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32 :: January+February 2010
Science = Religion
Why we need to connect them
ANIMAL FOOD Know what goes into your meat & poultry
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LIVING h ISLAMIC SPORTS & RECREATION h A WALK IN BRUSSELS h RESTAURANT REVIEW: MEATWORKS, KUALA LUMPUR h Movie & book review : The kite runner
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HALAL BUSINESS CHECKLIST Key elements to propel your venture
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contents | January+February 2010
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22} Science=Religion
Why we need to connect them
28} HALAL PHARMACEUTICALS Understand the intricacies of this industry
42} HALAL BUSINESS CHECKLIST Key elements to propel your venture
47} FASTRACK ASIA Halal developments in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao
36} ANIMAL FOOD Know what goes into your meat & poultry
46} FASTRACK ASIA Halal gourmet sandwiches now gets delivered to your doorstep
52} ISLAMIC FINANCE Islamic Foreign Exchange Swap as a hedging mechanism
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contents
Ed’s Note 2009 came and went bringing with it many challenging and interesting events globally affecting all and now we welcome 2010 with hopes of a brighter future. The tide is changing for many and the same can be said with The Halal Journal, revamped and improved to open your mind to a whole new world of contemporary Halal business and lifestyle. The cover story this issue is Islam and science, focusing on historical, philosophical and technical aspects to encourage ethical researches and innovations in modern scientific practices and technologies for a sustainable future.
“FAMA’s Market Development Programme for SMEs sets forth to transform their product image from being perceived as low class and of inferior quality to one of high quality, authentic traditional delicacies.” Dato’ Mohamed Shariff Abdul Aziz, Director General, Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA), Malaysia
We peek into the complex world of Halal pharmaceuticals. Over the years, the pharmaceutical industry has grown with numerous product offerings for the purpose of preserving our well-being, but for Halal pharmaceutical, many factors hinders its growth, such as the complexities with Shariah compliant ingredients. We feature in this issue Dr. Mahvash Hussain-Gambles of the Saaf International Ltd, who outlines the intricacies of the Halal pharmaceutical industry in simple terms. Ever wondered what goes into the meat and poultry we eat? Read about animal feed and Halal meat by Dr. Hani Mansour Mosa Al-Mazeedi (Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research) and Dr. Muhammad Munir Chaudry (Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America) on p36. Our feature country takes you to a confluence of economics, politics and cultures in the tropical paradise of Maldives on p48. The Islamic Finance section features a contract that is designed as a hedging tool to minimise market participants’ exposure to volatile fluctuating currency exchange rates. Digest the Islamic Foreign Exchange Swap by Dr. Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki of the International Shariah Research Academy for Islamic Finance on p52.
Regulars 08} Global News A brief insight into events currently shaping the Halal industry around the globe + Calendar of Events + Online Polls 48} Country in Focus The Tropical Paradise of Maldives – A confluence of culture, economics and politics
Living 61} FEATURE COVER Islamic sports & recreation for a sound mind, body & soul 66} journey Walking through the streets of Brussels 72} Browsing MeatWorks, Kuala Lumpur in Restaurant Review; Toufic Farroukh in Music; The Kite Runner in Books and Films; and Photojournalism 80} parting words Dato’ Mohamed Shariff Abdul Aziz, Director General, Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA), Malaysia
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Islam throughout the years always encourages and prescribes mankind to partake in sports and recreational activities for a healthier mind, body and soul. Read about recommended sports and recreation in the Islamic faith in the Living section on p61. Do drop us your comments on the new look and its contents by sending an email to info@halaljournal.com. We hope this edition provides a refreshing outlook for the start of a blessed new year for you!
The Halal Journal Team
the Heart of T he Halal Jour nal
Halal refers to that which the Creator has made lawful. Its opposite Haram, refers to what is forbidden. The realm of Halal extends beyond the obvious references to food and touches on all matters relating to human life. In the commercial arena, all goods and services, market transactions, currencies and other activities come under the judgments of Halal and Haram. These parameters include protecting the environment, humane treatment for animals, ethical investments, the intrinsic value of currencies, and fairness in all commercial transactions. The global Halal market is now a new economic sector, and we believe it will be one of the great market forces in the coming decades.
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Compiled by Zaahira Muhammad
AUSTRALIA
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
SYDNEY KOSHER KITCHEN GOES HALAL A Lubavitch-run kosher community kitchen gained Halal certification. Our Big Kitchen in Sydney, run by the Yeshiva Centre, received Halal certification on Wednesday in the presence of New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees, who learned to make challah during his visit. The kitchen has been used to help feed the needy as well as for emergency service. Sophie Abuta, a Palestinian Australian whose husband donated the kitchen tiles, said she hoped the kitchen would help Jews and Palestinians “cook our way to peace.” Ikebal Patel, the chairman of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, also was in attendance along with Rabbi Pinchus Feldman, the spiritual leader of Chabad in New South Wales, and the heads of the kashrut and Halal certification boards. The kitchen was founded by Brooklyn-born Rabbi Dovid Slavin in 2007. Among the numerous dignitaries who have visited are Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Governor-General Quentin Bryce.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA AIMS FOR HALAL INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP Three years ago, the Halal Certification Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) was formed, and since then, has made it among the world’s top five agencies of this type (out of 180) and one of the leading in Europe. The Halal industry is believed to have a lot of potential globally, and BH aims for a leading position. The Agency’s director Nermin Hadzic said the most important Halal producers in the country opted for certification three years ago. A group of Halal certificate holders in BH will be formed with the Chamber of Foreign Trade (VTK) within the next 15 days, a representative of the Halal Europe Association has announced, in an effort to further the Halal business in BH. The Agency has certified 42 enterprises and more than 1,500 products so far from the area of BH, Croatia and Serbia.
|SOURCE: JTA, 15 OCTOBER 2009
|SOURCE: PIONEER-INVESTORS. COM, 2 OCTOBER 2009
MALAYSIA
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
HALAL BEEF ARRIVES FROM CHINA Halal beef slaughtered by the HaoYue Halal Meat Company and monitored by two officials from the Halal Food Controller Unit, Ministry of Religious Affairs, arrived at the Mulaut Abattoir Sdn Bhd, located at its Ar-Ridha building in Jalan Kilanas Mulaut, yesterday. The 70 tonnes of beef, which were stored in four containers, are sufficient to satisfy local demand, especially for the Hari Raya Aidil Adha celebration in November. Two officials from the Halal Food Controller Unit and an official from the Mulaut Abattoir Sdn Bhd were present at the Muara Portto to declare the importation of Halal beef to four Royal Customs officers that checked the documentation and supervised the unlocking of the storage containers. Another shipment of Halal beef from the HaoYue Halal Meat Company is expected soon, according to the Assistant General Manager of Mulaut Abattoir Sdn Bhd, Pengiran Haji Imran bin Pengiran Sabli. |SOURCE: BRUDIRECT, 15 OCTOBER 2009
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BIOTECHNOLOGY-BASED TANJUNG MANIS HALAL HUB WILL BE ECO-FRIENDLY The Tanjung Manis Halal Hub will rely on biotechnology principles for its food production and processing industries, and would be an ecofriendly development. Pioneer investor, Sea Party International (SPI) Group from Taiwan had laid out a good plan, focusing on developing very healthy and Halal products while at the same time protecting the environment, particularly against chemical pollution. The SPI Group is involved in organic farming using algae and also fish and prawn aquaculture. |SOURCE: BERNAMA, 8 OCTOBER 2009
MALAYSIA
BRITTANY GATEWAY FOR MALAYSIA TO HALAL MARKET IN EUROPE Malaysia is targeting Brittany in western France as the gateway to penetrate the USD40 billion
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“Benefiq, a private limited company incorporated in Singapore, is the Asian representative of Glon Groupe – one of France’s leading food companies with an annual turnover of EUR1.65 billion. Through the MOU, the Halal industry will have access to breakthrough technology that leads in traceability and sustainability from ‘farm to fork’.”
Halal food market in Europe. Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Seri Jamil Bidin, said, the company hoped to provide a platform for Malaysian companies to break into the European Halal market. He added that the potential for the Halal market was enormous, as France had the biggest Muslim population in Europe. He said, after a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony between HDC and Benefiq Pte Ltd in Paris, that although the number may be small compared with Islamic countries, their purchasing power is very much higher. Benefiq, a private limited company incorporated in Singapore, is the Asian representative of Glon Groupe – one of France’s leading food companies with an annual turnover of EUR1.65 billion. Through the MOU, the Halal industry will have access to breakthrough technology that leads in traceability and sustainability from farm to fork. Through the collaboration, French companies would also be able to use Malaysia as a base to penetrate the Asian market. Jamil said, Benefiq’s vast experience in the agricultural sector and HDC’s knowledge of the Halal industry would forge a winning partnership for both parties. Benefiq’s primary focus will be to position Malaysia
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as a strategic hub and centre of excellence for the Halal market in Asia and the rest of the world. |SOURCE: THE STAR ONLINE, 9 OCTOBER 2009
MALAYSIA
CHICKING SPREADS ITS WINGS TO MALAYSIA ChicKing, a fast growing food chain that is on a global expansion mode, will soon serve its spicy crunchy chicken blend with herbs to Malaysian consumers. A.K. Mansoor, an Indian entrepreneur who established ChicKing Fried Chicken, has ambitious plans to make it a global brand by opening another 200 outlets by 2012. Currently, he owns 20 restaurants, mainly in West Asia and India. They decided to open three outlets in Kuala Lumpur before March next year as part of their global expansion plan and also because Malaysia is a good market for fried chicken. The company, headquartered in Dubai, plans to spend about RM400, 000 to establish each outlet as a family dining destination in Kuala Lumpur and later expand operations on the franchise model. ChicKing was first started in the UAE in 2000 under Banquet Foods International – part of the Dubaibased Al Bayan Group of Companies – and quickly established its footprint overseas. Besides Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia are on Mansoor’s expansion roadmap in the region. For fast food consumers, ChicKing also offers a range of delicacies on its menu like crunchy chicken, burger and fish. |SOURCE: BERNAMA, 6 OCTOBER 2009
CUBA
CUBA HOPES TO STRENGTHEN BILATERAL TIES WITH MALAYSIA Cuba, an island country in the Caribbean, wants to strengthen bilateral ties with Malaysia, especially in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors to help boost a two-way trade. Cuban Ambassador to Malaysia, Carlos A. Amores, said the country, with over 11 million population, was well entrenched in the pharmaceutical field and it was
keen in promoting its products in Malaysia. Geographic distance has affected the Cuba-Malaysia trade, but we are focusing on long-term partnership to jointly develop products and research in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. Cuba has worked together with Malaysia for a long time on the Halal vaccine against meningitis, and hopes to attract more Malaysian companies to cooperate and market their products in Cuba. He said, last year, trade between the two countries amounted to USD1 million, dominated by vaccines and cigars (among others) imports from Cuba. He said Malaysia had also contributed a lot to Cuban society and helped in exporting their products to Malaysia through the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme. Currently, Cuban exports to Malaysia consist of Hepatitis B vaccine and cigar while it imports from Malaysia, mostly food, furniture and computer products. |SOURCE: BERNAMA, 21 OCTOBER 2009
JAPAN
KYOTO UNIVERSITY CAFETERIA TO START PROVIDING ISLAMIC FOOD Kyoto University Co-op said that it will start providing food permissible under Islamic law at the university’s cafeteria to meet the needs of the increasing number of Muslim students on campus. The cafeteria will introduce a Halal food corner from Tuesday, avoiding pork and seasonings of pork origin, which Muslims are banned from eating. The new menus include chicken and croquettes made of broad beans, Kyodo News said. More than 1,000 Muslims live in the city of Kyoto, many of them said to be Kyoto University students and their families. The rare introduction is aimed at supporting such Muslim students, whose population is expected to rise under the university’s plans to increase the number of foreign students it accepts. While the co-op had said it had problems in arranging a cooking environment to avoid mixing pork and porkThe Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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related seasonings with Halal food, it has solved the issue by preparing the food at different hours. |SOURCE: BERNAMA, 6 OCTOBER 2009
MALAYSIA
MISC LAUNCHES SECOND HALAL SERVICE MISC has begun the second of its Halal Express services, operating six 4500 teu vessels on a 42-day round voyage between Dammam and Japan. The line launched the first service in 2006 using four 1200 teu ships, and emphasised its compliance with Islamic standards for foodstuffs. The service comes despite the heavy lay-up of MISC vessels, which has about 40 per cent of its fleet, or 41,000 teu of capacity, idle. The Halal 2 service on its westbound rotation stops at Yokohama, Nagoya, Shanghai, Xiamen, Singapore, Port Klang, Colombo, Nhava Sheva and Jebel Ali. Eastbound, the vessels are calling Jebel Ali, Dammam, Karachi, Port Klang, Singapore and Yokohama. |SOURCE: LLOYD’S LIST DAILY COMMERCIAL NEWS, 2 OCTOBER 2009
NEW ZEALAND
ONLY HALAL-CERTIFIED MEAT SERVED TO PRISONERS All 8,500 prisoners in the New Zealand prison system eat Halal-certified meat, despite only 82 prisoners identifying themselves as Muslims. For a meat processor to be Halal certified, meat must be slaughtered by Muslims and cannot be contaminated by alcohol or porcine products. Corrections rehabilitation general manager, Phil McCarthy, confirmed in response to an Official Information Act request, the department had bought
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meat from a Halal-accredited supplier since 2005. The department took 23 working days to respond to the Otago Daily Times request. Mr. McCarthy said the department had a national supply agreement with Napier-based Bay Cuisine Ltd. Following a 2004 national menu review, it was decided tenders for the meat contract needed to have Halal certification. It did not cost the department more to buy food from a Halal-accredited supplier, despite extra costs associated with Halal certification. New Zealand Islamic Meat Management and the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand provide Halal certification in New Zealand. A federation spokesman said it costs up to $2000 for a meat processing company to be Halal-certified. After certification, the premises were checked by a supervisor about every fortnight. The certification was also renewed every year. Mr McCarthy said the department, when providing food, made allowances, “as far as practicable in the circumstances”, for the religious and spiritual needs of prisoners.
