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Muslims Invite Hanson to Eat Halal Easter Eggs with Them

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A Muslim leader has challenged politician Pauline Hanson to visit the Toowoomba Mosque after her controversial call for a boycott of halal-certified Easter eggs.

A video of the One Nation leader speaking about an alleged “halal tax” on the community went viral on social media recently.

She argued Australians shouldn’t pay a “tax” on foods for Muslims, who make up a little over 2% of the population.

The One Nation leader urged consumers to buy Darrell Lea or Lindt Easter eggs and called for a boycott of Cadbury, which was later criticised by unions.

Halal Australia is the certifying body and said fees paid were used to maintain the normal costs of running a registered business.

There have been claims that the money is used to fund terrorism or violent politically-motivated religious organisations, but that was rejected by Halal Australia.

The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre told the ABC there was no information to indicate there were links to terrorism financing from halal certification fees. That opinion was backed by the Australian Crime Commission which reported no proven links to terrorism.

The amount of money collected has not been disclosed but one company, the Byron Bay Cookie Company, reportedly said the fee was about $1,500.

Dr Shahjahan Khan, founding president of the Toowoomba Islamic Society, explained that the majority of food available in Australia was naturally halal, and that some products were labelled to enable consumers to easily buy products that are permissible.

He said the word halal simply meant “permissible”, the opposite of which is haram, or forbidden.

Dr Khan said items that were haram included alcohol, blood and meat from forbidden animals including pigs and carnivorous animals or birds.

To be halal meat must be slaughtered in the correct manner in the name of Allah.

Muslims are allowed to eat food that is “kosher” under Jewish dietary laws, Dr Khan said.

He added pigs were anatomically similar to humans and their organs were at times used in transplants.

“You don’t want to eat the meat of your cousin.”

Dr Khan likened the certification to gluten free, vegan and heart foundation standards.

He said an opened-ended invitation to Ms Hanson to visit the Toowoomba mosque had been made.

Originally published on www.thechronicle.com.au

Sharia Finance Growing In NZ, but not Big Enough to Change Banking Compliance Mechanism

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New Zealand’s Muslim population is not big enough to see a growth of Shariah-compliant banking options, the industry experts say.

Islamic banking, or Sharia finance, is governed by the principles of Islam.

According to Islamic law, you can’t use money to make money – it has to be from legitimate trade. It is prohibited to accept interest or fees for loans of money.

Muslim rugby player Sonny Bill Williams covered the BNZ logos from his Blues jersey while playing over the weekend, as a conscientious objection to the bank.

In New Zealand there are currently no banks operating according to Sharia law.

“I’m not aware of any banks in New Zealand that offer Islamic finance which will be compliant with Sharia law,” Ikhlaq Kashkari, president of the New Zealand Muslim Association said.

Kashkari said many Kiwi Muslims got around this by either having interest-free bank accounts, or donating generated interest to charitable organisations.

“What a lot of Muslims do is basically either not put money in an account that is interest-bearing or, take the interest, put it separately and donate it to charitable organisations or causes, with a view that it is best to use this money for charities and people in need.”

The Muslim population in New Zealand is approximately 50,000, with 35,000 living in the Auckland region.

Managing director of Sharia-approved KiwiSaver fund Amanah Ethical Brian Henry said there was demand for Islamic finance in New Zealand, but simply not a big enough population.

Originally published on www.nzherald.co.nz

Australia To Offer ‘Halal’ Certified Food To Troops

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australian-army-gets-halal-foodAustralian army has issued orders that one third of its meals to the combat troops has to be halal-certified. This followed a series of changes in the ration packs to the troops.

The new changes were approved by the Deputy Chief of Army Major General Rick Burr. The halal option comes up despite Muslims forming a tiny fraction in the Australian Defence Force.

However, the changes have made the food packs more diverse. There are kosher, vegetarian and halal options to choose from. Four of the 12 menu options will be strictly halal-certified. The inclusion of Kosher and vegetarian meals has been justified as “ending menu fatigue.”

