offer prisoners both halal and non-halal menus, so it has decided to offer only halal food. The prison in the Dutch town of Sittard is now being sued by a prisoner; he says that by being forced to eat halal food, he is receiving extra punishment.

Courtesy by:hudson Newyork

Pork, Egg and Dog Meat Vendors Demand Court to Annul 'Halal' Requirement

Pork, egg and dog meat vendors are demanding the Constitutional Court annul an article in a law that requires all vendors to get “halal” certification.

The 2009 Animal Husbandry and Health Law states that all meat products distributed in Indonesia should have veterinarian and halal certificates.

“It is impossible to get a halal certificate for pork and dog-meat vendors,” Agus Prabowo, the lawyer of the applicants, said at the Constitutional Court on Tuesday.

He was representing egg vendor Deni Juhaeni, pork vendor I Griawan Wijaya and dog meat vendor Netty Retta Herawaty Hutabarat.

Pork and dog meat are haram, or not allowed, for Muslims, but chicken is allowed.

The problem posed by the law for the egg vendor, Agus said, was that the law obliged him “to have veterinarian and halal certificates for each egg that he sells.”

Chief Justice Fadlil Sumadi said the applicants should present a deeper arguments. “The request is pragmatic, but it would be better if the request is complete with thorough arguments and developed legal theories,” Sumadi said.

Bardot group campaigns against halal animal slaughter

The Brigitte Bardot Foundation along with six other French animal rights groups last week launched a campaign against ritual slaughter practices that do not first stun the animal in France, the country with the largest Muslim and Jewish populations in Europe.
The new campaign immediately was assailed as being more about targeting minorities than about animal welfare. That's not a very surprising charge since Ms Bardot has been convicted five times before for controversial remarks about Muslims and animal rights.
But the spokesman for her foundation, Christophe Marie, denied that the campaign had any objective other than improving animal welfare. "It is ridiculous to say that we're targeting Muslims or Jews. We conduct this campaign like any other. It is like saying that we target the Spanish when we oppose bullfighting or the Inuit when we oppose seal hunting."
Mr Marie said it was "regrettable" that some anti-Muslim activists could latch on to the campaign. The campaign had been postponed several times, he said, because the foundation had not wanted to overlap with sensitive debates about Muslims in France, such as the introduction of a ban on the burqa.
The new campaign is mainly aimed at the animal being slaughtered without being stunned, either by a blow to the forehead or with electricity or gas. Stunning is required in Europe but an exception is made for ritual slaughter on grounds of respecting the freedom of religion. Both mainstream Jewish and Islamic religious authorities in France oppose stunning.
Mohammed Moussaoui, the head of the French Council of the Muslim Faith, last year clearly stated his opposition to the practice. Nonetheless, some halal-certifying bodies in France take a different position and stunning does sometimes take place. In Jewish circles there is even more opposition to the stunning of animals. "We maintain that stunning often goes wrong while our religious way causes minimal suffering to the animal," said Rabbi Bruno Fiszon, speaking on behalf of the chief rabbinate of France.
He said the new campaign targeted Jews and Muslims. "It shows them as cruel people who have no respect for animals." He felt that it particularly exacerbated anti-Muslim feelings in Europe.
Animal rights groups throughout Europe are opposed to the practice of slaughtering without stunning first. Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and New Zealand ban the practice. But not all those concerned about animal welfare applaud the new campaign.
"A ban antagonises people and is not the best way to go about it," said Mara Miele, the co-ordinator of DialRel, an EU-funded academic project that examined the issue. "If we ban it in Europe, it still continues elsewhere. We'd rather develop methods and procedures to improve animal welfare that can then be exported."
She did confirm that very recent scientific studies show that animals suffer more during religious slaughter, something that had long been disputed. But she said: "We have to balance the rights of people to practise their religion with the rights of animals." Inevitably, DialRel's work itself has been criticised by religious and animal-welfare groups.


Other than an outright ban on ritual slaughter or at least mandating stunning before the procedure, animal rights groups insist as a bare minimum on the clear labelling of meat and meat products that come from ritually slaughtered animals. They say that a significant proportion of kosher and halal meat ends up with general consumers.
"Consumers have a right to know what they are buying and not to buy meat from an animal that was slaughtered halal or kosher if they do not want to," said Mr Marie, the spokesman for the Brigitte Bardot Foundation.
A law to introduce such labelling was approved by the European parliament last year but was subsequently vetoed in the EU's ruling council of ministers. It was opposed vigorously by both Jews and Muslims.

Rabbi Fiszon said that labelling kosher and halal products would once again single out Muslims and Jews. Instead he suggested a labelling system not mentioning any method used to slaughter the animal, "because none of them entirely guarantee that the animal does not suffer". It is a position that has also been embraced by Muslim consumer organisations in France.

International Road Show For the Development of Halal Industry (Press Release)

January 03, 2011

(Lahore) Halal Research Council is pleased to organize a Road Show on Halal Industry starting from February 01, 2011. In the first phase of this road show, 150 seminars in different chambers of commerce, trade associations and industrial associations of Pakistan will be conducted for the awareness of Halal industry in the masses that will start on February 01, 2011 in Peshawar and will end up in Karachi on March 01, 2011. While in phase II, Halal research Council will hold awareness seminars on Halal industry in South Africa, Kenya, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Mauritius. The purpose of such awareness programs is to promote Halal industry in Pakistan and in the rest of the world.  This Road Show will enable the easy access of the Pakistani Export products to 2.3 Trillion Dollars’ international Halal Market of more than 2 billion Muslims.