Prisoners could choose a vegetarian or vegan menu, or a non-pork diet, he said. The Department of Corrections acknowledges that food is an important part of the religious observances of many prisoners and endeavours to meet their needs by the provision of alternative options to the standard menu. The department needed large volumes of food and could therefore reduce costs through economies of scale. |SOURCE: OTAGO DAILY TIMES, 9 OCTOBER 2009
PAKISTAN
PAKISTAN OFFERS TO BEEF UP BUFFALO RESEARCH IN MALAYSIA Pakistan is willing to undertake joint research with Malaysia to beef up the local buffalo industry. This includes the export of live animals and semen for artificial breeding. Pakistani High Commissioner, Lt General (Rtd) Tahir Mahmud Qazi, said in a statement on Tuesday, he made the offer to Malaysia’s Veterinary Director-General, Datuk Dr Abd Aziz Jamaluddin, in a meeting here last week. He also sought Malaysia’s cooperation to speed
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up the process of Halal certification of meat products imported from Pakistan. Pakistan has 29 million buffaloes of the Nili Ravi Breed species. |SOURCE: BERNAMA, 6 OCTOBER 2009
UNITED KINGDOM
NEW SHARIA.COM LAUNCHED TO HELP POOR MUSLIMS Sharia.com is a new online social business which aims to help poor Muslims get out of poverty and hunger via trade and commerce. Sharia.com allows poor Muslims from around the world as well as other poor communities to list and display their products and services for sale, for free. Buyers from the local area as well as worldwide are encouraged to trade with the poor, so they can earn an income and get out of poverty with dignity and pride. Aid and charity to date have largely failed poor Muslims around the world. The Sharia. com team have applied their knowledge and experience of leading edge technologies and the internet to launch this venture. They now want all better off people to meet their social responsibility to the poor by trading with them via Sharia.com. All Muslims should start trading via Sharia.com so that it gains popularity and becomes a useful tool to address the issue of poverty and hunger. If you have equipment and machinery which is required in the poor countries, list it at a discounted price. Anyone with second hand, reconditioned items or unwanted items which will help the poor can list it at a nominal price or better still offer it for free, if you can. In addition, individuals and groups are encouraged
All Muslims should start trading via Sharia.com so that it gains popularity and becomes a useful tool to address the issue of poverty and hunger.
to join in the effort with Sharia. com by becoming volunteers, interns, supporting members, cyber activists/warriors, journalist supporters, IT Geek supporters. |SOURCE: PRESS RELEASE, 6 OCTOBER 2009
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
AL ISLAMI LAUNCHES MO’MEN IN UAE Al Islami Foods, a leading Halal food producer, has launched Egyptbased Mo’men’s chain of fast food restaurants in the UAE. The first Mo’men outlet started operations at the launch ceremony held in Sharjah on 13 October. Al Islami plans to open 20 outlets of Mo’men across the UAE in the next three years, a statement said. Al Islami
business portfolio that will support to strengthen Mo’men includes meat shop, a fresh and Halal meat store network, Al Islami cart on-thego sandwiches and hotdogs kiosk and a franchise system for young entrepreneurs to acquire, ready-toeat (RTE) product range, as well as Green’s, a vegetable and fruit range, and Aladdin, a kids food range. Saleh Abdullah Lootah, the CEO at Al Islami Foods said Mo’men-Al Islami synergises the like-minded business approaches that will be capitalised to consolidate the company’s hospitality portfolio. The new franchise propels Al Islami hospitality and QSR business to reach the multi-ethnic customer base of the UAE. Mohammed Mo’men, the chairman of Mo’men Group, said: “We are seeing strong signs of economic recovery after the severe financial downturn. The UAE is recovering fast, which makes it the most suitable business hub for us. Among several franchise enquiries, we found Al Islami the most suitable partners for our brand – Mo’men. This partnership has been created to broaden the geographical reach of
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Calendar of Events Halal food benefits. Yusuf Remadan, General Manager of Mo’men UAE, said, “Personally, knowing the brand from my Egyptian roots, I am extremely optimistic that the brand will have a strong attraction to many consumers. We offer unique products, complete meals, and ensure taste at attractive prices.”
“China’s export of Halal foods is only 0.1 per cent of the world total, so our goal is to make further headway into the global market. We are eyeing Islamic countries in the Middle East, and also Singapore and Malaysia.”
|SOURCE: TRADE ARABIA NEWS SERVICE, 13 OCTOBER 2009
CHINA
CHINA’S NINGXIA PROVINCE SEEKS TRADE TIES WITH MUSLIM COUNTRIES China’s vast interior and western provinces have often lagged behind their wealthier coastal and southern counterparts. One such province, Ningxia, however, hopes to catch up economically, by forging closer trade ties with other Islamic countries. It is one of China’s poorest provinces. Of its population of six million, 35 per cent are Hui, all of whom are Muslims. For years, Ningxia was reluctant to tap on its Islamic connections. But that has now changed, as it seeks to build closer economic ties with Muslim countries. Yuan Jinglin, Director of Ningxia Development and Reform Commission, said: “Ningxia has obvious competitive advantages - greater economic activity and trade will help build closer ties with other Islamic nations, and it will also be mutually beneficial.” By holding trade fairs, Ningxia hopes to establish itself as an international hub for Halal food and Muslim commodities. There are wool and cashmere products, traditional Islamic clothing and accessories. Even household items, like toothpaste and vases, are targeted at Muslim consumers. But it is the lucrative global Islamic food business that has attracted the most interest. Hadijah Li Shuxiang, director of Fa Li De Islamic Food, said: “China’s export of Halal foods is only 0.1 per cent of the world total, so our goal is to make further headway into the global market. We are eyeing Islamic countries in the The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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Middle East, and also Singapore and Malaysia.” Despite its large Muslim community, Ningxia has been somewhat isolated from the other Muslim communities elsewhere. Recent attempts to build closer economic ties with other Islamic countries are clear attempts to tap on its natural advantage as well as to speed up its somewhat backward development. Analysts say stronger economic ties with Islamic countries will forge a greater sense of international community among Muslims in the region. Some even argue that growing trade ties will allow Chinese Muslims to rediscover Islam. China’s move to build on its Islamic connections could mean that it is no longer acceptable for interior provinces to remain economically backward, or that China has become fairly confident in its policies on religion and ethnic minorities. |SOURCE: CHANNELNEWSASIA.COM, 15 OCTOBER 2009
PAKISTAN
MUSLIM COUNTRIES URGED TO EXPORT HALAL FOOD Despite huge potential, Muslim countries especially Pakistan, continue to overlook the importance of Halal food standardisation and exports, said Masood Khawaja, President of Halal Food Authority (HFA). He said Muslim countries import much and export less to European countries and this imbalance sometimes goes up to 80 per cent compared to 20 per cent exports to Europe. “Our inspectors who have experience in inspection of food products in Europe have come to Pakistan and they are fairly satisfied with the operations of some slaughterhouses here complying with international standards,” he said, adding that there is a lot that has to be done in Pakistan for Halal food. He was speaking to the media at the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday. European countries do not accept products from Muslim countries because the products contain imported ingredients that may or may not observe international standards, and it is the same in the case of Pakistan, he added. Halal food also means food that is fit for human consumption; hence, it fulfils all the international hygiene standards, said Khawaja, adding that Bhombal Group has recently joined HFA to offer Halal food certification in Pakistan. |SOURCE: THE NEWS PAKISTAN, 15 OCTOBER 2009
The Halal Journal Partner Event 4 – 7th February 2010 HALALISTEXPO 2010 Istanbul Yesilkoy Exhibition Centre Istanbul, Turkey Atilim Fairs & Org. Tel: +90 212 273 1818 Fax: +90 212 273 1819 Email: info@halalistexpo.com Website: www.halalistexpo.com 21st – 24th February 2010 Gulfood 2010 Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre Dubai, UAE Dubai World Trade Centre L.L.C., Tel: +971 4 308 6081 Fax: +971 4 318 8607 Email: gulfood@dwtc.com Website: www.gulfood.com 23rd – 26th February 2010 Ingredients Middle East 2010 Airport Expo Dubai Dubai, UAE Dubai World Trade Centre L.L.C., Tel: +971 4 308 6081 Fax: +971 4 318 8607 Email: ingredientsme@dwtc.com Website: www.ingredientsme.com 12 – 16th May 2010 World of Halal 2010 IMPACT Exhibition Center Bangkok, Thailand Koelnmesse Pte Ltd Tel: +65 6500 6712 Fax: +65 6294 8403 Email: l.how@koelnmesse.com.sg Website: www.world-of-halal.com 18 – 20th May 2010 World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) 2010 Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia WIEF Foundation Tel: +603 2145 5500 Fax: +603 2145 5504 Website: www.wief.org 24 – 28th May 2010 Halal Capital Markets Conference 2010 London, United Kingdom Halal Finance & Capital Markets Ltd Tel: +44 20 8731 4363 Fax: +44 20 8731 4344 Website: www.halalcapitalmarkets.com 3rd – 6th June 2010 Brunei International Halal Products Expo 2010 International Convention Centre Berakas, Brunei Darussalam Sunlit Advertising Sdn Bhd Tel: +673 245 3666 Fax: +673 245 3777 Email: sales@sunlitadvertising.com Website: www.bruneihalalexpo.com 5 – 6th June 2010 5th International Halal Market Conference International Convention Centre Berakas, Brunei Darussalam Imarat Consultants Email: salama@imaratconsultants.com Website: www.ihmcbrunei.com
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global news | events highlights
– Kuala Lumpur
KLIFF 2009 received 1,000 participants The Kuala Lumpur Islamic Finance Forum (KLIFF) 2009 has been successfully held on 2-6 November 2009 in Hotel Nikko, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Organised by the Centre for Research and Training (CERT) in collaboration with the Malaysian Takaful Association (MTA), Messrs Hisham, Sobri & Kadir (HSK), and the International Institute of Islamic Finance (IIIF), the forum was attended by more than 1,000 participants which include professionals from the Islamic finance industry such as regulatory authorities, Shariah scholars, bankers, legal practitioners, Takaful operators, consultants, and academicians. The first day started with the KLIFF Shariah Forum. The keynote speech for the opening ceremony was delivered by YB Dato’ Seri Hj Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Minister of Finance II, Ministry of Finance Malaysia, which attracted a crowd of 300 people. The one-day conference’s primary focus was on Shariah issues of Islamic banking and finance The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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by renowned Shariah scholars. The participants consist of local, regional as well as international speakers and delegates who have special interest in Islamic banking and finance. Among them are Sheikh Nizam Yaquby (Shariah Scholar, Bahrain), Sheikh Abd Sattar Abu Ghuddah (Kuwait), Dato’ Mokhtar Syafii (Shariah Advisor, Takaful Ikhlas), Dr. Mohd Daud Bakar (CEO of International Institute of Islamic Finance), Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad (Former Chief Justice of Malaysia), and Tan Sri Sheikh Ghazali Hj Abdul Rahman. On the second day, the Prime Minister (PM) of Malaysia, YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak officiated the KLIFF Main Forum. This is the third time the PM (previously as Deputy Prime Minister) officiated the conference for the Kuala Lumpur Islamic Finance Forum which was attended by almost 500 guests and participants. The Malaysian Prime Minister was accompanied by Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar, CEO of Maybank Berhad, and
Encik Abdul Aziz Abdul Jalal, CEO of CERT, to deliver the keynote address in this event. The KLIFF Islamic Finance Awards Dinner was held on 3 November 2009. It was officiated by YB Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department. Three award categories have been established; the objectives were to recognise, reward and encourage activities that lead to the promotion of outstanding work and performance in the fields of Islamic banking and finance by key players in this industry. Among the recipients are MAA Takaful, Maybank Islamic Berhad, Public Mutual Berhad, and Bursa Malaysia. Meanwhile, The Takaful Rendezvous 2009 was held on the 5th and 6th of November
2009 in conjunction with KLIFF 2009. The two-day programme started with a one-day conference at Hotel Nikko. The conference commenced with the Opening Ceremony by YB Dato’ Dr. Awang Adek Husin, the Deputy Minister of Finance, Ministry of Finance Malaysia. More than 250 participants took part in the conference, which includes professionals from the industry, lawyers, academicians and the public. Among the speakers at the conference were, Mr. Dawood Taylor of Prudential, Saudi Arabia, Mr. A. Rushdi Siddiqui of Thomson Reuters USA, Dr. Engku Rabiah Adawiah of Shariah Advisory Council, Bank Negara Malaysia, Dr. John Lee of KPMG Business Advisory, and many others.