The 9 News report said the changes would “meet ADF’s commitment to providing an inclusive working ­environment.” But critics point out that ADF has only less than 100 Muslims in it. There are 60,000 full timers and reserves serving in the ADF. Flaying the decision, Senator Cory Bernardi said the military has been “captured by minority interests and suspended the application of common sense.”

“Australia is not an Islamic country and our soldiers, sailors and airmen and women deserve better from the government and the politically-correct top brass,” Former Army intelligence officer Bernie Gaynor said.

There is also anguish that unregulated Halal certifiers will start getting millions of taxpayer dollars.  The Halal certifiers are already facing a Federal government enquiry.

Meanwhile, it is being pointed out that Australian army’s urge to accommodate Muslim sentiments is not new.  In 2015, the Australian Army removed the motto “In this sign conquer” from its 102-year-old hat badge. The motto was dubbed offensive to Muslims. This followed the directive of an imam who joined Religious Advisory Committee of the Services. The Daily Telegraph reported that Australian Army chaplains had been carrying the motto since 1913.

However, a Defence spokeswoman denied that allegation. She said the motto change was made to reflect the changing times. It had nothing to do with Crusades or religious sentiments. But the change drew strong reactions.

“The government must stop the political correctness. It must dismiss the Defence Imam for his views. And it must put Australia first,” said former army major Bernard Gaynor.

Originally published on www.australianetworknews.com

Halal Certification Creates More Value Than It Costs, Says Peak Food Body

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halal australiaAustralian Food and Grocery Council criticises ‘abusive anti-halal calls and mail’ directed at its members by opponents of the scheme.
Halal certification enables up to $13bn in food exports each year, according to Australia’s peak body for food and drink manufacturers, which has criticised the “abusive anti-halal calls and mail” directed at its members by opponents of the certification scheme. The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) also questioned claims that halal certification represents a “tax” on business, arguing the religious approval “creates more value than it costs”, in a submission to a Senate inquiry on third-party food certification.

But the AFGC has defended the industry, arguing that companies pay halal certification fees because “the net effect [is] beneficial”. “Put somewhat bluntly, manufacturers will only pay a dollar for a certification if they expect to get more than a dollar back in sales, whether directly or indirectly,” the AFGC said.

“If they pay a dollar and only get 80c worth of value, they will drop the certification.” A survey of AFGC members found “no single type of certification stands out as being especially costly or hard to obtain”, according to the submission.

It noted that staff at some member companies had been subject to “abusive anti-halal calls and mail” by critics of the Islamic certification. “Such behaviour should neither be encouraged nor condoned by this inquiry,” the AFGC said. All certifiers, halal and otherwise, could provide more transparency of their processes, it noted, including of whether “the certification scheme is run not-for-profit or as a commercial venture”.

The AFGC also called on Australian trade negotiators to press foreign markets to streamline their halal requirements, noting some beef exporters were having to obtain multiple halal certifications in Australia to meet different countries’ requirements. For example, Australia’s largest meat exporter, JBS Australia, spent $2.4m last year obtaining different religious approvals (but generated $3.3b in revenue).

Anti-halal sentiment briefly became prominent last year and is frequently raised by some far-right and Christian parties. A prominent anti-halal campaigner, Kirralie Smith, and the “Islam-critical” Q Society are being sued for defamation in New South Wales over their claims the Islamic certification industry is corrupt and funds “the push for Sharia law in Australia”.

The Australian Crime Commission, which last year completed an investigation into money laundering in Australia, has said it is “not aware of any direct links” between the industry and violent extremist groups. The federal agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, has warned his colleagues against “picking a fight that we never needed to have” over halal, because of the potential impact on Australian exporters.

“Unless it’s halal certified, we can’t sell it. That means the whole processing line becomes unviable,” Joyce, the deputy leader of the Nationals, said in April. “If we didn’t have the halal market in beef, that could really affect thousands of meat workers in Australia.” Tony Abbott has also defended the industry, arguing it is “just part of exporting to the Middle East, and if we want our exports to grow all the time, this is what we need to do, and I think that’s what Australians want”.

Originally published on www.theguardian.com

Australian Parliament To Support An Inquiry Into Halal Certification Of Food

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halal-food-certification-inquiryCoalition members in Australian Parliament are seeking an inquiry into the way food is certified as halal.