Mr. Muhammad Zubair Mughal, Chief Executive Officer, Halal Research Council highlighted two main purposes of organizing this road show. One is the easy access of the Pakistani Halal products to the international Halal markets while the second objective is to give accurate knowledge of the Halal industry to the Muslims. He further elaborated that the chemical ingredients used in the production of Muslim food has put aside the distinction of Halal and haram in the products and the labeling of E codes has drastically put people in ambiguity whether the product is Halal or haram. It is very astonishing that even in Pakistan several food products are imported in which the fats of pig and many other haram ingredients are used.

He added that it is quite disappointing that Pakistan has no access yet in the export of Halal products in international 2.3 trillion Halal markets. If we pay heed to this market then we can earn a handsome profitability through this market because Pakistan has a prominent place in Muslim world for its sound Islamic footings. He told that Halal market covers more than 100 products i.e. meat, dairy, spices, gee and oil, beverages, medicines, biscuits, snacks, cosmetics, herbal and leather etc.

This awareness road show has been given high appreciation nationally and internationally and it has got more than 50 national, international, government and non government organizational associations. Halal Research Council is working nationally and internationally for the certification of Halal products.

Fusan Named Domestic Distributer Of Brunei Halal Goods

Bandar Seri Begawan - Since mid-December, consumers can purchase Brunei Halal brand products from about 100 retail locations throughout the country, said a representative from its distributor.

Appointed distributor of Brunei Halal brand products in the domestic market, Fusan Enterprise is seeing a positive response from consumers for the products, said its manager, Anna Chiu.

"The response is pretty good, those supermarkets that we're distributing to, some have been taking repeat orders so we take that as a good response," said Anna yesterday in an exclusive interview with The Brunei Times.

With a three-year contract under their belts to distribute the Brunei Halal brand in collaboration with parent company Ghanim Inter-national Food Corporation Sdn Bhd, Fusan is currently supplying to approximately 100 locations.

"(The entire range of products) are now in the kedai runcit (grocery stores) but there are too many of them so we didn't really publicise that. Last week when I checked, we were distributing to about 80 outlets but this week, its gone up to over 100 outlets," she said, which also includes major supermarket chains like Hua Ho, Supa Save and all their existing outlets.

The company began distributing in mid-December, added Anna, and has even approached restaurants and hotels, apart from supermarkets and small retail shops. "I knew they were looking for a distributor, so I approached them to just let them know what we could do for them as a distributor," she said of how the collaboration came about.

While Fusan Enterprise will not be taking part in the current Brunei Grand Salebration, Anna said the prices for the Brunei Halal brand products are affordable "and are on average" with the market price of similar products on the market.

Since the launch of the brand in September, Ghanim had already executed several promotional campaigns to introduce its products to the domestic market including Weekend and Weekly Specials as well as a Hari Raya Hamper Sale with hampers priced from $55 to $125.

Fusan will also be working with Ghanim on promotional activities for Brunei Halal said Anna, adding, "We will work with them on the marketing side and do some sampling promotions in supermarkets but all this has to be approved by Ghanim."

Anna said she is positive that the brand will be well-received due to the "halal" factor, saying that Ghanim had gone through "all the proper processes of getting certified halal". "So, it's trustworthy," she added.

Consumers can also visit the brand's website at brunei-halal.com to peruse a list of products which includes a detailed list of ingredients.

In a previous report published by The Brunei Times, Ghanim CEO Noel Shield had also described Brunei Halal Brand as a "People's Brand".

Ghanim International is the company appointed by His Majesty's Government to handle and manage the marketing of Brunei's premium halal brand which takes advantage of the country's reputation in selling goods to growing Muslim markets.

Courtesy of The Brunei Times

Halal Research Council is organizing National Awareness Road Show on Halal Industry from Kyber to Karachi (Feb 01 to Mar 01, 2011)

Halal Research Council is an organization working globally on Halal certifications and accreditation in order to cater the needs of food and nutrition agencies and side by side non-food agencies especially in the FMCG sectors.

We are pleased to organize a “National Awareness Road Show on Halal Industry” from Feb 01 to March 01, 2011. The Road Show will start from Peshawar on Feb 1^st, 2011. It will pass through all major cities of Pakistan and will conduct different awareness programs on Halal food and non-food products and highlight dire need of Halal certification. In 30 Days journey, the road show will cover 20 Cities and conduct 150 awareness programs that includes 30 awareness programs at Chambers & Industries, 20 Seminars at Universities and 25 Interactive Sessions with Trade & Business Associations. This road show will end up in Karachi on Mar 1^st, 2010.

For Further details: http://www.halalrc.org/

'Halal champagne' falls a little flat

After the halal burger and halal foie gras became a hit with Muslims living in western countries, it is now the turn of champagne - or something vaguely like it - to try.
Trumpeted by its manufacturer as one more way that Muslims can integrate into European society, especially during the holiday season, the drink has been widely derided as a misguided and ultimately demeaning attempt to imitate non-Muslim habits.
"I do hear that," said Rashid Gacem, one of the partners in Night Orient, which is being marketed as a halal-certified, zero per cent alcohol "festive drink".
At a tasting in a suburban shopping mall on a snowy Paris afternoon, he passionately disagreed with his critics: "Muslims in Europe wear western clothes, buy western products and have western friends. What makes our halal drink different from that"?
Orient Drinks SPRL, the Belgian manufacturer of Night Orient, is using the Christmas and New Year holiday season for a promotional push for the first time after being launched in 2009. It is also targeting Arab and Muslim countries, including the UAE.
Standing next to a stack of champagne look-alike bottles, with shiny foil tops and gold and blue labels, Mr Gacem and his wife, Nadia, tried to interest Parisian pre-Christmas shoppers in a sip. It showed the difficulty of steering a course between the glamour of champagne and the non-alcoholic safety of fruit juice.
In March, Night Orient was the recipient of the first European halal certificate issued by the Brussels Chamber of Commerce.
But when it comes to an imitation champagne, many Muslim shoppers reacted with disbelief to the halal claim.
"What? Champagne without alcohol? That cannot be," said one Muslim woman in her 20s who refused to give her name. On tasting it after being reassured she pulled a face. "Bitter," was her judgment. Mrs Gacem was unfazed. "Mix it with cassis and you'll have a kir royal, very chic and much sweeter," she said.
According to Mr Gacem, many Muslims feel pressured to drink something festive on occasions that are traditionally marked with champagne in France, such as "weddings, births or New Year". Rather than being singled out by drinking water or fruit juice, they could now fully participate with their non-Muslim friends and colleagues, he said.
The global halal food industry is estimated to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars. In France alone, with its approximately five million Muslims, research companies say it is worth more than US$50 billion (Dh183.5bn). Mr Gacem and his Belgian partner, Arnaud Jacquemin, hope to capitalise on the strong expected growth. "We in France are known for our food and drink. We should take advantage of that image," Mr Gacem said.