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T HE PREMIER GLOBAL HALAL INDUS T RY EVEN T
The 5th World Halal Forum 2010
Call for papers
The World Halal Forum is acknowledged as the foremost gathering of Halal industry leaders from all over the world, all converging in Kuala Lumpur every year to discuss issues within the global Halal industry. This makes it an excellent platform to share ideas, raise concerns and suggest opportunities so as to chart the future growth and development of the Halal industry. We therefore invite all individuals and corporations to contribute to the development of the global Halal market by submitting proposed papers to be presented during the WHF 2010.
Submission deadline: 15th March 2010 For more info, log on to www.worldhalalforum.org or call the WHF Secretariat at +6 03 6203 1025
www . w o r l d h a l a l f o r u m . o r g
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global news | events highlights
– Kuala Lumpur
World Halal Forum successful at first regional excursion On 17 and 18 November 2009, the World Halal Forum (WHF) was held outside Malaysia for the first time since its inception in 2006. Europe was the stage chosen because of its sizeable Muslim population in search of Halal-certified foods. Non-Muslims there, too, are receptive to Halal products which all add up to a multi billion dollar business with room for growth. Awareness of Halal products and certification has increased in Europe over the last few years. Advertising campaigns on Halal products certification and labels are also on the rise particularly in France which has about five million Muslims. “Everyone now wants a slice of the Halal market,” said Dr. Cedomir Nestorovic, a professor at the ESSEC Business School of Paris in France. “Halal is now regarded as a big thing in Europe and is no longer taboo in the media and other advertising mediums.” Speaking at the recent WHF Europe 2009, Dr. Cedomir said, “The Halal industry was growing and competition in the industry was becoming fiercer by the day. Great growth potential was evident as Halal products and services were not only limited to Muslim consumers but had gained acceptance among non-Muslims who perceived such products as having undergone stringent inspection and quality controls.” Europe, with a Muslim population of 51.2 million, has The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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the third largest concentration of Muslims after Asia and Africa, and the size of the Halal food market in Europe is estimated to reach USD6.7 billion this year. The higher purchasing power of European Muslims and the growing number of educated Muslims in the labour market have contributed towards the strong growth of Halal food consumption while the trade potential is rapidly increasing. Held at the World Forum Convention Centre in The Hague, Netherlands, the first WHF Europe 2009 was organised by KasehDia Sdn Bhd – the company which established the World Halal Forum. Germany’s Intertek Food Services president, Dr. Jochen P. Zoller, said, “Halal was not just about non-alcoholic or non-
porcine food, but about actual values of Halal as prescribed in the Quran and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.).” Dr. Zoller also said, “Halal equalled clean, hygienically handled, nutritious, good quality, and safe. The trend of producing Halal products has been picked up by large corporations like Nestlé GSK and Carrefour. There’s a huge potential in consumer food products and now it has expanded to personal care, healthcare, and pharmaceutical products. Halal is an economy by itself.” With participation by key industry players from 33 countries and strong representation from Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the United States, and Australia, WHF Europe also addressed controversial issues related to the industry.
The founder and managing director of World Halal Forum and KasehDia, Hajjah Jumaatun Azmi, said, “The forum gave participants the opportunity to lay down all issues relating to the industry including Halal slaughter methods which had proved controversial and was a major issue of debate in Europe. Animal rights groups have concerns mainly about the method of slaughter and the pain felt by the animals and also about animal welfare during rearing and transportation.” Britain’s Farm Animal Welfare Council member, Dr. Michael Appleby, said, “Animals should be rendered unconscious or sedated before being slaughtered. This could be done via stunning or electrocution.” He also suggested that new methods be researched such as cooling the neck area to
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What the students who participated at WHF Europe said: “Many issues were raised during the WHF Europe 2009, from Halal supply chain, to animal slaughter, to fair trade, to standards and accreditation. Unfortunately, two days was not enough to cover such a wide scope, but it is a good start. I believe that the first step would be to bring everybody to a common level. And then we will be able to develop rules and standards that can be a guideline for companies with keen interest in the Halal market. It is only the beginning, but more people are becoming more interested to be a part of this market. Many thanks to KasehDia for actively promoting Halal and for highlighting the trends, supply and demand of the market by organising the World Halal Forum seriously since 2006.” – Atif Qureshi, France
“Halal equalled clean, hygienically handled, nutritious, good quality, and safe. The trend of producing Halal products has been picked up by large corporations like Nestlé GSK and Carrefour.” Dr. Jochen P. Zoller
reduce pain during slaughter. “The forum understood and took note of these issues and resolved to collaborate with academic researchers and other experts in investigating methods to minimise pain and distress at the time of slaughter,” said Hajjah Jumaatun. She added, “Islam is a balanced way of life. For Muslims the privilege of supplementing their diet with animal protein implies a duty to animal welfare both during the rearing and slaughter of the animal.” The two-day conference ended with delegates unanimously passing a resolution, which recognised the importance of animal welfare in the production of Halal food especially in the context of religious slaughter. The forum also resolved that
organisations and communities involved in Halal food production explore ways to reduce pain, distress, and other welfare problems in the sourcing and treatment of animals during rearing, transport, and slaughter. The forum also endeavoured to collaborate with academic researchers and other experts in investigating the welfare implication and acceptability of different practices including preslaughter methods of restraint and applications to minimise pain and distress at the time of slaughter. The forum resolved to work towards a European Halal Regulations and Accreditation system, starting with a single country as a pilot project with the country proposed being the United Kingdom.
“I was delighted to attend the World Halal Forum in November 2009 under the leadership and initiative of the organisers, KasehDia Sdn Bhd, and the host, International Halal Integrity (IHI) Alliance. I had the opportunity to take part in this two-day event, which was an exceptional meeting, with nearly 31 delegations from all over the world: Germany, USA, France, Malaysia, and Indonesia, to name a few. Participants also included non-Muslims, and this was very refreshing. The participants were from various backgrounds, from governments, companies operating in Halal products, associations, certification agencies, industry experts, scientists and researchers. From the forum, I gathered that Halal products are not only for Muslims, and that Halal is safe and healthy for all. The most important problem is not the image of Halal but the certification of the products. The existence of many certifying bodies that does not recognise one another confuses the consumers. The question is how to attract consumer confidence and trust? The forum was generally well-organised, but it was a pity that there were no presentations by any representatives from consumer associations at this important event. However, I believe that IHI Alliance’s initiative in developing an International Halal Standard is admirable as it is necessary, and it promotes the development of Halal at a global scale. I hope IHI Alliance will succeed in completing the development of an International Halal Standard, which will hopefully benefit the consumers as well.” – Nawel Dehiri, Masters Student in Marketing at the ISC Paris School of Management The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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IHI Alliance news + updates
IHI ALLIANCE IN SARAJEVO In August 2009, IHI Alliance made its way to Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the second technical committee meeting on Food Processing module. Led by CEO, Darhim Hashim, together with Senior Manager of Standards and Systems, Dino Khalid, the IHI Alliance delegates received a warm welcome at the Malaysian embassy when both made a courtesy call on Ambassador H.E. Zulkifli Adnan. Ambassador Zulkifli was briefed on IHI Alliance’s Halal mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and its role to harmonise the Halal industry globally. This was followed by a brief meeting with Amer Bukvic, CEO of Bosna Bank International – the only Islamic bank in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The second technical committee meeting for the food processing modules was jointly hosted by the Agency for Halal Quality Certification, the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some of Europe’s most prominent figures, including Hasib Salkic, the Executive Director of Halal Europe, Edlin Asceric, the General Secretary of Halal Serbia, and the Reis Ulama of Macedonia, Hadzi Jakup Selimovski, were all present at the meeting. Amir Sakic, Director of the Agency for Halal Quality Certification, the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, delivered a welcome remark and the meeting was declared open by the Malaysian Ambassador. The food processing module was initiated in February 2009 at Gulfood in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and this time around taken to Europe to further discuss the content of its development. Among the issues deliberated was the risks and exposure along the whole Halal supply chain and the role of Halal critical control point (HCCP) in monitoring steps taken to prevent any non-Halal contamination. Fifty five participants attended the technical meeting representing the certification bodies, industry players and government agencies from Bosnia and Herzegovina and some parts of Europe (Turkey, Switzerland, Germany and Serbia). The meeting also attracted media coverage from Bosnian Hayat TV, FTV Bosnia, TVSA Bosnia, Radio of Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIR Radio) and Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RTV BiH). Throughout the meeting, IHI Alliance gained some valuable inputs from the experience shared by the participants. Although Bosnia Herzegovina is not a Muslim majority country, IHI Alliance witnessed a high level of integrity in Halal practice and compliance being implemented all over the country Those involved in Halal auditing were able to share their own experiences with challenges in maintaining Halal integrity in a predominantly non-Muslim region, especially with raw materials, as Bosnia’s food industry is readily sourced from the neighbouring countries. After the meeting, IHI Alliance delegates and the representatives from certification bodies adjourned to the office of Halal Europe to meet the Executive Director, Hasib Salkic. The delegates were briefed on the role of Halal Europe as a non-government and non-profit organisation in developing the Halal market in this part of the world. The organisation’s strategic efforts are focused on creating Halal awareness, promoting and facilitating education on Halal and establishing cooperation among Halal certification bodies in Europe. Halal Europe has also been instrumental in facilitating Halal trade collaborations with chambers of commerce and forming smart partnerships with related service providers as well as promoting foreign direct investment into Bosnia and Herzegovina Halal industry. On the second day, IHI Alliance Delegates travelled to the north east of Bosnia and Herzegovina to visit the office of Agency for Halal Quality Certification in the city of Tuzla. The visit was made all the more honourable with the presence of Malaysian Ambassador and his wife accompanying the IHI Alliance team. Established in 2006, under the Ministry of Justice, the The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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01. At Nestle Nespresso Production and Distribution Centre. From left: Dr. Marc Poretti, Corporate Quality Assurance Manager of Nestlé Nespresso; Farhan Tufail of Swiss Halal, Darhim Hashim and Ms. Françoise Zuber, Quality Manager of Nestlé Nespresso
07. From left: Khairul Nazran Abd Rahman of Malaysian Embassy; Nermin Hodzic, Sirbegovic Group’s Director of Halal Business Park; Hasib Salkic; Ambasador H.E. Zulkifli Adnan and his wife; Selma Sirbegovic, Project Design Manager of Halal Business Park; Faruk Sirbegovic, Group President of Sirbegovic Group; Darhim Hashim and Amir Sakic
02. At the 2nd technical meeting for Food Processing module in Sarajevo. From left: Amir Sakić, Director of Agency for Halal Quality Certification; Hadzi Jakup Selimovski, Reis Ulama of Macedonia; Hasib Salkic, the executive director of Halal Europe; Darhim Hashim; Turker Yasar, general coordinator of The Mediterranean Halal Science Research Centre; Dino Khalid; Frahan Tufail of Swiss Halal Services and Yusuf Calkara of Euro Halal 03. From left: Turker Yasar; Darhim Hashim, Dr. Muharem Stulanovic from University of Bihac and Hasib Salkic 04. Ambassador of Malaysia in Bosnia, H.E. Zulkifli Adnan declaring the technical meeting open 05. Behram-begova madrasah in Tuzla 06. From left: Khairul Nazran Abd Rahman of Malaysian Embassy; Nermin Hodzic, Sirbegovic Group’s Director of Halal Business Park; Hasib Salkic; Ambasador H.E. Zulkifli Adnan and his wife; Selma Sirbegovic, Project Design Manager of Halal Business Park; Faruk Sirbegovic, Group President of Sirbegovic Group; Darhim Hashim and Amir Sakic
agency has jurisdiction over Halal affairs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Slovenia. The delegates were briefed by Director Amir Sakic on the agency’s core activities and reviewed their certification process and systems. Despite only three years being operational, the delegates were impressed with the high level of professionalism and
08. The fist Animal Feed standards development meeting held in Manila hosted by National Halal Accreditation Board of Philippines 09. Dino Khalid explains to Regional Halal Technical Working Group of Mindanao on IHI Alliance global initiatives with the presence of Deputy Executive Secretary, Office of the Regional Governor, Datu Ishak V. Mastura (third form left) 10. The first Laboratory Testing Module meeting hosted by the International Islamic University (UIA) in Selangor, Malaysia 11. The first Cosmetics & Toiletries Module technical meeting held together with industry stakeholders, universities and CTFA (Cosmetics, Toiletries & Fragrances Association) 12. MOU signing between IHI Alliance and Pakistan’s Halal Development Project to assist in developing Pakistan’s Halal indusry. Witnessing the ceremony was Pakistan Ambassador to Malaysia, H.E. Lt. General (Retd) Tahir Mahmud Qazi.
transparency practiced at the agency. The delegates’ next stop was Behrambegova madrasah in Tuzla, where Director Amir Sakic was a student once. The beautiful madrasah, considered as one of the new realisations of the post-war architecture of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has long been dedicated to the development of Islamic upbringing and education that focus
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The International Halal Integrity Alliance ( IHI ALLIANCE ) is an international, non-profit initiative created to present the international Halal industry players with one definitive voice. The IHI ALLIANCE’s mission is to strengthen the Halal market and uphold the integrity of Halal for the benefit of all. 07
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on the principles of Islamic teachings. “We are completely astounded by its extremely modern architecture – purely a breath of fresh air”, commented Darhim. The delegates later paid a courtesy call on Mufti Husein Kavazovic of the Tuzla Muftiate at the madrasah. After Friday prayer, IHI Alliance delegates were hosted a lunch at the residence of Faruk Širbegovic and his wife Selma Širbegovic at the Širbegovic Group’s residence in Gracanica, a municipality in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. To the delegates’ amazement, food ingredients for daily meals are still commonly produced out of small-farm households in traditional manner due to the country’s diverse climate and fertile agricultural land. During the lunch, delegates were presented with insights and details of its Halal Business Park project and its potential to turn the country as the Halal gateway to Europe. In May 2009, at the 4th World Halal Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Širbegovic Group announced that it will be investing about €100 million to develop the 20-hectare park, the first of its kind in the continent. Europe’s domestic Halal food market is estimated at a staggering 47 billion Euros annually, with 52 million Muslims currently living there.