Halal food has been prepared according to Islamic law, and is free from pork products, alcohol and other specified ingredients.

Companies seeking to label their foods “halal” – an Arabic word for “lawful” – must pay fees to Islamic organisations for inspection and certification.

Recent figures show the halal sector could be worth $1.5 trillion worldwide by 2050.

 

However, Liberal senator Cory Bernardi said there was a lack of clarity around halal certification.

“I haven’t been able to ascertain what the cost of this religious tax is to individual companies or the overall cost to the Australian consumer,” Senator Bernardi said in a statement.

“No one has been able to explain why water, milk and cat food need halal certification.

“No one has been able to explain all the groups involved in the certification racket and where the money paid actually ends up.”

Liberal National Party MP Bruce Scott, who chairs a parliamentary committee looking at exports to the Middle East, said halal certification was crucial to jobs in rural and regional areas.

He said his coalition colleagues were not opposed to halal certification but wanted to ensure the process was above board.

“The old saying is ‘the buyer is always right’. We’ve got to make sure that we’re meeting buyer expectations and requirements for the export into those markets,” he told ABC radio.

Australia exports more than $3.4 billion of processed and unprocessed food to the Middle East each year.

Originally published on www.sbs.com.au

 

What Is Halal And How Does Certification Work?

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what-is-halal-and-how-does-certification-workSydney, Australia:- Halal food certification in Australia and other parts of the world has become a contentious issue. Recently, a Western Australian cafe received hateful and anti-Islamic messages after its owners tried to explain halal on Facebook. A South Australian company stopped certifying its yoghurt in November 2014 after it was targeted by a social media campaign. So, the question is What is Halal and how does certification work?

Recently, an independent senator Jacqui Lambie in the country threatened to introduce a private senator’s bill to close what she claims are “legal loopholes” that: … could allow financing of terrorists and Australia’s enemies through halal money.

Lambie is not the first to raise the issue in federal parliament. WA Liberal MP Luke Simpkins claimed that halal is converting unwitting consumers to Islam. LNP MP George Christensen linked halal certification to religious extremism.

Activist groups are telling consumers to boycott halal products. They also claim that the money earned by certifiying products as halal funds extremist groups and is part of a campaign to introduce sharia law in the country.

Halal food certifiers and others in the Australian Muslim community have rejected these baseless claims, and those who make them are yet to produce any  credible evidence. But a lack of transparency from certifiers, along with a fragmented marketplace and confusion over what the halal certification process involves, creates a climate of uncertainty for anti-halal campaigners and Muslim consumers alike.

What Is Halal And How Does Certification Work?

What is halal food?

Muslims choose to eat halal food because it meets requirements that they believe make it suitable for consumption. Halal originates from rules set out in the Qur’an and the Hadith (the Prophet Muhammad’s example), which have been followed throughout generations of Islamic practice.  For Muslim consumers, knowing how the food was produced is an important consideration. Raqib Chowdhury, CC BY

As a concept, halal does not only pertain to food. Halal means “permissible” and can refer to any aspect of life covered by the teachings of Islam.

Halal is a part of sharia as a system of morals to guide Muslims’ actions and behaviour, but this should not be confused with halal as part of a codified system of sharia law. Halal prescriptions might be considered by observant Muslims to be religious obligations, but Australia is a secular country and halal forms no part of any Australian law.

As with many aspects of Islamic practice, the definition of halal food is a contested issue. For example, there is disagreement within the Muslim community about whether stunning animals before slaughter produces halal meat. Both sides draw on Islamic teachings and traditions to support their positions. Disputes such as this highlight why halal certification is important for Muslim consumers.

How does halal certification work?

There are three different types of halal certification in Australia. Individual products can be certified, meaning the production process and ingredients in that particular product are halal. So a consumer could buy halal yoghurt, for example, from a store that also sold non-halal yoghurt.

Production facilities can be certified, so that any products produced according to the certification standards can claim to be halal. For example, in an abattoir that is certified to produce halal meat, the meat will be halal no matter what cuts or final shape the meat takes. However, it may not even get labelled as halal when it reaches the market.