The need to protect the image of French gastronomy is taken with upmost seriousness by France's food and beverage boards, which can prove an obstacle, as Mr Gacem found out last year. Hesitant to speak about the subject, he acknowledged an earlier version of his product ran foul of the Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne, the champagne board that staunchly guards the drink's image.
The board ruled that the drink, originally called Cham'alal, infringed too much on the champagne name and won a court order in January last year to stop it from being sold. Now, Mr Gacem carefully avoids the champagne comparison and even considers the ruling to have been a blessing in disguise. "The first drink was even more brut, much too bitter for most Muslims who like it sweeter. So we changed the taste."
His partner, Mr Jacquemin, who is not a Muslim, maintains that Night Orient, now marketed in 12 countries, differs from other sparkling grape juice beverages because it uses a unique manufacturing process and comes much closer to the taste of alcoholic drinks. "We produce a very high-level product, both in the way it is packaged and in the way it tastes," he said.
The appeal of the drink seems to be broader than just for Muslim customers. Christophe Montagne, the food and beverages manager for the Cora supermarket in the Paris suburb of Arceuil where the tasting took place, said he chose to carry Night Orient "because there is an increasing interest in world foods and drinks". The supermarket is not in a predominantly Muslim area of town and many non-Muslims showed an interest.
Courtesy by: The National

Say Hello to Halal: U.S. Companies Respond to Growing Muslim Market

In recent years, Americans have watched from afar as Europe has dealt with ideological battling over halal product sales at mainstream shops. France, as we've been told, has witnessed a huge boom in the halal meat market, with everyone from large fast food restaurants to "quintessentially French" food manufacturers and upscale Parisian restaurants adding halal options to their menus. In the UK, food makers have also tuned into the profit potential unlocked by the halal seal of approval. Last September, one British paper shouted the inflammatory headline: "Top Supermarkets Secretly Selling Halal Foods."

Well, shh, don't tell anyone, but some U.S. companies have also decided that they wouldn't mind getting a piece of the middle class Muslim market, too.

According to the Associated Press, the worldwide market for halal goods -- those that conform to Islamic rules about manufacturing and ingredients -- has grown to more than half a billion dollars annually, and in the U.S., more and more executives are looking for ways to cash in. Last year the American Muslim Consumer Conference -- a gathering aimed at promoting Muslims as an untapped market segment -- attracted 200 attendees. This year its organizer had to cap registration at 400 to avoid going over capacity.

A few major mainstream companies have already begun to experiment with halal goods. Whole Foods has added a line of ready-made halal meals -- frozen Indian dinner entrees -- to its product offerings; the Saffron Road brand is the first halal product to be offered national distribution by the mega-chain. McDonalds and Wal-Mart have also introduced halal goods at certain locations. (McDonald's has been selling halal foods in Europe for years, of course.) Wal-Mart is not selling halal meat nationally, but is responding to market demand in places like Dearborn, Michigan, where a number of Wal-Mart shoppers eat according to halal guidelines.

Some Muslims fear that the growing corporate interest in halal products will cause a backlash on this side of the Atlantic, just as it has in Europe. Will shoppers here may equate "going halal" with supporting a theology that contradicts Western ideals? In the UK, some have gone further still -- radical protestors have called KFC's halal menu products "terror chicken."

What would that look like?



Oh, sorry, that's a bald chicken. Terrifying.

It remains to be seen whether the majority of U.S. supermarkets will embrace halal in an obvious way. "Supermarkets aren't benevolent charities, they're in it for the money ... And they've discovered halal sells," said a Muslim woman interviewed last year for a Guardian story about the trend in France. The owner of a chic, all-halal restaurant in Paris offered: "Young Muslims have money and want to eat out like everyone else but according to their religion. The food doesn't taste any different; we have many French customers who don't even know we're totally halal. To us, that is what integration is about."

For a buy-the-numbers analysis of the issue, check out this interview, which appeared in Meat Trade News Daily. In it, Adnan Durrani, the “Chief Halal Officer” of American Halal, the company that makes Saffron Road, lays out his (albeit subjective) assessment of why his product is destined for knockout sales.

Durrani, who previously founded Crystal Rock Water and was a principal of Stonyfield Farms and Delicious Brands, told his interviewer the following:

• The North American Muslim population is 8 million strong, growing at over 500,000 per year and will double by 2020.

• Within this surging American Muslim demographic, there is also a meaningful percentage who are affluent, well educated consumers looking for and willing to pay up for 100% natural, anti-biotic free, 100% veggie-fed, and organic Halal foods. These are Whole Foods shoppers!