travelled to Zurich, Switzerland, to visit the headquarters of Swiss Halal Services, a Halal audit and certification body based in Rheinfelden. Upon his arrival in Zurich, Darhim received a warm Swiss welcome by Farhan Tufail of Swiss Halal Services who later took him to pay a courtesy call on the Ambassador, Dato’ Mohd Yusof Ahmad, at the Malaysian Embassy in Berne. Leaving the Embassy, Darhim made another stopover to meet the Imam of the Islamic Centre of Berne. During the meeting, he was apprised of emerging challenges faced by the Muslim community in Switzerland. One of the topical issues is the ban on the construction of minarets on mosques in the country, which has unsettled 310,000 Muslims in Switzerland and caught international attention, calling it an infringement of religious freedom. Switzerland is also one of few countries in Europe that has an outright ban on ritual slaughter (slaughter without stunning). Farhan later took Darhim to visit Nestle Nespresso Production and Distribution Centre in Avenches in the canton of Vaud. Nespresso is one of Nestlé Group’s fastest growing operating units that pioneered the premium portioned coffee market and produces state-of-theart espresso brewing machines. Dr. Marc Poretti, Nestle Nespresso’s
IHI ALLIANCE IN ZURICH After Bosnia and Herzegovina, CEO of IHI Alliance, Darhim Hashim
Manager of Corporate Quality Assurance and the centre’s Quality Manager, Ms. Francoise Zuber gave a firsthand look at the centre’s production line where green coffee beans are transformed into hermetically-sealed espresso capsules. Touring a facility of such sophistication, Darhim was utterly impressed with the centre’s cutting-edge technology – a true testament of how advanced food and beverage industry has developed in Europe. Nestle Nespresso’s attention to detail in producing the finest quality of gourmet coffee is an approach that can be replicated in ensuring high levels of integrity in any certified Halal manufacturing facility. From the centre, Darhim travelled to Swiss Halal Services office in Rheinfelden just outside Zurich. Meeting the founder of the company Muhammad Tufail, Darhim was enlightened to hear the history of Islam in Europe particularly in Switzerland. The Islamic community makes 4.3 per cent of the overall population and has grown significantly to become the country’s second biggest religion after Christianity. IHI ALLIANCE IN BANGKOK On 29 September 2009, Darhim Hashim, CEO of IHI Alliance, met Dr. Winai Dahlan, Director of The Halal Science Centre of Chulalongkorn University, and Ms. Vanida Nopponpunth, the university’s Dean of Faculty of Allied Science, to discuss the latest program of International Conference, “World of Halal Science, Industry and Business – ANUGA” slated to be held in Cologne, Germany in October. Darhim has been scheduled to speak at this year’s ANUGA bringing the topic of “Internationalisation of Halal Certification” to the mega event’s first ever Halal conference. Despite the heavy schedule of his Halal lab training, Dr. Winai was very considerate to take some time off to meet Darhim and discussed some critical agendas of IHI Alliance’s involvement at the conference. This was later followed by a meeting with General Secretary of The Central Islamic Committee of Thailand (CICOT), H.E. Khun Pichate Satirachaval, and Khun Anirut Smuthkochorn, Director of the Halal Standard Institute of Thailand (HIT). The meeting discussed the prospects and challenges in the Halal industry in the light of the upcoming Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA). On 1 January 2010, six ASEAN members comprising Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand will realise the trade bloc agreement to eliminate import duties of all products and thus, to integrate the market where there will be a free flow of goods within the region. 1ST TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING FOR LABORATORY TESTING MODULE IN KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA The Halal Industry Research Centre of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) recently hosted IHI Alliance’s 1st technical committee meeting for laboratory testing module in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Representatives from IIUM’s Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry Department of MOSTI, Standards Malaysia, Intertek, Ministry of Health Malaysia, School of Science and Technology, University Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Halal Product Research Institute, University Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Malaysia’s Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) were among participants sharing their expertise throughout the half day meeting. The meeting discussed indepth critical areas of the standards development i.e. definition, principles, components, process flow, framework and timeline of the module. Several key topics involving Shariah position in physiological and biochemical changes with Halal and Toyyiban in food animals, equipment calibration and facilities assessment were also deliberated by the committee. All comments and inputs gathered from the meeting will be incorporated into the laboratory testing module committee draft.
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IHI Alliance news + updates
1ST TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING FOR COSMETICS AND TOILETRIES MODULE IN SELANGOR, MALAYSIA IHI Alliance’s first technical committee meeting for cosmetics and toiletries module was recently held at Hotel Singgahsana in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. The meeting engaged prominent international players such as Procter & Gamble, Avon, Unilever, Colgate & Palmolive, and L’Oréal to share their expertise and views on issues and technical aspects of the module. Also present at the meeting were representatives from Ministry of Health, Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC), Standards Malaysia, Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM), Chemistry Department of Malaysia, Cosmetic, Toiletries & Fragrances Association (CTFA) of Malaysia and Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers. Discussions took place in great depth from Shariah and technical views of some critical issues involving ingredients, animal derivatives and also fatwa referral on decision of Halal status for cosmetic products. All comments and inputs gathered from the meeting will be incorporated into the cosmetic and toiletries module committee draft. 1ST TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING FOR ANIMAL FEED MODULE IN MANILA, PHILIPPINES IHI Alliance continues to expand its international Halal initiative with Philippines being the latest country engaged in the development of global Halal standard. On 7 October 2009, The Halal Accreditation Board of the Philippines hosted IHI Alliance’s first technical meeting for the animal feed module at the Hyatt Hotel in Manila. The event saw 45 participants representing the Philippines’ industry stakeholders ranging from muftis, scholars, Halal certification bodies, government officials and leading industry players from all over the country. Representing IHI Alliance in Manila was Dino Khalid, Senior Manager of Halal Standards and Systems, and Mahathir Mohd Amin, Senior Executive, Corporate Communications. “We are honoured to be the host of this important event and very pleased to have the recognition from IHI Alliance for our contributions to the animal feed module,” said Aleem Wahid Abu Bakar, chairman of the board in his welcome remarks. Chaired by Ustadz Esmael, Managing Director of Muslim Mindanao Halal Certification Board, key areas of Shariah and technical matters pertaining to the development The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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of the module were discussed and deliberated throughout the meeting. Several operational issues were raised by the participants regarding the challenges faced in maintaining Halal integrity in non-Muslim countries like Philippines. Filipino Muslims forming about five per cent of the republic’s total population is the most significant minority in the Philippines. The development of Halal industry in the republic has been tasked to the Philippines’ Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA) with five other departments: Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Agriculture, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Health, and Department of Tourism. OMA, the main coordinator of all Halal-related activities in Philippines, is an agency that reports directly to the office of the President of the Philippines. IHI ALLIANCE IN AUTONOMOUS REGION OF MUSLIM MINDANAO Following Manila, IHI Alliance delegates travelled to Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to meet the region’s Halal Technical Working Group and the Muslim Mindanao Halal Certification Board in an exploratory meeting in Cotabato City. Representing the Office of the Regional Governor for ARMM in the meeting was Deputy Executive Secretary, Datu Ishak V. Mastura. Also present were Dr. Norodin Kuit, Chief of the Livestock Division, Department of Agriculture (DA)-ARMM, and Managing Director of Muslim Mindanao Halal Certification Board, Ustadz Esmael.
In a presentation by Dino Khalid, IHI Alliance’s Senior Manager of Halal Standards and Systems, the audience was given a brief overview on the global Halal authority’s recent activities in the development of international Halal standards and its latest involvement in the inaugural edition of a regional World Halal Forum in Europe. Agriculture, the sector driving Mindanao’s economy, accounts for over 40 per cent of the Philippines’ food requirements and contributes more than 30 per cent to the national food trade. IHI ALLIANCE SIGNS MOU WITH HALAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OF PAKISTAN On 4 November 2009, IHI Alliance strengthened its relationship with Pakistan with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the global Halal authority and the newly formed Halal Development Project of Pakistan (HDP) to assist in setting up a Halal management system in the country. Darhim Hashim, CEO of IHI Alliance, and Asad Sajjad, CEO of Halal Development Project, signed the MOU at Royale Chulan Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Witnessing the ceremony was the High Commissioner for Pakistan, Lt. General (Retd) Tahir Mahmud Qazi. “We are so happy that Pakistan is now part of the global alliance and will soon able to fully realise its true potential in the Halal market,” said Lt. General (Retd) Tahir. He also lauded the collaboration between the two parties as a fundamental step for Pakistan in making Halal the country’s new economic source. Based on the signed agreement, IHI Alliance will assist in organising Halal compliance workshops, establishing local Halal standards board and setting up certification services in Pakistan. The MOU will also see IHI Alliance playing a facilitating role in setting up Pakistan’s Halal science education base as well as the overall development of its Halal industry. Established this year, HDP is a non-government organisation dedicated to the development of Halal industry in Pakistan. It aims to build solid platforms of Halal awareness, technical expertise and promotions for Pakistani Halal players to penetrate the global Halal market.
EVENT PARTICIPATION OF IHI ALLIANCE AROUND THE GLOBE 1 – 3 February 2010 VIV INDIA 2010 Event profile: The second edition of VIV India will be held on 1 - 3 February at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bangalore, India. This show will see regional and international exhibitors displaying their products and services to visitors from the South Asian region. VIV India offers a business platform combining a mix of local and international players in the animal husbandry industry for the poultry, meat, aqua and dairy markets. 10 – 11 February 2010 GLOBAL HALAL CONGRESS, PAKISTAN Event profile: Global Halal Congress is the first ever international conference on Halal and Islamic business to provide means for gathering up-todate information about Pakistani Halal market and to discuss the Halal trends and issues faced by the industry. The conference will focus on the Halal industry sectors of food and beverage, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, tourism, retail, logistics, packaging, banking and insurance to uncover the important role Pakistan can play in the Halal market.
12 – 14 February 2010 GLOBAL HALAL EXPO, PAKISTAN Event profile: This inaugural Halal expo is set to become the centralised showcase for suppliers to market their Halal products to Pakistani and international buyers. To be held back-to-back with Global Halal Congress, the event intends to foster trade and facilitate convenient access to genuine Halal goods and services, and serve as a platform for local and international Halal players to enhance business relations and initiate trading deals in Pakistan. 21 – 24 February 2010 GULFOOD 2010 Event profile: Gulfood 2010 will be the biggest event in the show’s 15-year history, taking up one million square feet of dedicated space and leveraging its regional influence to highlight the latest trends, innovations and developments in the industry. This year also marks the introduction of a number of value-added initiatives for both exhibitors and visitors, including the inaugural Gulfood Conference and the 1st Gulfood Awards to recognise the achievements and innovations of the region’s food and drink industry.
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cover story
Science = R
Photo by Flavio Takemoto
Is science religion, and is religion science? What is science, and what is religion? What is the relation between science and religion today? Is there a need to have religious perspectives in science, and if so, why?
Words by Ruzanna Muhammad
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= Religion? Science does not equal religion and neither is religion, science. In truth,
religion in itself awakens scientific enquiries. Why and how? Because the nature of human being is to enquire its being, its essence, its purpose, and hence scientific enquiries arise to satisfy this quest for the truth of man’s existence. And it is also the nature of man to investigate the nature and life itself as demanded by religion; more specifically Islam encourages the rediscovery of the interconnectivity between the created and the Creator, and to understand one’s raison d’être (rational grounds for existence) in relation to God’s grand plan. Thus religion is vital in awakening and guiding one’s consciousness in questioning the existence through observation, in other words - through the art of observation, which is the basis of science. Science today has been far removed from this state of questioning and thinking; the quest for meaning and reason is contravened in scientific methods, and has been reduced to objectives and what can be created. Mankind are unfortunately detached from the inwardness and true essence of its primordial being, for in today’s age, everything revolves around what can be seen, is about the seen – most scientists are concerned with the temporal aspects of life: material things, whether or not these are considered necessary in one’s life (which is subjective to individual needs), on the basis of creating new technologies and innovations to supply for the needs of mankind in this day and age. The detachment from nature and from the common sense of being had been the archetype of creations today, where temperament of natural existence gave birth to unnatural practice in farming, food security, economy and in almost all systems and creations in life, where most nations accept this new reality as a benchmark for modern socioeconomic perseverance. They call it the rise of consumerism (producing to supply the “wants” and “needs” of consumers if not dictating it); whereas to some, it screams the influence of capitalism, and to others it’s the necessity of life where they have to condone the blatant aspects of consumerism. Science and technology (in terms of research and development and innovation) are used as The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010
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cover story Miicroscopic view of human’s ovarian follicle. Photo by Kriss Szkurlatowski.
Cellphone. Photo by Alfonso Diaz.
DNA Sequence. Photo by Schulergd.