Retail premises can also be certified so that all food prepared and sold from that business is halal.

The halal certification process varies depending on who is performing the service. This is where uncertainty creeps in. Muslim consumers are largely unable to find out exactly what process has been followed in the certification process and what standards have been set by the certification provider.

Why is halal certification needed?

Halal certification is needed in Australia for two key reasons.

Firstly, certification helps local Muslims decide which products to buy. Modern food processing and globalised markets make it hard for Muslims in Australia to know how their food was produced and where it has come from. To get around this uncertainty, consumers who want to buy halal food need a system that checks whether products meet the requirements of being halal.

In this sense, halal certification is similar to any type of food certification and audit system. Whether it be halal, kosher, gluten-free or organic, food certification services help consumers to make informed decisions about the food they eat.  Companies around the world are embracing halal to compete in the large Muslim market. Mark Ghosh/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

The second reason has to do with trade. With the global halal food trade estimated at A$1.75 trillion annually, Muslim markets provide a lucrative opportunity for Australian companies. If companies want to export their products to those markets, they need to have halal certification.

Who certifies halal food?

Certified halal products in Australia can come from two sources: domestic products that are produced locally and certified by local businesses, or imported products that have been certified overseas.

Numerous halal certifiers operate in Australia. The Department of Agriculture maintains a list of Islamic organisations that have an “Approved Arrangement” to certify halal meat for export. There are 21 such organisations operating in Australia as of November 2014.

However, Australian government regulation applies only to providers that certify meat for export. While much of this meat may end up in the domestic market, certification providers that service only the Australian market do not come under any government regulation.

While some halal certification providers are associated with, or part of, larger Australian Islamic organisations, such as the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, others are stand-alone businesses that provide local certification services.

With so much uncertainty about what constitutes halal, how products are certified and who is doing the certification, consumers who wish to buy halal food can find that a difficult task.The Conversation

So, what What Is Halal And How Does Certification Work?F or non-Muslim Australian consumers, however, halal food is little different to any other food available. It only matters whether or not food is halal if a person has the religious conviction and desire to eat only halal food. Although improvements could be made, halal certification is one way Muslims are able to do this.

Originally published on www.sciencecodex.com

World: Business On The Halal Battleground

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business-in-islamNEWS that a South Australian agribusiness had been unfairly targeted by an anti-halal organisation, and as a result almost lost a $50,000 contract, is disappointing. One of a number of anti-halal lobbyists, the Boycott Halal Facebook group urges its followers to bombard specific businesses with complaints in the hope they will cancel their halal registration.

The campaigners say halal certification fees serve as an unfair tax on non-Muslim consumers, or at worst fund terrorism. As businesses are targeted one at a time, the negative messages can be overwhelming for small companies, especially if they are posted on the social media and can be readily seen by the general public. This was the case for the Fleurieu Milk Company, which received an email asking if it was halal-accredited.

Its reply stating it was halal-accredited in order to secure a contract with a major international airline company was then shared with the Boycott Halal Facebook group, which in turn encouraged its 37,000 followers to bombard the company’s Facebook page criticising its stand. Within hours, the company decided to withdraw its halal registration for the sake of its brand and staff.

That decision triggered more outrage on social media, by those on the other side of the fence, with the company described as racist and those running it cowards for giving in. It is disheartening to see how the company has been treated, from both sides, but the positive is that so far it has kept its contract.

But it is heartening to hear that meat and livestock industry representative bodies are developing a plan to help butchers and wholesalers in the line of fire. This is particularly important because in the 12 months to September, South Australian businesses exported $839 million worth of goods to the Middle East.

Australian Meat Industry Council executive director Paul Sandercock said any links to terrorism were “tenuous” and dismissed the idea that there was a co-ordinated movement to force Australian businesses to pay for halal certification.

The guidelines are expected to be completed in the next few weeks. Hopefully they will provide some much-needed advice, so businesses do not have to face what Fleurieu Milk Company did.

Originally published on www.theland.com.au

Call To Boycott Halal Food Termed A Political Stunt By Halal Certifiers

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HALAL-CERTIFIEDHalal certifiers say consumers, whatever their religion, have nothing to fear from halal. 