• In EEC, Halal protein sales in 10 years have gone from less than $1 billion to $20 billion. Why? Primarily due to supermarkets – Tesco, Sainsbury, Metro, Carrefour, etc. – finally deciding in Europe to carry Halal products. France, with a smaller total Muslim population than the USA, generates over $2 billion in annual Halal protein sales due to French supermarkets. US retailers have woken up – now Walmart, Costco, Shoprite, SuperValue, Giant, and of course Whole Foods Markets started carrying Halal foods. The tide has started – now comes the tsunami!

• In terms of ready-to-eat entrees, the way we looked at it is that the ethnic food sector in the US is around $70 billion. Frozen entrees represent over $15 billion. Indian has the largest growth in the category. There were no Halal Indian entrees in the supermarkets – let alone natural or organic.

Durrani added that he believes non-Muslims will also be interested in his product. He reports that in France and the UK, non-Muslim customers account for 50% of all Halal food sales.

"Whole Foods’ managers tell us that Saffron Road’s products are stellar – that our authentic gourmet quality, our wholesome and 100% natural ingredients, and our Certified Humane and gluten free designations appeal to a majority of Whole Foods’ consumers -- 90% of whom are probably non-Muslim."

Courtesy by: Minyanvi

By a New MOU with the Ministry of Health More Cooperation

"70,000 food  production  license s   , 11,000   hygienic and Health production licenses  for 12,000 manufacturer and  factories were issued. We are ready to cooperate with ICRIC in the field of Halal brand for these productions for continuation of the solidarity of this work". Said Dr. Sheibani,.....

Deputy  of  Minister  of Food and Pharmaceutics in the  Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education who presented in Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines (ICCIM) with the invitation of Dr. Nahavandia, the President of ICCIM . 

Dr. Janat, Director General of Food, Dr. Rastegar, Director General of the Food and Pharmaceutics Control Laboratories and Dr. SafarChi, the Responsible for Cooperation and International Relations were accompanying Dr. Sheibani.

     Dr. Nahavandian  thanked  the cooperation and companionship of the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education with ICRIC that has became applicable with signing previous MOU by the former  Deputy  of the Ministry of Health and also thanked of good cooperation of the current responsible in following up and strengthening that MOU and increasing the area of cooperation especially in the field of operating  of the  central food and pharmaceutics research center. He remarked that the achievement of holding International Health Tourism Forum was a great success and added:  "It  was  a grace of  God  that we  achieved by the efforts  of our  friends, ICRIC, Iran, Turkey and some other countries  and also  the great achievement of adopting  OIC Halal Food Standard  is a golden document in the  proximity  of the Islamic Schools of Thought  which should watch over very carefully and to stabilize it in the world".  

 Dr. Nahavandian emphasized that establishing Halal Research Center is a necessary issue which has been  adopted by Halal Supreme Council  and we can promote and accomplish it with the cooperation of Ministry of Health. In the field of laboratories, all potency of the Ministry  should   be in service of this international issue and fortunately a MoU was signed with the Turkey Standard Organization (TSE) which according to this MoU all laboratories in Turkey will  be in  service of  this direction.                                                                                                                                                    Dr. Sheibani expressed his happiness  of  these  efforts and expressed his full  readiness and his friends in different parts of Ministry of Health among  all Food and Pharmaceutics Office and also the laboratories of food and pharmaceutics control. In this meeting a MoU was signed between Dr. Nahavandian from ICRIC and Dr. Sheibani, the Deputy of Food and Pharmaceutics of the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education.

Courtesy by: Halal World

Brunei: Education on Islamic Branding and Marketing

Brunei companies and Small and Medium Enterprises or SMEs will soon be able to develop their potential in the growing Halal sector and assist in diversifying the economy with the signing of a collaboration agreement for a project on “research and Education on Islamic Branding and Marketing for Brunei Darussalam”. The project provides knowledge that will facilitate putting the Sultanate on the Halal map and gain access to markets in this competitive industry. In addition, the project will also provide knowledge and transferable skills to Bruneians for long term benefit of the Brunei Halal industry.
This morning, a signing agreement for the project’s Phase One was held between the government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and the Oxford Said Business School Limited, University of Oxford. Representing Brunei Darussalam was the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood, Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Yahya. Signing on behalf of the government was the Acting Director of Agriculture and Agrifood, Dayang Hajah Aidah binti Haji Mohammad Hanifah, while the signatory of Oxford Said Business School Limited, University of Oxford was its Associate Fellow and Project Director, Doctor Paul Temporal. The scope of works in the project are to implement training programmes in branding and marketing techniques; and to conduct as well as write research and development work on the subject area specific to the nation’s needs.

The main focus of this project are topics related to Halal branding and marketing including research on Halal markets, products and services. This is especially appropriate to the future of the Brunei Halal industry such as food, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, research on Islamic minority and majority Halal markets – opportunities and challenges among others. Through this research, Brunei will be able to brand, position and prepare itself in the most effective manner to take advantage of this growing Halal industry. The project is expected to be completed in about 12 months. The signing ceremony took place at a hotel in the capital.