Nanotech laboratory research. Photo by Franklin Carrero.
tools to sustain the lives of mankind by enabling production of better quality products, efficient production methods (to supply growing consumer demands), and providing means for convenience in performing mankind’s daily operations, among other things. It’s true, science is important and necessary for the physical sustainability of mankind, but what generation of human beings is it sustaining when they are not susceptible to their being in the midst of other creations in this world? Are we now living in an era filled with mechanical men who are being force-fed specific knowledge but has no use of it for the betterment of themselves and the people? Science today is detaching humankind from their true essence and from the universal interconnectivity. Without religion, mankind is being conquered by the comforts of technologies and innovations that were supposedly sustaining their lives, when simultaneously it is causing mass destruction to the meaning of man and the reason for being. Humankind of this new era could be scaled down as mere capital for the benefits of a few who are capable to capitalise on people’s minds and emotions. This global chain reaction is not irreversible, and the cause of this new reality is science without morale and spiritual value, whilst being influenced by the politics of capitalism and globalisation. Therefore, we need to clarify where science The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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stands in religion and what is the relation between science and religion. Why do we need religious perspectives when it comes to synthesising scientific methods? How do we do this without hindering scientific methods and practices, and the search for innovations for the betterment of mankind? To answer all that, perhaps what is of utmost importance is to define the meaning of religion and science. And then we’ll put the pieces together in encouraging ethical researches and innovations in modern scientific practices and technologies for a sustainable future. What is Science and what is Religion? As defined in the Webster’s New World College Dictionary (3rd ed.), religion is belief in a divine or superhuman power of the universe to be obeyed and worshipped as the creator(s) and ruler(s) of the universe,
with the expression of such a belief in conduct and ritual, as seen in Pharaoh worshipping. Religion is also defined as any specific system of belief and worship that often involves a code of ethics and a philosophy. This definition reflects religious beliefs such as Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, and so on. Religion can also be defined as any system of beliefs, practices, ethical values and so on that resembles, suggests of, or likens to such a system, for example when humanism is seen as a religion. The English word religion is derived from the Middle English word “religioun”, which was derived from the Old French “religion”, which was derived from the classical Latin word “religio” which means reverence for the gods, or holiness. In this article, the second definition is taken into account when deciphering the relation between science and religion. Science, on the other
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Computer hard disk. Photo by Mario Alberto Magallanes Trejo.
Plasma ball. Photo by Jeff Hire.
Cod-liver oil capsules. Photo by Irina Naumets.
hand is originally defined as knowledge. It stems from the Old French word “scientia” which is derived from classical Latin “sciens” which generally means knowledge of a fact, to know, to discern, to distinguish. Science is also defined as systematised knowledge derived from observation, study, and experimentation carried out in order to determine the nature or principles of what is being studied. It is the systematical knowledge of nature and the physical world. From their definitions, it is not too difficult to agree that science is not value-free. It involves close observation of a subject to gain a deeper understanding of the subject, which is deeply rooted to understanding the essence of its being. When it comes to observing nature, such as a tree, or an animal, or even the atoms, the question of how they came to be will arise. Many explanations such as the Bing Bang Theory or the theory of Evolution get stuck at the origin of the original. This is where religious perspectives come in, not merely to be used as a reason to explain creation. The point is, if something is created, there must be a creator. In this article, the religion of focus is Islam. Dr. Osman Bakar, in his book “Tawhid and Science”, said: “Science as it has been actually practiced in different cultures and civilisations is neither
Watch mechanic. Photo by Belin Czechowicz.
value-free nor totally universal. Practically every aspect of Islamic science has been shaped and coloured by Islam’s belief and value systems. What is true of Islamic science in this respect is equally true of sciences in all other cultures and civilisations, including modern western science. On the total universality of science as claimed by critics of Islamic science, it is important to see that this science under the influence of the Islamic Divine Law (al-shariah) is directing some of its activities toward fulfilling the specific religious needs of Muslims not shared by non-Muslims. Looking at Islamic science as a whole, we can say that it is comprised of both the universal and the particular dimensions. In other words, Islamic science has characteristics unique to Islam as well as characteristics of interest and concern to all cultures and civilisations. More generally, it may be said that every science cultivated within
a historical and cultural space possesses a universal dimension that is equally appreciated by all cultures as well as a particular dimension that is dictated by the cultural preferences and priorities inherent in the value system of the culture in question. The best empirical proof of this dual dimension of science is the historical fact that no known culture or civilisation has ever inherited the entire scientific tradition of any one of its predecessors, let alone of all of them. Each civilisation chooses to inherit from the scientific traditions of other civilisations only those elements which it considers as being in conformity with its worldview and as being important from the point of view of its value system. Thus, Islamic civilisation was selective in its choice of elements to be inherited from Greek, Persian, Chinese and Indian sciences. Likewise, modern Western civilisation was selective in its inheritance of Islamic The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010
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cover story GPS navigator. Photo by Rotorhead.
The interconnectedness of things in creation By Mark Harris Zuknik
Turbine from military airplane engine. Photo by Kriss Szkurlatowski.
science. As earlier emphasised, in a number of respects, there was a glaring discontinuity between traditional Islamic science and modern western science as the latter, guided as it was by new worldview, consciously departed from the religious and philosophical path of the former.” Islam and Science: The relationship In his book, Dr. Osman Bakar said, “The relationships are manifold, and may be illustrated across the scientific disciplines with as many examples we wish to have from the broad range of the natural and mathematical sciences cultivated within Islamic civilisation prior to the onslaught of modern western science. The sciences in question reveal fully and clearly the different dimensions of the relationships between religion and science in an Islamic societal setting. “... the central idea shaping the nature and contours of the relationships in question is the metaphysical doctrine Divine Unity as contained in Islam’s first testimony of faith: There is no god but Allah. This doctrine, understood as embodying absolute monotheism, is known in Islam as al-tawhid. According to Islam, the core of religion is the doctrinal acceptance and the practical realisation of al-tawhid in all domains of human life and thought. This means that the Muslim creation of science has to be significantly related to al-tawhid. The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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Among two of the greatest minds of Western classical science were Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727) and Rene Descartes. Isaac Newton is perhaps best known for his discovery of the theory of gravity and made significant innovations in optics, physics and mathematics. He was also intensely interested in the study of alchemy, scripture and the occult. So revealing were Newton’s discoveries of laws governing the entire universe that to Johannes Kepler it seemed he had “glimpsed the mind of God.” Rene Descartes (1596 – 1650) meanwhile, posited a fateful split between res extensa (material reality) and res cogitans (thinking reality) in his now infamous quote “Cogito ergo sum” which translates as “I think, therefore I am”. Descartes essentially paved the way for a scientific investigation of nature constructed according to mathematical laws by splitting reality into human consciousness and an unfeeling “objective” extensive world that could be measured mathematically. According to Descartes, “God sets up laws in nature just as a king sets up laws in his kingdom.” He also argued that only humans partake of God to the extent that they have souls while even animals, though they seem to feel pain, are soul-less machines or “automatons”. What both of these two minds achieved beyond their scientific discoveries was to consolidate a mechanistic world view of the universe within classical science itself. A mechanistic view of the universe essentially posits that the universe is one great machine, and all the different parts of the universe function according to pre-existing laws, free of divine intervention. Pierre Simon Marquis de Laplace (1749 – 1827), who was himself inspired by Newton’s work, speculated that with sufficient information, the entire future of the universe could be predicted, down to even the tiniest human action. But that picture of the universe, as viewed by classical science, has since the early 20th century come increasingly under challenge by a branch of physics called “quantum mechanics”. According to the Oxford Dictionary, a “quantum” (plural “quanta”) is a distinct quantity of energy corresponding to that involved in the absorption or emission of energy by an atom. “Quantum mechanics” is the branch of physics concerned with describing the behaviour of subatomic particles in terms of quanta. “Quantum theory”, meanwhile, is the theory of matter and energy based on the idea of quanta. Gary Zukav stated in his book ‘The Dancing Wu Li Masters’ that the starting point of classical science is
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Optical fibers. Photo by Rotorhead.
the assumption that physical reality is constituted of separate parts. Classical science has concerned itself with how these separate parts are related ever since its beginnings. The thought process of classical science therefore starts with a mental attitude which initially perceives the physical world as fragmented and different experiences as logically unrelated. Classical science strives to find the relationships between these pre-existing “separate parts”. Quantum mechanics, however, is based upon the opposite epistemological assumption, which means that there are profound differences between Newtonian mechanics and quantum theory. The separate parts of the universe, according to David Bohm (Professor of Physics at Birkbeck College, University of London), “are seen to be in immediate connection, in which their dynamical relationships depend, in an irreducible way, on the state of the whole system (and, indeed, on that of broader systems in which they are contained, extending ultimately and in principle to the entire universe). Thus one is led to a new notion of unbroken wholeness which denies the classical idea of analysability of the world into separately and independently existent parts.” Furthermore, he proposes, “We must turn physics around. Instead of starting with parts and showing how they work together (the Cartesian order) we start with the whole.” It is interesting to note that this view of the universe as an unbroken whole is similar, if not identical, to a concept found in Sufism – rububiyya. According to Dr. Shaykh Abdalqadir asSufi, rububiyya is “a term derived from Quranic descriptions of Allah’s lordship over creation. This is the interconnectedness of things in creation. One might say the ecology of natural existence. It is an energy system of relationships in constant change and altering dynamics. It functions through the different realms, the atomic, the mineral, the plant and so on. It relates the levels of living organisms from the uni-cellular up to man, and the interpenetrations of organism and environment. Rububiyya permits us to observe one process at work throughout every level of the creational realities.” That the developments of cutting edge science such as quantum mechanics since the last century has led to the confirmation of Islamic views of creation is particularly exciting, and leads one to the thought that perhaps the supposed gulf between Islam and science may not be the abyss it is made to seem; and that gulf may one day be bridged – if it has not been so already. Sources: Gary Zukav, “The Dancing Wu Li Masters” (2001) Perennial Classics Muhyiddin Ibn al-Arabi, “The Seals of Wisdom” (2005) Madinah Press Lynn Margulis & Dorian Sagan, “What Is Life?” (1995) Simon & Schuster Islam and Ecology, edited by Fazlun M. Khalid, (1992) World Wide Fund for Nature
Circuit board. Photo by Arjun Kartha
“The way the Muslims have done it, they relate science to al-tawhid through giving meaningful expressions in both theory and practice to two of the latter’s most fundamental corollaries, namely the principle of cosmic unity, particularly the unity of the natural world, and the principle of the unity of knowledge and of the sciences. Muslim philosopher-scientists make the two corollaries as both the foundation and the goal of science. As they succeed in expanding the horizons of science through the creation of new knowledge, they become not less but more certain of the truth of the above goal of science. Through the demonstration of the interrelatedness of all parts of the known universe, they become more convinced that they have succeeded in affirming the Quran’s argument that the cosmic unity is a clear proof of Divine Unity. “...on the issue of Islamicity in relation to science is that there is no conflict between Islam and modern science. On the contrary, as this view keeps insisting, modern science refers to the same kind of knowledge which the Quran enjoins on Muslims to acquire and master. Such a belief, in effect, nullifies the Muslim quest for an authentic Islamic science, which must be founded on a veritable relationship between religion and science. If modern science is already Islamic in the sense of being sanctioned by the Quran, then it is no longer necessary to take all the trouble to establish The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010
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cover story Electrical fuses. Photo by Rotorhead.
Frozen food technology. Photo by Alfonso Diaz.
philosophical foundation of Islamic science and its attending intellectual infrastructure needs to be understood well before it could be constructed as an integral part of the all-embracing Islamic thought system. Toward this end, there is need to make clear the nature and multidimensional character of the relationship between science and al-tawhid, in which light alone Islamic science finds legitimacy and meaningfulness.”