One of the major halal Certifying bodies in Australia, the Islamic Coordinating Council says its role is to ensure food is prepared properly and hygienically, following Sharia law.

It comes as a Facebook page urges people to boycott halal certified products in Australia.

Bega cheese, Steggles, Parmalat and Bindaree Beef are among those who’ve found themselves the target of anti-halal campaigners. For some of them, halal accreditation has been a part of their business for decades.

“Australia is one of the biggest supplier to the Islamic world in regards to halal. It’s been like that since the beginning of the 60s,” says the chief auditor of abattoirs, Gaafar Muhammad from the Islamic Coordinating Council.

Australia exports almost a million tonnes of beef and veal, 300,000 tonnes of lamb and mutton to 110 countries throughout the world. The majority of Australia’s export meat works are certified halal.

Australia’s system of recognising halal slaughter is unique because of the Federal Government regulations. According to Almanar Consultancy, “Australia is a preferred source of halal product for an estimated 1.6 billion Muslim consumers worldwide.”

“Australia is well known for its natural methods of raising livestock and its world class standards in farm management and hygienic meat production,” said Dr Fiona Hill, of Almanar Consultancy.  “All halal meat processing operations must be licensed and monitored frequently by the Australian Government quarantine inspectors AQIS and government authorised Halal Program (AGAHP), to ensure high quality, strictly halal product.”

Fleurieu Milk and Yoghurt Company faced an attack from people who claimed the $1,000 certification fee it paid had been channelled into funding terrorism in the Middle East.  The company cited negative publicity for a decisionto end its $50,000 per year yoghurt supply deal with airline Emirates.

The group calling for the boycott, Halal Choice, was begun by Kirrily Smith 10 months ago after she suspected ‘extortion’ by the certifying bodies.

Despite not being able to offer any proof to ABC Rural, Ms Smith says demanding certification is like extortion.

“Many halal products that are halal certified are paying fees for certification that are already halal, e.g. milk, honey or nuts, yet companies are paying thousands of dollars a year.”

Ms Smith does not think even those companies seeking to find export markets for things like dairy products need certification.

“I think it reeks of extortion because Muslims worldwide know that they can consume milk …. so to ask a company to pay fees is unjust.”

She denies she’s discriminating on the basis of religion.

Christian Pastor calls for religious tolerance

Pastor Brad Chilcott says the campaign against halal food companies amounts to bullying.

As the national director of Welcome to Australia and Pastor of the Activate community in Adelaide, Pastor Chilcott says the case of the Fleurieu Milk and Yoghurt Company means a ‘$50,000 contract is lost because the words and attitudes of our leaders have created a space in which fear, hate and prejudice thrive’.

He’s called on the Prime Minister to affirm the importance of halal certification to businesses.

Halal slaughter

Shari’ah Law, meaning ‘straight path’, means the animals are healthy and free of wounds or disease, according to information compiled by the Almanar Consultancy. “It requires the animal to be slaughtered alive, not dead, with stunning,” said Gaafar Muhammad.

“Within 10 to 15 seconds, the animal should die from slaughter, (from) a severed jugular vein and trachea and the animal should die from bleeding. If the animal dies before slaughter, the skull is damaged and the animal is dead, it is non-halal, and is segregated.”

But what does footage of animal mistreatment mean to Gaafar Muhammad?  “We believe those animals are created by God for humans to eat.  “To be slaughtered this way has been a tradition of our prophet Ibrahim, and has been done this way for a very long time.

“So there is no problem of halal, except if the treatment of the animal is not done with animal welfare.” Certification costs abattoirs and food companies which seek the label for export markets.

But Gaafar Muhammad says the certification costs the abattoirs only 1 per cent of their expenses, and the money raised funds education and the mosques within Australia. He worries the anti-halal campaign is a political stunt and distorts Islam.

Asked about claims halal certification fees were being channelled towards terriorism, a spokesperson for the Federal Attorney-General’s Department said it was not government practice to comment on specific operational or investigative matters. “The government is determined to detect and disrupt terrorism financing in Australia and take action against people who provide support to terrorist organisations.