Courtesy by: Halal Focus

Opinion: When Haram Can Become Halal – Part II

Filed in Asia, Halal Integrity, Ingredients, Opinion, Shariah Issues on 28/12/2010 with no comments

By Dr. Wan Azhar Wan Ahmad, Senior Fellow / Director, Center for the Study of Syariah, Law and Politics, Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM)
[Note: This article was published by The Star (Malaysia) on December 14, 2010. However, it was edited to the extent that I believe may distort readers’ understanding of the issue. Here is the full version of the writing].
This is a corollary, a continuation of my earlier article, “When haram can become halal,” (see HalalFocus) published by The Star on December 7. These two pieces must be read together before one can make any appropriate conclusion on the subject matter discussed.
The entire issue is extremely sensitive to Muslims and technical in nature. Thus readers are to go through the whole writing with patience and passion to the very end.
The second Islamic legal principle that complements my deliberation on istihalah last week is istihlak, or ‘extreme dilution’. Readers must be careful here so as not to confuse the two.
This concept materializes when a particular entity is entirely obliterated inside a second entity in such a manner that the former cannot be considered as part of the latter.
In our context, it refers to a situation whereby a prohibited substance is diluted in a lawful medium to the extent that none of the known properties of the prohibited substance are noticeable in the lawful medium.
When this takes place, the prohibited status of the first substance can be ignored, meaning it’s unlawfulness has no legal effect on the second medium.
To illustrate, if animals urinate in a lake, the water of this lake is still pure and lawful for drink and ablution, provided the noticeable properties of the water, i.e. its colour, smell and taste are unchanged by the urine.
Similarly if a drop of wine/blood founds its way into a glass full of clean water and becomes diluted in it, the water is still pure so long as the properties of the water remain unchanged. Here, the drop of wine/blood loses its identity. Hence the applicability of the law prohibiting intoxicant/blood ceases to exist.
This ‘extreme dilution’ principle is based on a hadith when people asked the Prophet about a well in which a carrion fell (carrion is considered impure and anything contaminated by it is equally impure). The Prophet SAW explained that if the water is more than a specified amount, then there was neither harm nor prohibition in using it. (The specified amount of water is required to ensure that the carrion will not change the properties of the water).
Another hadith supports the above. During the Prophet’s time, his companions continued to drink fruit juice until it showed signs of fermentation. They would only stop drinking the ‘juice’ if its smell or taste indicated that it had changed to wine, suggesting the presence of a considerable amount of alcohol in it.
But even before the fruit juice becomes wine, a certain amount of alcohol was already there. However, the amount of alcohol was too insignificant to affect its taste or smell. Thus the companions consciously ignored its purported prohibition.
The above shows that the mere presence of alcohol is not the determining basis for the prohibition of such a beverage containing it. This kind of beverage is declared unlawful by virtue of its intoxicating effects. A number of other hadiths affirm this.
Allow me to digress a bit. Alcohol here refers to ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, the intoxicating element in wine, beer, spirit and so on. It is produced by means of fermentation or distillation. Generally, the content of alcohol in beer is between 4 – 6%, in wine 9 – 16% and in spirit more than 20%. The fact that ethanol is added to other material to form liquor indicates that it is extremely harmful to be consumed in itself.
‘Khamr’ as related in the Qur’an is not this ethanol. The forbidden khamr here refers to the fermented liquor, and extended, by analogy to include any intoxicating beverages or drugs. Therefore, it is not ethanol per se that is prohibited by Islamic Law, but rather any beverages with intoxicating effect that wipes out one’s sanity.
If the mere presence of alcohol is the defining factor for prohibition, many other beverages, food items or other products containing it are to be equally declared so. Consider the following examples.
A certain amount of alcohol exist in ‘tapai’ (a delicacy made from rice or tapioca fermented with yeast), ‘tuak’ (a drink extracted from coconut tree, very popular in Kelantan), carbonated drinks and colas, or even in ‘budu’ (a sauce made from fermented salted anchovies/fish), all of which are consumed by a large portion of Muslims. But none of them is haram despite the presence of alcohol.
Let’s go back to our actual discourse. One might argue the validity of istihlak by citing the well known and authentic hadith to the effect that if a large amount of an intoxicating substance is prohibited, then a small amount of it, perhaps even a drop, is also forbidden.
My response goes as follows. The said hadith is literally applicable under normal circumstances. However, in our context here, the syari’e texts are to be interpreted wholistically by taking into consideration other relevant textual evidences as well.
Taking one particular verse from the Qur’an or one hadith in isolation of other related texts can lead to strange, irrational and contradictory rulings.
In light of the hadith referred to above, Muslim scholars have interpreted and qualified it in combination with the previous two situations (the carrion and fermented juice cases). Therefore, under special circumstances, or any situations comparable to that embodied in the two traditions, the ‘one drop’ hadith does not prevail.
As pointed out, a certain amount of alcohol is also present in tapai, tuak, colas, budu and so on. But, in reality, despite rigorous consumption, one is hardly affected by the alcohol contained in them since its amounts and concentration are so minimal and thus negligible.
Similarly, most cheeses are made with the help of milk-coagulating enzymes, such as pepsin or rennet, which can be taken from pigs or other animals. However, enzymes are catalysts, in the sense that they do not actually become part of the cheese itself. They only aid in its formation.
After the milk coagulates and the curds fall to the bottom, the remaining liquid and enzymes are drained off. While it is possible that some enzymes remain in the cheese, the concentration is minimal.
Another case of istihlak is the medicinal use of certain chemical compounds extracted by dissolving plant tissue in alcohol. The end product is virtually free of alcohol although it might contain some infinitesimal traces.
From the foregoing discussion, I would say that there is something common between istihalah and istihlak. This commonality, at least, refers to the inconsequential amount of prohibited substance in things Muslims consume or use.
All cited examples illustrating the two principles are real, pointing to the fact that the amount is too insignificant to the extent that it can only be traced by special machines or detectors, if any, with capabilities that go beyond what our naked senses may capture.
The question here, as Muslims, are we strictly supposed to go into that minutest details in ascertaining the lawfulness of things we use? Are we supposed to conduct a DNA test or employ other scientific methods to determine a 100% permissibility status of things?