Microscopic view of broad bean root. Photo by Kriss Szkurlatowski.
a Quranic philosophical foundation of science that would be drastically different from what Muslims have now. No wonder notable authorities on Islam and science have attacked the shallowness of this particular strand of contemporary Muslim thinking, which they rightly maintain betrays an ignorance of the Islamic worldview and the philosophy of modern science. This view of Islamicity of science, described by critics as a form of Muslim scientism – the practice of reading modern scientific interpretations into Quranic texts – has also been criticised as contributive to breeding intellectual laziness among Muslims. “The interesting thing is that, among the followers of other religions, there are similar attempts aimed at sizing up the acceptability of modern science, especially some of its influential theories such as the biological theory of evolution, The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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to their respective religious teachings. This significant fact shows that there is something about modern science that is a matter of concern to not just Islam, but to other religions as well, and, therefore, to religion as such. It also shows that issues of Islamicity discussed by Muslims possess a universal dimension, which could be of much interest and inspiration to followers of other religions. “Since Islamic science is of a nature that transcends time and space, based as it is on the most universal principles of monotheism and perennial epistemological principles, we are concerned here not just with the Islamic science of the past. We are also concerned with the issue of a possible Islamic science of the present and of the future. Islamic science is precisely the kind of science the ummah needs for its spiritual and civilisational health. The spiritual and
The science of looking at science.. How do we live without electricity which made learning knowledge possible through printing machine which product was edited on a computer? Or to live without fresh tap water that had been treated with scientific knowledge in chemicals and biology which water is pumped to our house via machines? Science, or the art of observation, be it natural science (the study of natural phenomena), social science (the study of human behaviours and societies), or applied sciences (such as engineering and biomedicine) gave birth to the wonderful flora of creations that we depend on today, be it machines or systems, where without all these man-made creations a nation would be labelled as ‘third world’, a repulsive state of existence with an unhappy connotation of hopelessness and dirt. While in the developing nations, the fountain of science keeps producing more technologies and systems that fills up the matrix of life, in some cases beyond necessities – whether or not humankind really needs it, whether or not it is ethical, weather or not the earth bleeds – where among this cacophony of today’s magnificent creations exist so little breathing space for spiritual improvements, and anon, a mere sleeping beauty. And yet the sleeping soul is still bewildered by choices, by the demand and supply, by the marketing lure and disposable income, and by the dubious gray area of this paradigm shift in consumerism and capitalism, perpetuating systemic chaos from one society pandemic, to one economy pandemic to another health pandemic. Is science really the cause of this new reality, this paradigm of modernity? Science has a central guiding philosophy,
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Bulb. Photo by Roi Pihlaja
Data storage technology - DVD and thumbdrive. Photo by Ivan Petrov.
which may vary to its adherence. It also has a set of practices geared towards finding scientific truths. But, if religion via the ceremonies involved is supposed to bring its believers closer to God and to consider other created beings, where are scientific truths supposed to guide its adherence to, and how do scientific truths elevate human existence? Within the theory of science in Sweden today, there are six factors that determines the limit on how scientists are permitted to work within a group of scientific research. They are: a definite picture of the world, a specific concept of what science is, a special ideal of science, a number of aesthetic ideals, a certain ethic and also a certain “self perspective” – an opinion of the role of the researcher in research (Törnebohm 1974, Wallén 1974, Lindström 1974). But ethics seemed retarded in the explosion of industrial farming for producing chickens and cows of the same size, where most scientific solution in countering the inevitable danger of this unnatural but profitable practice is focused on the ‘how’ instead of the ‘why’, where it leads to more problems that need more funding for scientific solution. Certain scientist ethics, at this moment in time, had been broken not by scientists, but by the influence of the few in power, be it financial or political. The need to survive in this new reality had been the doctrine since student days at universities where the chase for doctorate and masters had slowly put the soul to imminent sleep and accustomed to the need of science to eliminate infinite energy in scientific equation, to put it in religious perspectives and to eliminate God in the equation of life and in the search of meaning and reason. For Muslims, how can one understand the meaning and reason of thinking, intellect, creation and love, and further to be conscious of one’s meaning and reason in this life, if one ignores the words of the Total Reality, who is Allah the Almighty, through Al-Quran which put forth rituals and doctrine? (One can find the answer to such a question in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 29 to 34). The state of one’s ignorance of Total Reality shall veil one’s intellect from
Prosthetic implant. Photo by Les KZN
seeing and experiencing the interrelatedness in the web of cause and effect, action and reaction, past and future, qada’ and qadar of one’s life with one’s profession, with other people’s fate and the cosmos. It is a loss for the world and a sad situation for people of intellect to come to that point of blind cognition, unable to observe and compute the obvious. Nevertheless, it is cold blooded to put the blame of this new reality to scientists alone. There are scientists who died in the name of ethics, died in the name of interrelatedness of beings and the common sense of beings who longed for the Utopian life filled with Utopian scientific creations and innovations, in the Utopian life system. They wish to heal and care for the earth and humankind. They have the sense and consciousness of interconnectivity of men and the cosmos. They wished and
worked for good revolution. They are responsible but there are only a few them, working as Caliphs whether they realised it or not. The world needs more ethical and brave scientists, the free men who live for meaning and reason in relation to the Creator, such as AlHaytham and Ibn Sina who were polymaths in the Islamic Golden Age who never wished for fame but fated as such. They lived the dangerous life filled with choices, between freedom from influence and political interest, between lack of fund and stipulated support, between faith and arrogance, between serving and self grandeur. Perhaps for them, they shall die when they shall die, and even so, it is more peaceful to leave this life for the Truth and by the Truth. hj
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feature
Halal Pharmaceuticals
A Complex Alien World
Words by Dr. Mahvash Hussain-Gambles
The problem is that many drug formulations are so complex that even trained chemists cannot ascertain with accuracy the origin of some of the ingredients used in pharmaceutical preparations. The solution lies in either directly asking the manufacturers for the origins of the mashbooh or dubious ingredients, or buying Halal certified pharmaceuticals.
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tt
he preservation of human well-being and health has been prescribed by Allah, and with modern advances in pharmaceutical industry, most diseases can be cured. The question is whether Muslims should continue to consume medicines designed to safeguard life without asking questions or should we now be challenging the industry about the origins of many of these ingredients and whether or not they are compliant with an Islamic lifestyle. As narrated by Abu Darda, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him, p.b.u.h), “The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, Allah has sent down both the disease and the cure, and He has appointed a cure for every disease, so treat yourselves medically, but use nothing unlawful.”
The problem is that many drug formulations are so complex that even trained chemists cannot ascertain with accuracy the origin of some of the ingredients used in pharmaceutical preparations. The solution lies in either directly asking the manufacturers for the origins of the mashbooh or dubious ingredients, or buying Halal certified pharmaceuticals. Currently, there is only a handful of companies marketing Halal-certified pharmaceutical products, one of which is CCM Pharmaceuticals of Malaysia, and in the absence of a Halal Pharmaceuticals Standard, Halal food standards have been referred to as a proxy guide by manufacturers. “Whilst the Halal Food Standard sets out clear parameters that are in line with the principles of Shariah, they are not tailored to the nuances and peculiarities of the pharmaceuticals sector,” states Mr. Darhim Dali Hashim, CEO of International Halal Integrity Alliance Ltd (IHI Alliance), an international non-profit, nongovernmental organisation created to uphold the integrity of the Halal market concept in global trade through recognition, collaboration and membership. He adds, “This is the reason why we have broken down the IHI Alliance Halal standard into modules, each of which addresses a specific sector in the entire supply chain – from animal feed and welfare to downstream products including pharmaceuticals.” Twenty years ago, we may not have been in the fortunate position to choose medicines which are Shariah-compliant or Halal, but with an increasing choice of vegetable-based pharmaceutical ingredients on the market – thanks largely to the Vegetarian/ Vegan lobbying around the globe, there are now plenty of choices available. The demand for nonanimal ingredients stems not so much from growing numbers of traditional vegetarians, but also from people who are concerned
about diseases in certain animal species. Scares such as mad cow disease or BSE in cattle, and Foot and Mouth disease and avian flu in poultry have also prompted consumers to buy animal-free drugs and supplements meaning ingredient manufacturers now have to develop synthetic or vegetarian alternatives. There is no reason why similar pressure should not be applied to the pharmaceutical manufacturers for Halal alternatives. At the very least, efforts should be made to inquire about some of the ingredients in the medicine, and if alcohol or any other dubious ingredients are present, checks should be made with the doctor or pharmacist whether there is a suitable Halal or vegetarian alternative available. Identifying dubious or potentially Haram ingredients in the long list of medicinal ingredients, however, is not an easy task. This article will attempt to provide some basic information on modern medicines and explore some ingredients which may be of dubious nature and potentially Haram. As there are thousands of ingredients commonly used in medicinal products, it is beyond the scope of this article to list them. It is also impossible to ascertain whether they are of plant or animal origin. This information can only be obtained from the manufacturer of each ingredient. Medicines can be tablets, capsules, drops, ointments, injections, syrups, suppositories and nasal drops. All medicines should have an active substance or medicinal ingredient (usually first on the ingredient list), and excipients which are the other ingredients used in the formulation to hold the active together or dissolve the active in a solution or make the active disperse in the cream base.
Tablet
A tablet is a mixture of active substances and excipients, starting off as a powder and then compressed into a tablet. The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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The excipients include binders, glidants (flow aids) and lubricants to ensure efficient tabletting. Disintegrants are put in to ensure that the tablet breaks up in the digestive tract; sweeteners or flavours may be added to mask the taste of the active substance; and sometimes colours or coatings are put on tablets to make uncoated tablets visually attractive. Below is an example of the ingredients used in a simple medicinal tablet. Active Ingredients: Paracetamol 500mg. Also contains Pre-gelatinised Maize Starch, Sodium Metabisulphite, Magnesium Stearate. The first ingredient in the list, Paracetamol, is the active and the tablet contains 500mg of this active. The rest of the ingredients are excipients, used to hold the active in place so it does not crumble. A wide variety of binders are used to hold tablets together, and many of these may be Shariah-compliant such as lactose powder, dibasic calcium The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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phosphate, sucrose, corn (maize) starch and variants of cellulose (a plant-based material). Small amounts of lubricants are also added to the tablets such as magnesium stearate, stearic acid (stearin), and sodium stearyl fumarate. But some of these may be of animal origin usually from cows or pigs. One of the more well-known ingredients in pharmaceutical preparations is gelatine, which is derived from the bones/ cartilages of animal carcasses (cows, pigs and horses), and therefore possibly Haram, depending on both the source and other factors such as Halal slaughter, and so on. It can also be produced from fish bones (sometimes certified as Kosher) and therefore potentially acceptable by Muslims. This is discussed in more detail later; but in the above list, Pre-gelatinised maize starch just means that the starch is ‘pre-cooked’ to form a gel-like structure. Starches have a property of gelatinisation where the starch molecules unwind, disperse and crosslink to thicken up a liquid (like gravy sauce for example).
This natural process is called gelatinisation. In the above example of ‘Pre-gelatinised Maize Starch’, the gelatinisation is a natural process from Maize Starch itself, and being vegetable-derived, this is acceptable and Halalcompliant. However, this example clearly illustrates the difficulty faced by consumers when interpreting the ingredients list on medicines.
Capsules
The two main types of capsules are hard-shelled, which are normally used for dry, powdered ingredients; and soft-shelled capsules, used for oils (such as flaxseed oil, cod liver oil, and royal jelly, to name a few) and for active ingredients that are dissolved or suspended in oil. Both of these classes of capsules are made from either gelatine or plant-based gelling substances such as Carrageenans (carrageenins), agar-agar (seaweed), pectin, konjak or modified forms of starch and cellulose. Hypromellose, (short for hydroxypropyl methylcellulose or HPMC; E-Number: E464) isolated from natural sources (such as plant materials or bacterial cell cultures), as starting material, is a vegan-acceptable alternative to animal gelatine, but is a lot more expensive to produce and is generally used for health supplements suitable for Vegans. Since gelatine is derived from animal bones, skin and tendons, it is likely to be Haram unless it is from animals or birds allowed to be eaten by Muslims which have been slaughtered in a Halal way, as mentioned above, and there are many other factors that could possibly make it Haram.
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Active Ingredients: 5 Hydroxytryptophan 50mg. Also contains Dicalcium Phosphate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Capsule Shell (Gelatine), Magnesium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Magnesium Stearate, Stearic Acid, and Vitamin B6.
The reason for the apparent confusion is the difference between the terms used by scientists and those used by the general public. To the laymen, beer, wines, spirits, and so on contain alcohol; to the scientist, they contain ethanol. To the laymen, alcohol is a single substance, but scientifically speaking, the term describes a whole group of chemical substances or ingredients with differing properties.
As narrated by Abu Hurayrah, who was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h), “The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) prohibited unclean medicine.” There is Halal certified bovine-based gelatine in the market, but unless the capsule manufacturers make this clear on their packaging and seek approval/ certification by a third party (in this case, a Halal certifier which is a wellrecognised Muslim organisation), it is best to go for vegetable/ plant-based alternatives. A typical capsule may contain the following ingredients:
In this example, the capsule shell is made from gelatine, and as the product is not Halal certified, it is therefore hard to tell whether the origin is from Haram or Halal animals. This information can only be obtained directly from the manufacturer. Dicalcium Phosphate and Microcrystalline Cellulose are the bulking agents in this preparation, providing a quantity of material which can accurately be formed into a capsule. Other lubricants in the above example such as Magnesium Stearate can be of animal or vegetable origin, and only the manufacturer, with a third party Muslim organisation approval, can advise about the religious status of this ingredient.