“As part of the government’s $630 million counter-terrorism package, $20 million has been provided to AUSTRAC to improve detection of terrorism financing.” 

Originally published on www.abc.net.au

Aussie Dairy Farmers Association Condemns ‘Irrational’ Anti-Halal Attack On Halal Certified Dairy Companies

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yoghurtThe Dairy Farmers Association says it is disappointed a small South Australian dairy producer did not seek its help before dropping Halal certification due to a campaign of “irrational bullying” on social media.

The Fleurieu Milk and Yoghurt Company faced an attack from people who claimed the $1,000 certification fee it paid had been channelled into funding terrorism in the Middle East.

The company cited negative publicity for a decision to end its $50,000 per year yoghurt supply deal with airline Emirates.

It said 90 per cent of the attack had been on social media but there also had been phone calls and many emails, most of the onslaught from interstate or overseas, but it was worried about possible impact on local sales.

David Basham of the Dairy Farmers Association urged any other companies which faced such pressures to enlist the help of their industry associations. …We don’t want to see them [companies] losing markets through irrational bullying campaigns. David Basham, Dairy Farmers Association

“This has come back to this small milk company, without the resources to defend themselves, they’ve decided it’s easier to walk away than actually try to defend this,” he said. “It’s particularly unfair to put that sort of pressure on a small, little milk company that’s just trying to operate … a very good business.

“Disappointingly this time, Fleurieu didn’t come to us to seek our help but we are there to help.” He said other companies might be able to learn from the attack against the Fleurieu company if they too came under such pressure.

“I would suggest they contact their industry bodies and talk to them and see whether there’s something that can be done to assist them through the process because we don’t want to see them losing markets through irrational bullying campaigns,” he said.

“I just think it’s an irrational fear that some people believe in and I think that this is just bullying. It is lifting it to a profile that is actually benefiting those who are fighting in the Middle East.”

What’s the big fuss about Halal certification?

From pies to Anzac biscuits, Halal certification is opening traditional Australian products to emerging markets. So why do some consumers object? The Bush Telegraph investigates. The Fleurieu Milk and Yoghurt Company has operated for about eight years and a chance to supply Emirates with yoghurt came up about two years ago.

It said the deal was a coup for the company and great publicity had come from it until recent days. The Islamic Society of South Australia provides local companies with food certification and says it hopes more publicity about Halal can help ease the negativity.

It said it had not seen many companies drop deals and accreditation because of anti-Halal campaigns. Under the Halal dietary requirement set out in the Koran, Muslims consider food preparation techniques as well as the ingredients.

SA Government urges Middle East business engagement

South Australia’s Investment and Trade Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith urged local exporters to keep working with the multi-million-dollar Middle Eastern market. He said they needed to resist misinformed bullying of consumers.

“I encourage South Australian exporters to put enterprise and job opportunities ahead of the extreme views of a minority,” he said.

“We need to continue building relationships with the Middle Eastern markets and broader Muslim community.

“South Australia is well placed to benefit from the growing appetite of the global Muslim community because we are leaders in the supply of premium natural products and the preparation of food.” Mr Hamilton-Smith said that in the past year SA businesses had exported $839 million of products to the Middle East and it was an incredibly important trading partner.

“Prejudice has no place in Australia. One of our key friends and trading partners Indonesia is the largest Islamic country in the world,” he said. “We should embrace these opportunities rather than exclude them.”

Originally published on www.abc.net.au

Fleurieu Milkm, Yogurt Company loses $50,000 Emirates Deal After Dropping Halal Certified Products

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Halal-certificationAn aggressive social media campaign pushing for a boycott of Halal products in Australia has forced a local company to drop the accreditation and ditch a deal that was worth $50,000 a year.  The Fleurieu Milk and Yoghurt Company came under fire last week on its social media page with people suggesting the fee it paid to become Halal-certified was being used to fund terrorism.

Sales and marketing manager Nick Hutchinson said because of the campaign and a wish to avoid negative publicity the company decided to end its yogurt supply deal with Emirates on Friday. “The publicity we were getting was quite negative and something we probably didn’t need and we decided we would pull the pin and stop supplying Emirates Airlines,” Mr Hutchison said.