Of course, every Muslim is obliged to be conscientious about what he/she does, be it the consumption of beverages/foods, nutritional supplements, medicinal, pharmaceuticals or cosmetic items.
But I am of the opinion that generally Muslims are not required to go and investigate into such a microscopic detail for every occasion of ambiguity. Until and unless convinced otherwise, I believe that the law pertaining to halal and haram is not applicable at the molecular or atomic level of things.
If we were to accept that the law is still relevant, say, at the DNA level, then we have no choice but to consider the excrement, blood and milk of cattle (the illustration for istihalah) are all haram though all of them come from the very same halal source.
For a lay Muslim, if he wants to buy a birthday cake, it is not strictly necessary for him to check whether or not the gelatin used is taken from pig or cattle, to the extent of visiting the factory manufacturing it in Canada for example, or by tracing the animal (if not pig) up to its farm in Argentina, or going to abattoirs in New Zealand to determine whether or not the animal was Islamically slaughtered.
One is also not supposed to buy a specially made device to detect the amount of prohibited substance down to its smallest measurable unit. All the steps mentioned are too troublesome for one to carry out every time one encounters such an uncertainty in any product.
It is sufficient for one to rely on what is manifest from the external noticeable features, or what the public perception say on it. In fact, in Islamic jurisprudence, most legal rulings are concluded based on what is obvious to the senses, decided so by general agreement of the community, endorsed by scholarly observation and rational arguments of majority jurists by means of preponderance probability (ghalabah al-zann), a legal principle that entails positive knowledge.
But for Muslim entrepreneurs, businessmen and other industrial players selling or producing items consumable by Muslims, it is their duty to ensure that their goods and products are safe from any noticeable prohibited substance. 
Though I am personally inclined to say that perhaps the principle of istihalah is applicable to them in certain situations, there are other legal opinions saying that if they have the knowledge, it is haram for them to ignore such a prohibited substance.
To be on the safer side, a Muslim cheese manufacturer, for instance, is not supposed to use porcine originated from pig in his products if he can look for alternative material like bovine extracted from cattle.
This fraternity of business people must enjoy their profits and commercial gains responsibly, religiously, legally.
Now, Muslims must bear this in mind. Allah the Almighty admonishes the believers not to ask questions about things which if made plain and clear to them may cause them trouble (al-Ma’idah, 5: 101).
If they do not pay heed to this, they will become like the Jews, who, when Allah straightforwardly commands them to sacrifice a female cattle, they reacted by asking silly questions making its execution even more difficult for themselves, almost calling it off (al-Baqarah, 2: 67—71).
Commenting the story, Abdullah Yusuf Ali says those Israelites were actually treating the divine command as a jest.
Taking lesson from this event, Muslims today must never imitate or seen to reprise these attitude and behaviours, ‘mocking’ religious instructions and making life troublesome unnecessarily!
The Quranic reminders aforementioned are substantiated by the hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). His mission was never to inflict hardship on people, but to bring mercy to the whole creatures of the universe.
He counsels that religion is easy and always prefers an easier alternative from two or more options.  He demonstrates this, for instance, by not having long recitals during prayers and never imposed that tarawih prayers during Ramadhan must be performed 20 cycles.
Having said all the above, I am not advocating that Muslim scientists have to give up their R & D and halt inventing devices to trace prohibited substances in any products related to Muslims.
On the contrary, it is their collective responsibility (fardhu kifayah) to do so. In fact, under certain circumstances, this responsibility may change to become personal obligation (fardhu ayn) to certain individual scientist.
But, if they manage to come out with any scientific gadget, such a device is not to be first marketed to the general masses.
It is quite ridiculous for those scientists to expect that ordinary members of the public will have to dig out their pockets to buy, say, a RM10K detector and to make it available in every household for one to inspect whether or not one’s vegetables contain a certain ‘nanogram’ amount of prohibited elements traceable to pig.
What is more advisable for those scientists is to go and urge the authorities responsible for Muslim affairs or even the government to take actions to protect and enhance the interests of Muslims in all aspects of life.
In the midst of abundant obscurities pertaining to the lawfulness of thousands of products used by Muslims, and upon discoveries made through those scientific devices, those authorities and government must take measures, for example, to encourage and to financially support more Muslim industrial players to produce halal gelatin and so on in huge entities.
But, often times, on the one hand, I am annoyed with the kind of ‘religious overzealousness’ of our people. On the other, as an academician, I am equally disturbed, flabbergasted, with what I perceive as the lackadaisical attitude, lack of commitment, lack of political will and sincerity of our political leaders.
While I applaud the ongoing efforts to make Malaysia the world’s best halal hub for mankind, I just hope that the people entrusted with the amanah mean business and are really serious about it, giving utmost priority to religious considerations as their inspirations, rather than personal or organizational gains.
Last but not least, as guidelines, the right attitude for Muslims to hold includes the followings:
(i)             In cases of doubt and one fears that one may compromise one religious belief and principles in doing or consuming anything, then one may distance oneself from such a thing. This is actually the spirit of the very first hadith referred to in this article (the first part).
(ii)           Any product that contains a considerable amount of a prohibited substance, or in which the properties of a prohibited substance are noticeable, is in itself prohibited, and thus to be avoided.
(iii) If the amount of a prohibited substance is significantly inconsequential/infinitesimal to affect the noticeable properties of a thing, then the prohibition may be ignored.
In short, as a general rule, Muslims are not rigidly required to unnecessarily putting themselves into severe hardship in identifying the lawfulness of things. If one insists that such an action or process of determination is imperative on Muslims no matter what, then one would not find anything lawful on the face of this planet!
In this regard, Muhammad b. Allan al-Bakri, a traditional Shafi’i jurist, has reportedly said: “Complete certainty that something is lawful is only conceivable about rainwater falling from the sky into one’s hand” (see Dalil al-Falihin li Turuq Riyad al-Salihin).