Creams
Many pharmaceutical preparations come in the form of creams or suppositories. The first ingredient in the example below, Terbinafine Hydrochloride, is the active drug and the cream contains one per cent of this active by weight. Contains: Terbinafine Hydrochloride 1% w/w. Also contains Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Stearate, Cetyl Palmitate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Isopropyl Myristate, purified water. It takes a chemist to really know which of the ‘alcohol’ excipients in the above example are actually intoxicating and therefore Haram. If we go through each of the excipients in detail we can see the complexity of the situation. Benzyl alcohol is produced
naturally by many plants and is commonly found in fruits and teas. It is also found in a variety of essential oils including jasmine, hyacinth, and ylang-ylang. It is used as a bacteriocide (bactericide) in formulations and it does not cause any intoxication, therefore it is Halal, even though its chemical name contains ‘Alcohol’. Sorbitan Stearate, Cetyl Palmitate, Stearyl Alcohol and Cetyl Alcohol are emulsifiers, meaning they help the active ingredients dissolve evenly in the cream. All of them could be Halal, even though the name suggests otherwise, because if ingested, they are not intoxicating. Cetyl Alcohol for example is a hard wax-like substance obtained from palm oil. However, there is no way of knowing if they are originally derived from animals or vegetables and thus a wellrecognised, scientifically sound third party Muslim approval is of great importance. These medicinal ingredients are still ‘alcohol-free’. The reason for the apparent confusion is the difference between the terms used by scientists and those used by the general public. To the layman, beers, wines, spirits, and so on contain alcohol; to the scientist, they contain ethanol. To the layman, alcohol is a single substance, but scientifically speaking, the term describes a whole group of chemical substances or ingredients with differing properties. Simple alcohols, like ethanol, are defined as having a general chemical formula of CnH2n+1OH, where n equals any number from one upwards. If n=1, the compound is CH3OH or methanol (often used as anti-freeze), or methyl alcohol. In the case of ‘alcohol’ (ethanol), n=2 and the formula is C2H5OH. This group of chemicals is also known as ‘Aliphatic Alcohols’ and they cause intoxication when ingested, and therefore classed as Haram. In summary, the layman’s ‘alcohol’ means ‘ethanol’, and products that are ‘alcohol-free’ The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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are actually ‘ethanol-free’. In medicinal preparations, ethanol is listed on the label as ‘alcohol’, or ‘alcohol denat’ and since it causes intoxication, it is Haram. As a general rule, most actives are chemically manufactured as it suits the manufacturer to keep control of the process and maintain the purity of the active. There are exceptions such as insulin used to treat diabetes, which is derived from animal source, usually from pigs. Human-based insulin which is genetically engineered is available, but it is a lot more costly than porcine insulin. Collagen (the starting material in gelatine making) is another medicinal active used in arthritis, and derived from the bones of animals, and some very effective hormonal medical preparations containing Oestrogen and Oestradiol are produced from female hormones from pregnant mares. Heparin, a blood anti-coagulant drug is responsible for saving millions of lives; however, pharmaceutical grade heparin is derived from mucosal tissues of porcine intestine or bovine (cow) lung. Typically, in drug formulations, it is usually the excipients that are of doubtful nature, as many can be derived from animals, or are alcohol-based. If you look at Botox, which is a medicine originally used for medical reasons, the active is produced from bacteria, and it can be argued that it is Halal. However, it is usually combined with porcine-derived ingredients (excipients), thus making it Haram. Glycerine is another commonly used excipient in syrups, and can come from animal or vegetable source, and its origin can only be verified by its manufacturer along with approval from a third party Muslim organisation.
Syrups
Many medicinal actives are suspended in a solution such as cough remedies, mouth washes or children’s medicines. The easiest and cheapest way to dissolve or suspend an active in such preparations is to use alcohol. Since alcohol is an excipient and not an active, it can easily be avoided in many drug formulations as there are alternatives in the market. Contains: Guaifenesin 100mg, Levomenthol 1.1mg Also contains liquid glucose, sucrose, ethanol 5 vol %, ponceau, sodium. The first two ingredients in the example above, Guaifenesin and Levomenthol are the actives. Glucose and sucrose are plant-based excipients, sodium is a salt, and ponceau is a synthetic colouring agent. However, the medicine also contains ethanol at a level equivalent to 5 ml of beer or 2 ml of wine per 5 ml dose. From an Islamic perspective, it could be argued that the use of alcohol in medicine is Haram, no matter how small the quantity is, especially when The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
Feature.indd 34
The principle of Shariah is to preserve life. If there is no substitute and the medicine is necessary, under these circumstances it would be allowable, based on the same principle that allows Haram foods in cases of necessity. from animal sources, as well as capsules made of gelatine. The principle of Shariah is to preserve the well-being of life. If there is no substitute and the medicine is necessary, under these circumstances it would be allowable, based on the same principle that allows Haram foods in cases of necessity. Ultimately it falls upon us Muslims in the pharmaceutical profession to carry out research into this issue and come up with Halal alternatives for excipients or even actives, so that the question of the dubious nature of medicinal ingredients does not arise. Responsibility also falls on the rest of the Ummah to lobby for more Halal ingredients in medicinal preparations.
there are known alternatives. As reported by Ahmad Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi, “Of that which intoxicates in a large amount, a small amount is haram” and “If a bucketful intoxicates, a sip of it is Haram”. However, let us also be mindful of what Allah has prescribed for us in the Quran (surah Al-Baqarah, verse 173): “But if one is compelled by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits, then he is guiltless. For Allah is Oft-forgiving Most Merciful.” To summarise, we have discussed that many of the excipients contain stearates or glycerine, which often comes hj
Note: The author would like to thank Dr. Hani Mansour Mosa Al-Mazeedi from Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) and Mr. Darhim Dali Hashim from the International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHI Alliance) for their helpful comments on this article. *About the Author: Dr. Mahvash Hussain-Gambles (Bsc, MA, PhD, MRSC, Dip Hom) is the founder and formulator of Saaf Pure Skincare UK. Dr. Mah has a Doctorate in Clinical Trials (Leeds Medical School, UK), an in-depth knowledge of healing plants and evidence-based medicine due to her formal training in Homeopathic Medicine, first degree in Pharmacology and later a Masters Degree in Health Service Research, with work experience in the field of cancer medicine. She is highly published in her field and also a Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Society for Cosmetic Scientists.
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feature
Animal Feed and Halal Meat
( IFAN C A )
& Dr. Hani Mansour Mosa Al-Mazeedi ( K ISR )*
Photo by Helmut Gevertzyk
The Wicked Truth
Words by DR. Muhammad Munir Chaudry
The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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76%
ACCORDING TO THE FDA’S SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMME ON 12 JUNE 2001,
OF FEED PREMIX PLANTS WERE FOUND TO HANDLE MATERIALS PROHIBITED FOR USE IN ANIMAL FEED
T
he Halal concept may be looked at as a reference standard to control the safety and quality of consumable materials from production to consumption. Consumable materials could range from food, drinks, cosmetics, medicine, detergents, soaps, shampoo, and deodorants to antiperspirants for human beings, and feed for animals.
To be considered religiously lawful and thus certified as Halal, the product must fulfil the following requirements: 1. Does not contain any parts or products of nonHalal animals (animals which are not allowed to be eaten by Muslims). 2. Does not contain any parts or products of Halal animals (such as cattle, goats, sheep and poultry) that were not slaughtered according to Islamic law (Shariah). 3. Does not contain any ingredients that are Najs (filthy or unclean) according to Islamic law. 4. Is safe and not harmful (does not contain physical, chemical, or biological/ microbial hazards). 5. Is not prepared, processed or manufactured using equipment that is contaminated with things that are Najs according to Shariah. 6. The ingredients do not contain any human parts or its derivates. 7. During its preparation, processing, packaging, storage or transportation, the product
is physically separated from any other product that does not meet the requirements stated above or any other things that have been decreed as Najs by Shariah. Having understood what Halal is, a person involved in Halal production should always be cautious of Mashbooh (dubious) ingredients or be attentive to areas of primary concern to establish that the Halal concept covers the entire supply chain. In meat, for example, one should ascertain the following:
1 2
What type of animal is being slaughtered (Halal/ non-Halal);
The type of feed the animal was being fed before slaughter: What were the raw materials of feed formulation made of ? Does it contain protein supplements of things that are Najs according to Shariah such as from porcine origin, meat from dead animals as leftover from slaughterhouses, and animal filth such as urine and manure; and does it contain residues of antibiotics and growth hormones?); The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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Photo by Aneta Blaszczyk
What does this ruling mean? It means that one can expect to find a certain amount of pork by-products and other animal by-products in the for mulation of feed premixes.
3
The slaughtering method when the slaughtering process is undertaken in modern slaughterhouses, stunning versus no stunning, manual versus mechanical slaughter, cutting the three or four vessels in the neck, and for some Muslim schools, facing Mecca and the use of iron knives, as well as meeting any other requirements of the importing country; and finally, which is very important,
4
Logistic: the implementation of a Halal system including isolated storage, and ensuring that the Halal process is not contaminated by non-Halal processes should they occur within the same vicinity). In this article, we will focus on feed premixes as material being fed to animals that may contain dubious ingredients and thus make the meat or milk obtained from such animals also dubious.
The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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By definition, feed or feed-stuff is any material that is used as food for the growth, development, nourishment, and sustenance of living animals. Muslims should be very careful when dealing with foreign trade laws as these laws may not guarantee full satisfaction in obtaining Halal materials. For example, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the US has a rule entitled “21 Part 589.2000 of the Code of Federal Regulations”, which prohibits the use of most, and not all, of the mammalian protein by-products in feeds for ruminant animals. What does this ruling mean? It means that one can expect to find a certain amount of pork by-products and other animal by-products in the formulation of feed premixes, and that the feed plants are allowed to formulate their feed premixes with whatever ingredients they wish as long as it does not go against the legal
interpretation of the word most. According to the FDA’s surveillance programme on 12 June 2001, 76 per cent of feed premix plants were found to handle materials prohibited for use in animal feed, which indicates that there is an opportunity to feed the animals or birds with “protein supplements” made from animal parts, including swine, which is of great concern to Muslims worldwide. This also means that because slaughterhouse by-products from cattle, poultry and pigs are more easily available, they may also be exported to many countries including Muslim ones. So the problem of slaughterhouse by-products in feed is a universal issue, and its status needs to be addressed from the Halal perspective. Current Halal Meat standards require that the animal be slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines. However, these standards do not regulate
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Photos by Mike Berg
Muslim consumers expect that all types of feed used for Halal animals raised for the production of meat, milk, or eggs must be of 100% pure vegetable origin.
farming conditions. When animal parts, by-products and filth are formulated into feed for ruminant animals such as cows, this feeding practice will make these cows unclean and unfit for Halal slaughter. The Arabic word used for these animals is Jalalah. Islam forbids the consumption of the meat and milk of such animals, unless the animals are cleansed through clean feeding for a number of days prescribed for each animal type as determined by experts. What follows is that the meat of such animals or food containing them or the carcasses of such animals being imported from such countries must not be accepted for consumption by Muslims. Halal certifiers and regulatory bodies should make sure that such conditions are rectified in the country of origin. Considering the variations in regulations and their implementation both in exporting and importing countries, it is a daunting task
to monitor feeding systems. Muslim consumers expect that all types of feed used for Halal animals raised for the production of meat, milk, or eggs must be of 100 per cent pure vegetable origin. However, when meat and food products are imported from countries where pork production is high and all animal parts are recycled into feed, the expectation seems impossible to meet. The Saudi Food & Drug Authority, for example, has very clear regulation on feed. However, they do not have full control of the meat and carcasses being exported to Saudi Arabia and thus do not have the guarantee of them being free from animal parts. This situation is not unique to Saudi Arabia; all other Muslim countries that import meat products fall in the same category. The meat trade laws of the exporting countries should address the concerns of Muslim
consumers if they are interested in sustaining future trade with the Muslim world. They should eliminate animal by-products from ruminant feed. It would be wise for Muslim communities worldwide to address this issue to formulate clear guidelines, and Muslim countries to address the issue at a governmental level and make their meat and feed guidelines clear and ensure that those guidelines are fully implemented. Observation of the complete Halal meat chain should be carried out in collaboration with a third party that is an approved Halal certifier for the purpose of creating a perfect Halal certification process. hj
*Note about the authors: Dr. Muhammad Munir Chaudry is President of the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA) and Dr. Hani Mansour Mosa Al-Mazeedi is an Associate Research Scientist at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR).
The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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feature
Elements of Success
in the Halal Food Business
Words by Dr. Ahmad Al-Absy Halal Transactions, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Photos by Mark Piet
Additionally, running a Halal business includes elements of fear and hope.
I
n the Islamic tradition, we learn the importance of using the right means for success. When conducting a Halal business, a Muslim must strive to be sincere in his/ her efforts and perfect their products. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him, p.b.u.h) said, “When one
of you performs work, he/ she should perfect it�. Also, we need to remember that seeking Halal does not mean only consuming Halal products but also obtaining income or finance (rizq) from Halal sources. Muslims involved in the Halal food business who strive to perfect their intentions and work, get dual benefits. To them, success means immediate monetary gains and better rewards in the hereafter.
What makes food Halal is not only limited to the method of slaughtering animals, but include the safety, health and wholesomeness of food. These features should encompass all stages of the process chain involved in the food production. Similar rules could be applied in producing non-meat food items, as well as cosmetics and pharmaceutical products; each product has its own requirements that should be observed. Below is a brief analysis of some of the factors that may influence the success of Halal food businesses and empower our communities. The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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Elements of Success
Running a successful business requires both faith and perfection at work. Additionally, running a Halal business includes elements of fear and hope. Success of a Halal food business includes, but is not restricted to, the elements below. These are general guidelines and could be applied to all Halal food businesses, especially Halal meat. Notice that each element has a sound business judgment and at the same time has a root in the Islamic faith.
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The Halal Journal Awards celebrates and honour success, innovation and hard work in this exciting emergent market
2 0 1 0 Nomination Form
Recognising Excellence
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Supporting documents may be submitted in a format of your choice, that being (a) Hard Copy, (b) in CDs, or (c) via Email. Please include in your submission the following: Company brief: including background, date of incorporation, number of employees, etc One page write up outlining reasons for deserving nominations Testimonials from customers/ clients (where available) Recent press coverage (if available) Brochures & samples (if applicable) Website address Any other supporting materials or documents that you deem fit Please submit to: Panel of Judges The Halal Journal Awards 2010 c/o KasehDia Sdn Bhd 31-2, Plaza Crystalville Jalan 22A/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia T: +603 6203 1025 F: +603 6203 4072 E: info@halaljournal.com W: www.halaljournal.com Submission Conditions • Decisions made by Panel of Judges are final and no correspondences will be entertained • Materials and information supplied will be treated confidentially and will not be returned • All entries must be received before the closing date of 15th May 2010 • Successful nominations will be duly notified
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1. Lawful Acquisition
The funding and financing used to run the business: purchasing, rearing of animals, equipment, resources or paying for labour should be obtained and financed through Halal means. No interest or usury (riba) should be involved in the Halal business. As stated in the Quran in verse 275 of Surah Al Baqara (as translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali [1934]): “...Allah hath permitted trade but forbidden usury.” There is a famous saying by Muslim scholars that “money does not give birth to money, but work does”. Additionally, the money invested in the business should not come from sources such as gambling. Bribery, fraud, embezzlement and other unlawful means of obtaining money are deemed as Haram according to the Islamic Law (Shariah).