“Ninety per cent of it has been social media, but I have received calls from people that are quite unhappy, I guess, about our decisions and so forth, and [we have also received] a lot of emails.” While many of these complaints came from interstate, and overseas, Mr Hutchinson said the company was worried the negativity would affect local customers.

“When our small customer base in South Australia are reading this and starting to question us we thought, yeah maybe the negatives outweigh the positive,” he said. Our farmers, they are just trying to be viable. They don’t deserve this hate mail, and neither do a lot of the other businesses that are getting it. Nick Hutchinson, Fleurieu Milk and Yoghurt Company

The company began about eight years ago, and about two years ago was presented with the opportunity to begin supplying Emirates with yoghurt. But in order to secure the contract the company had to pay a $1,000 fee to become Halal certified.

“We thought this was a great coup for the company, it would bring great publicity, great advertising and we decided to go ahead with it,” Mr Hutchinson said.  “It’s been quite successful for the company, but unfortunately over the last few days, a lot of negative publicity has come in about this Halal certification and where this money, where we are paying fees is being spent.”

Mr Hutchinson found the criticism quite harsh and said local businesses did not deserve to be bullied by these social media compaigns. “The social media laws are quite hard to police,” he said.

“You can get on there and say whatever you like in fake accounts, but what we are trying to put across is these business that you are approaching, in our case, our farmers, they are just trying to be viable. “They don’t deserve this hate mail, and neither do a lot of the other businesses that are getting it.”

Losing Emirates deal will have financial impacts

Losing the Emirates deal will impact on the business financially and Mr Hutchinson said some employees may lose some hours.

However he hoped the company could save its deal with Emirates, as its products do not contain gelatine.

I’ve received a lot of feedback to say they’re disappointed we’ve caved in to this kind of thing. We understand that, people are going to have their own opinion I guess, unless you’re in the shoes we were in. Nick Hutchinson, Fleurieu Milk and Yoghurt Company

“Milk as a dairy product does not have to be Halal certified by law, and neither does yog
urt, which we were supplying, unless it contains gelatine,” he said.  “Now our yoghurt doesn’t contain gelatine so we can definitely argue the fact that it doesn’t need to be certified for Emirates [but] they play it safe. Anything that goes on their planes needs to be certified, so if they’re asked, they can automatically answer ‘yes’.

“What we are going to try and do is get our products tested, get some certificates that prove that our products don’t contain gelatine and try to continue to supply Emirates, if they’ll give us permission without the certification, but I mean that is unlikely.” Now that the company has announced it will drop its Halal accreditation, Mr Hutchinson said he had received feedback from people who were disappointed the company had “caved in” to social media bullying.

“I’ve received a lot of feedback to say they’re disappointed we’ve caved in to this kind of thing,” he said. “We understand that, people are going to have their own opinion I guess, unless you’re in the shoes we were in.”

Attacks fall under ‘Islamophobia’

The Islamic Society of South Australia, which provides companies with Halal certification, say the attacks against Halal products fall under the banner of “Islamophobia”.  The society’s Dr Waleed Alkhazrajy believed more explanation of Halal would ease the negativity.

What’s the big fuss about Halal certification?

“We are happy as well to help these companies engage in discussion or explanation for these members of the community that send these negative remarks and we say ‘look this is what it is, this what the process is’ and I’m sure that will alleviate their concerns or misunderstanding,” Dr Alkhazrajy said.

Dr Alkhazrajy said he did not think the attacks would take hold, and had not seen many companies drop their accreditation because of the anti-Halal campaigns.

“In fact, to a certain extent there is a boom because of the export of Australian products to south-east Asia, especially to Indonesia and Malaysia,” Dr Alkhazrajy said.

“Malaysia is taking a lot of food products from Australia and the companies that are exporting to these regions, they have increased their request for certifying their products.

“I don’t think there has been an increase in negative sentiments to these companies.”

Halal, in reference to food, is the dietary standard set out for Muslims in the Koran.

It governs food preparation techniques, as well the foods and ingredients that can be consumed under Islamic rules.

Originally published on www.abc.net.au

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