Courtesy by: Halal Focus

Iran: MOU signing at the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines

Filed in Asia, Halal Integrity, Science & Research on 28/12/2010 with no comments
“70,000 food  production  licenses, 11,000 hygiene and Health production licenses  for 12,000 manufacturers and  factories have been issued. We are ready to cooperate with ICRIC in the field of Halal brand for these productions for continuation of the solidarity of this work”. Said Dr. Sheibani, Deputy  of  Minister  of Food and Pharmaceutics in the  Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education who presented in Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines (ICCIM) with the invitation of Dr. Nahavandia, the President of ICCIM .

Dr. Janat, Director General of Food, Dr. Rastegar, Director General of the Food and Pharmaceutics Control Laboratories and Dr. Safar Chi, the Responsible for Cooperation and International Relations were accompanying Dr. Sheibani.

Dr. Nahavandian  thanked the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education for their cooperation and companionship with ICRIC, that commenced with the signing of a previous MOU by the former  Deputy  of the Ministry of Health. He also thanked them for their cooperation with their current work in following up and strengthening that MOU, and increasing their area of cooperation, especially in the field of the operation  of the  central food and pharmaceutics research center.

He remarked that the achievement of holding International Health Tourism Forum was a great success and added:  “It  was  a grace of  God  that we  achieved by the efforts  of our  friends, ICRIC, Iran, Turkey and some other countries  and also  the great achievement of adopting  OIC Halal Food Standard  is a golden document in the  proximity  of the Islamic Schools of Thought  which we should watch over very carefully and to stabilize it in the world”.

Dr. Nahavandian emphasized that establishing Halal Research Center is a necessary issue which has been  adopted by Halal Supreme Council  and we can promote and accomplish it with the cooperation of Ministry of Health. In the field of laboratories, all potency of the Ministry  should be in service to this international issue. Fortunately an MoU was signed with the Turkey Standard Organization (TSE) which, according to this MoU, all laboratories in Turkey will  be in  service of  this direction.

Dr. Sheibani also expressed his happiness  for  these  efforts and expressed his full readiness, and that of his friends in different parts of Ministry of Health among  all Food and Pharmaceutics Office, and also the laboratories of food and pharmaceutics control.

At this meeting an MoU was signed between Dr. Nahavandian from ICRIC and Dr. Sheibani, the Deputy of Food and Pharmaceutics of the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education.

courtesy by: Halal Focus

USA: Businesses seek ways to tap Muslim market

Filed in Branding & Marketing, Media & Events, Partner Events, The Americas on 27/12/2010 with no comments

By Rachel Zoll, Associated Press

Companies find opportunity in marketing to U.S. Muslims, but some face ugly reaction

NEW BRUNSWICK — In the ballroom of an upscale hotel a short train ride from New York, advertisers, food industry executives and market researchers mingled — the men in dark suits, the women in headscarves and Western dress. Chocolates made according to Islamic dietary laws were placed at each table.
The setting was the American Muslim Consumer Conference, which aimed to promote Muslims as a new market segment for U.S. companies. While corporations have long catered to Muslim communities in Europe, businesses have only tentatively started to follow suit in the U.S. — and they are doing so at a time of intensified anti-Muslim feeling that companies worry could hurt them, too. American Muslims seeking more acknowledgment in the marketplace argue that businesses have more to gain than lose by reaching out to the community.
“We are not saying, ‘Support us,’” said Masood, a graduate of the University of Illinois, Chicago, and management consultant. “But we want them to understand what our values are.”
There are signs the industry is stirring: Faisal Masood, a Wall Street executive who organized the gathering, had attracted only 200 or so attendees when he started the event last year. This year, he had to close registration at 400 to keep from going over capacity.
The worldwide market for Islamically permitted goods, called halal, has grown to more than half a billion dollars annually. Ritually slaughtered meat is a mainstay, but the halal industry is much broader, including foods and seasoning that omit alcohol, pork products and other forbidden ingredients, along with cosmetics, finance and clothing.
Corporations have been courting immigrant Muslim communities in Europe for several years. Nestle, for example, has about 20 factories in Europe with halal-certified production lines and advertises to Western Muslims through its marketing campaign called “Taste of Home.” Nestle plans to increase its ethnic and halal offerings in Europe in coming years.
In the United States, iconic American companies such as McDonald’s (which already has a popular halal menu overseas) and Wal-Mart have entered the halal arena. In August, the natural grocery giant Whole Foods began selling its first nationally distributed halal food product — frozen Indian entrees called Saffron Road.
Along with new customers, however, the companies draw critics and can become targets in the ideological battle over Islam and terrorism.
Abdalhamid Evans, project director with the World Halal Forum Europe, which works with the global halal industry, said a recent backlash has prompted some mainstream businesses in Europe to keep a lower profile about their halal products or scale back their offerings.
In the U.K., after Kentucky Fried Chicken rolled out halal menu options in several dozen stores, the restaurant chain pulled the items in a few locations in the face of protests. Critics dubbed the menu “terror chicken.”
Last September, the Daily Mail of London reported that many British supermarkets, fast-food chains, hospitals, schools, pubs and sporting arenas such as Wembley Stadium, were serving some halal meat and poultry without notifying the public. A large share of meat sold in Britain comes from New Zealand, where the slaughterhouses have expanded halal production as they try to boost their already robust exports to Islamic countries.
In the uproar that followed, Barnabas Aid, a group that fights Christian persecution worldwide, started a petition in Britain against what it called the “imposition” of halal. It “may be interpreted as an act of Islamic supremacy,” the group said.
U.S. companies have also faced some resistance, although on a smaller scale.
Last year, Best Buy Inc. was inundated with calls, e-mails and letters complaining that the company was anti-American after acknowledging a Muslim holiday — “Eid al-Adha,” or the Feast of the Sacrifice — for the first time in a national advertisement. That year, Eid al-Adha fell around Thanksgiving, so the ad, a small bubble at the bottom of the page, appeared in the company’s Thanksgiving flier. Critics seized on the timing in their complaints.
“They used very abusive language,” said Nausheena Hussain, a marketing manager for Best Buy in Minnesota. “It was pretty sad.”
Best Buy executives stood by their decision. The company saw the holiday greeting as part of a larger goal of reaching consumers from different cultures. Soon, Muslims started calling to thank Best Buy and set up a Facebook page honoring the company, which continues to acknowledge Muslim holidays.
“It’s a very viable customer segment,” said Zainab Ali, senior marketing manager with the money transfer company MoneyGram, which ran a special Ramadan promotion this year for Muslims in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere. “You just need to get over some of the fear and look at them as just another consumer.”
The potential for profit is drawing more companies to the idea.
This year, Ogilvy & Mather, the global advertising firm, started an international Islamic branding consultancy called Ogilvy Noor that includes an emphasis on U.S. Muslims. (“Noor” means “light” in Arabic.) Muslims came to the United States in large numbers for doctorates, engineering and medical degrees, after the federal government eased immigration quotas in the 1960s. Studies have found that a significant percentage of Muslims are better educated and wealthier than other Americans.
Joohi Tahir, vice president of marketing and sales for Crescent Foods, the halal chicken producers based in Chicago, said Wal-Mart executives approached Crescent Foods two years ago looking for a halal chicken supplier, then invited Crescent executives to Wal-Mart headquarters in Arkansas to advise them on reaching Muslim consumers.
That same year, Wal-Mart opened a supercenter in Dearborn, Mich., an area with one of the largest Muslim and Arab populations in the country. The store is geared for Mideast consumers, with a range of halal products, including specialty foods.
“Mainstream is coming to halal,” Tahir said.
Wal-Mart spokesman Bill Wertz said the merchandise in each store can vary according to the needs of the surrounding community, so it is difficult to know the exact number of U.S. stores that carry halal products. But several in Michigan and at least one store in Canada have advertised that they offer some halal items.
Manufacturers entering the field hope they can appeal to non-Muslims as well.
Jack Acree, executive vice president of American Halal Co., which produces the Saffron Road products, emphasizes that the entrees are not only halal, but also all-natural and humanely farmed, and free of
antibiotics and hormones.
“Muslims are highly educated and live in metro areas, and they’re shopping with us already,” said Errol Schweizer, senior global grocery coordinator for Whole Foods. “If we have a customer base where there’s a big Muslim population, it makes sense for us to service that population.”
Schweizer would not answer directly when asked if anyone complained to the company over its Muslim outreach. He said only that halal foods will be judged like any other products — by whether the items sell.
For Muslims, the issue is not just a matter of convenience. Recognition by major companies is an important sign of acceptance as they struggle to establish themselves in the U.S. They are following in the footsteps of American Jews, who struggled for decades for mainstream acceptance of kosher food — and of Judaism.

Despite the sometimes unfriendly climate for Muslims, Evans, of the World Halal Forum, said it is inevitable that a large number of businesses will reach out to Muslim consumers, given the wealth and size of the Muslim population — more than a billion people worldwide — and their presence in the West.
“It isn’t a question of whether they’re going to do it,” Evans said. “It’s a question of where and when and how.”

Courtesy by: Halal Focus

Russia to export halal reindeer meat to Qatar

When Governor Dmitry Kobylkin of Yamalo-Nenets, where most of Russia's gas is produced, was in Qatar for investment talks last month, he made an agreement with the Qatari leadership to start production of halal reindeer meat, Reuters reports.
Upon return to Yamal, home to 700,000 reindeer and 500,000 people, Kobylkin had the state-owned Yamal Reindeer Company arrange for ritual Islamic slaughter and the trial production of 1,000 cans of halal reindeer meat.
This week Qatari officials will get their first taste of reindeer at a Russia-Qatar investment forum in Doha where Kobylkin's deputy will present the Reindeer Company’s business plan to expand into halal meat production and product exports.
Reindeer herding and meat production is Yamalo-Nenets’ No 3 industry after oil and gas. Yamal produces 85 percent of Russia's gas and 15 percent of its oil. The state-owned Yamal Reindeer Company received EU certification to export in 2006.

Also among Russia’s Muslim community there is a large demand for halal products and the Yamal Reindeer Company hopes to be able to market halal canned reindeer within Russia.

UK: Halal cosmetics store to open in Birmingham city centre

A BEAUTY shop offering Halal cosmetics is to open in Birmingham city centre.
Pure Halal Beauty will offer ethical beauty products and cosmetics, all free of animal products and alcohol and all Halal certified.
The store will open on the Lower Ground Level at The Pavilions Shopping Centre on December 11.
The woman behind the shop, 20-year-old Rose Brown from Birmingham said she was shocked that so many products contained animal derived ingredients.
As a vegetarian and keen follower of ethical issues she searched the world for products from Malaysia, United States, Holland and the UK that cater for female and male everyday use as well as a vast range of cosmetics, hair care products, specialist creams and serums.
“I wanted to be able to use beauty products and cosmetics but was not prepared to compromise anymore by using products that I knew to be unethical,” she said.
“Halal certification ensures the ingredients used in the products are free from all animal ingredients and testing.”

Courtey by: Bloomberg