2. Acceptable Species
For food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products to be Halal, the raw materials used must be from acceptable species of animals, plants and chemicals that are lawful in accordance to the Shariah. The Haram or unlawful elements include: filth and impurities such as pigs, spilt blood and dead carrion; poisonous species such as snakes; and intoxicants such as alcohol and narcotics. It is stated in the Quran in verse 173 of Surah Al Baqara (as translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali [1934]): “He hath only forbidden
market with proper means of transportation and distribution of goods are crucial in getting the products to the stores or homes of the consumers. Allying the business with major distribution and transportation firms may solve the problem of reaching a fragmented market; otherwise transportation costs may make the prices exorbitant.
4. Accounts Receivable
Processors as well as retailers should make sure that they will get paid for the products they sell. Careful handling of the accounts receivable and checking the credit legibility of the buyers are key issues in collecting the prices of goods. The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said: “Tie your camel and have faith”. Many small businesses close their doors and go bankrupt because of their inability to collect from customers. This contention should be included in a strategy of risk management approach within the company. Unfortunately,
“Pay the labourer their wages before their sweat dries up”. Also the business owner should pay his/ her debt to others and not try to circumvent or cheat others, and should adhere to any signed agreement with others. As stated in the Quran in verse 282 of Surah Al Baqara (as translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali [1934]): “....Disdain not to reduce to writing (your contract) for a future period, whether it be small or big: it is juster in the sight of Allah, more suitable as evidence, and more convenient to prevent doubts among yourselves but if it be a transaction which ye carry out on the spot among yourselves, there is no blame on you if ye reduce it not to writing.” All these factors will contribute to good or bad public relations of the company.
5. Fair Trade Practices
The prices of Halal food should not be inflated just because the
Photo by Ulrik De Wachter
The Haram or unlawful elements include: filth and impurities such as pigs, spilt blood and dead carrion; poisonous species such as snakes; and intoxicants such as alcohol and narcotics.
you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah.”
3. Market Access
Good knowledge of business practices and seeking the right market (where Muslim consumers have a demand for the products) are essential for the sustenance and competitiveness of the business. As narrated in a hadith, “Seek your trade or sustenance at places with most crowded feet (most customers).” That will include big cities and countries which have major Muslim populations. Reaching the The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
Feature.indd 42
some customers (shop owners and direct consumers) may avoid paying the processors for the products that they purchase, which counteract their purpose of selling or consuming Halal goods and earning Halal income.
5. Accounts Payable
The owner of the business should be fair to the labourers and pay their wages on time. It was stated in a hadith,
food is Halal. Muslim consumers should not be punished because they strive to consume Halal food. On the other hand, the producer has the right to make reasonable profit, as long as they do not take advantage of the needs of their customers. The authorities have a role to play in watching the prices and securing the sources of goods for Muslim consumption, thus ensuring food security, and ensuring fair market access to
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01
02
03
04
01. Proper packaging and labelling 02. Meats should be stored in clean refrigerated areas 03. Meats should not be exhibited outside the store for sanitary purposes 04. Meats should not be transported in the back of a pick-up truck like this
all people through fair competition and lawful means. Also, merchants should not withhold their merchandise in time of scarcity and wait for prices to go up before selling them to make outrageous profits. Narrating the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), a hadith stated, “Whoever does not have mercy on people, God will not have mercy on him”. Non-mercy here is extrapolated as taking advantage of someone’s need.
6. Zakatul Maal
Paying the Zakat is an obligation (Farrd) on every tangible asset at the end of each calendar year, which is 2.5 per cent of the accumulated wealth.
Verse 103 in Surah At Tawbah in the Quran (as translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali [1934]) states: “Of their goods, take alms, that so thou mightest purify and sanctify them; and pray on their behalf.” Zakat and charity purifies the money and property and puts blessing (barakah) into them.
7. Quality Assurance
The processing of food should
be done in clean and sanitised areas following strict hygiene and safety standards to ensure that the meat produced is clean and not contaminated with filth, impurities, toxic or poisonous ingredients. Recalls and law suits could arise if contaminated food cause illness to consumers. The quantities and qualities of the delivered goods should be as stated in the contracts or advertisements. The hadith states: “Whoever cheats The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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Diagram 1: Alabsy’s model of Halalan Toyyiban
Approved Species No Hormones
Animal Feed, Animal Handling
FARM FEED LOTS, PENS
Offer Water
HOLDING PINS
Method of Stunning
Humane Treatment Direction to Qibla
SLAUGHTERHOUSE Humane Handling, Should Not See Other Animals Slaughtered
Health Inspection Tasmiyah by a Muslim
KILL FLOOR Thorough Bleed Out
No Processing before Death
PROCESSING
Approved Ingredients
Accurate Information
PACKAGING Sealed Packages LABELLING Special Codes For Tracing
Proper Temperature, Clean Place Clean Vehicles
STORAGE
TRANSPORTATION
Product Integrity
DISTRIBUTION
Read Instructions
COOKING
DINING TABLE
The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
Feature.indd 44
Clean Equipments
FURTHER PROCESSING Use of Approved Halal Raw Meats - No Mixing with Other Meats
Approved Materials
Wash Hands
Using a Sharp Knife
Clean Equipments
Clean Packages
Use of Halal Logo
No Contact with Other Meat Refrigerated Proper Handling Check Ingredients, Safe Handling Tasmiyah
(any one) he does not belong to us (Muslims).” Purity, integrity and traceability should be the guidelines in product development and quality assurance systems. A system of health-critical control points should be observed throughout the whole supply chain from farm to fork. Halal meats should be processed and labelled in clean sanitised areas (Photo 1), stored and transported in refrigerated containers (Photo 2), but not as shown in Photo 3 and 4. In addition, proper handling of consumer requests and catering to consumer needs will lead to better customer satisfaction.
9. Halalan Tayyiban
Although Halal should not be subdivided into categories or hierarchies, producers, Halal certifiers and Muslim consumers should strive to produce and seek to consume not just Halal but also Toyyib (wholesome) foods. Allah says in the Quran: “Eat from what We bestowed upon you, Halal and wholesome”. Scholars say that the conditions for Toyyib are not stipulated in the Shariah, so as not to inflict extra hardship on the producers and consumers. Even though Toyyib is not a necessity (Wajib), the way and method of slaughter is designated as Wajib. However, Toyyib is highly favoured (Mustahab) and abandoning the conditions of Toyyib is disliked (Makruh). Production of Halal food is an integrated process involving several interconnected stages from farm to fork: farming, processing, packaging and labelling, warehousing, transportation, delivery, and consumption. The Halal condition of the meat is satisfied by the proper slaughtering of the animal. However, for the meat to be also Toyyib, a set of other conditions should be observed as shown in Diagram 1. As illustrated in the diagram, the meat is considered Halal upon complying with the three basic requirements for Halal slaughter (Zabiha), which are: 1. Recitation of the Tasmiyah (Bismillah Allahu Akbar) by a Muslim 2. Using a sharp knife in slaughtering 3. Thorough bleed out of the carcass before processing What makes the food Toyyib in addition to being Halal? The following guidelines should be observed and met (as illustrated in the previous diagram). Bear in mind that these conditions are favoured but not obligatory and may differ between various Madhabs or Islamic Schools of Thought. While these conditions are applied to the processing of meat, suitable criteria could be similarly applied to the manufacture of other food products and non-food consumables.
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The animals should be healthy and free of diseases at the time of slaughter. Animals should not be fed growth hormones or forbidden additives (such as by-products of other animals, pork, filth, and so on). Animals should be treated humanely at all times and should be offered food and water before slaughtering. Slaughtered animals should face Mecca (the Qibla) and should not see other animals being slaughtered. The carcasses should not be processed before the animal dies completely from the slaughtering process. Clean equipment should always be used in the cutting and further processing of meat and the processing should be performed under hygienic conditions and at suitable temperatures. (Certain health guidelines and quality assurance programmes should be followed during processing such as the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points or HACCP).
safety throughout the entire supply chain. The people who prepares food at home or food service facilities should use clean utensils and wash their hands frequently, and should follow the directions on the food labels during preparation of food. Consumers should recite Tasmiyah while dining. They will find that the Halal food has barakah) blessing) in it.
Summary
In conducting any type of business, most particularly the Halal business, knowledge, honesty and integrity should be the guiding application. The
jobs with good intentions armed with knowledge. While the first four parties have the right to make a reasonable profit, the end consumers deserve to have ‘authentic’ Halal food to feed their families. The integrity of the end product depends on the integrity of each link in the food chain. All factors involved contribute to the success of the business and the satisfaction of the consumers. Conducting a Halal business carries extra burden of fear of punishment and hope for dual rewards. The rewards for producing Halal and Toyyib food and the pleasure of consuming it have multiple benefits: success in this world and plenty of good rewards
Production of Halal food is an integrated process Photo by Simon Cataudo
involving several interconnected stages from farm to fork: farming, processing, packaging and LABELLING, warehousing, transportation, delivery, and consumption.
Only approved and safe ingredients and flavours should be added to the meat at the time of further processing. The meat should be packed in approved containers made of safe and clean materials and transported in clean vehicles. The Halal food should keep its integrity and should not come into contact with other types of meat throughout all stages of processing, warehousing, transportation and exhibition at the retail stores or served in restaurants. All Halal food must be clearly labelled and bear information about the ingredients and safe handling instructions. Customers should always accept only labelled Halal food certified by a recognized Islamic organisation. When all the links in the food chain are observed and documented, the merits of traceability (back-tracking) are attained indirectly. Traceability should improve
guidelines should be based on good business practices in light of the main stream Islamic Shariah, which provides tools for success in all aspects of life, since Shariah is a way of life. Standards for producing Halal products should be based on sound science and market dynamics guided by informed Islamic Fiqh. Elements of success were discussed in this article and the components which make the food Halal and Toyyib were also illustrated. All parties involved in the chain process of the Halal business: farmers, processors, Halal certifiers, traders and consumers should perform their
in the hereafter. In closing, the Islamic way of business management seeks to balance professional wisdom with God-conscious policies and ethical standards to establish an effective and sustainable business environment. Combining a scientific and logical processoriented management approach of business with Islamic spirituality is not just another good thing to do; it is a necessity for sustainable growth.
hj
The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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fastrack
Asia •• WYN Internship Programme: Empowering Future Leaders of the Muslim world
Asia •• Halal developments in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
By Fazil Irwan Som, World Islamic Economic Forum Foundation
On 18 November 2009, a Cocktail Reception with Tun Musa Hitam, Chairman of World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Foundation was held to celebrate the success of the WYN Internship Programme, an initiative of the WIEF Young Leaders Network (WYN). The reception hosts successful interns for the year 2009 and corporations participating in this Programme. The global internship programme, the first of its kind in the Muslim world, takes internship in this part of the region to the next level. This is the first global attempt to make internship a widespread phenomenon in the Muslim world, giving a rare opportunity to the Muslim youth to taste life in the corporate world on an internship basis. This initiative could potentially transform the concept of skills exchange and work experience in Muslim countries across the globe. The WYN Internship Programme was established in 2007 for the purpose of identifying and nurturing young leaders in the Muslim world through internship placements in reputable corporations across the globe. The Programme offers students an opportunity to experience working life in a different country, The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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to embrace the different cultures in the Muslim world, and get to know different people, while at the same time benefit from professional and leadership skills and world-class best practices at work. The Programme operates under one important premise: around 65 per cent of the total Muslim population consists of young people below the age of 30. This means that in the next few decades, this huge number of people will be assuming positions of leadership. The quality of these young people will determine the future of the Muslim world. Hence, their skills, expertise and connectivity with each other are crucial elements that the Muslim world needs to hone to survive the challenging 21st Century. The WYN Internship Programme is an initiative of the WIEF Young Leaders Network, whose Chairman is Dato’ Sri Nazir Razak, also the CEO of CIMB Group. So far, the Programme has attracted the participation of several big corporations; some of them are: CIMB Group, Sime Darby, Ethos & Company, Al-Ghurair Group of Dubai, Unicorn Investment Bank of Bahrain, and Rio Tinto Alcan of Australia. CIMB Group is Malaysia’s second largest
financial services provider and one of Southeast Asia’s leading universal banking groups. Al Ghurair Group is a huge business group in Dubai dealing in real estate, shopping malls, manufacturing, and investments. Ethos & Company is a boutique strategy consulting firm based in Kuala Lumpur focusing on serving private and public-sector clients on business and organisational transformation. Unicorn Investment Bank (Unicorn) is an Islamic financial services group, with an international presence in the United States, Malaysia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Sime Darby Berhad, the merged entity of three Malaysian corporations is a diversified Malaysian multinational, with its core businesses in plantations, property, motor, heavy equipment and energy & utilities. We have had more than 100 applications from various universities worldwide. Through a stringent selection process, only several students are selected for internship placements in these corporations during which they will undergo training, and undertake real time projects, thus, giving them a worthwhile working experience crucial for their career in the future.
Since August last year, the ARMM has made steady developments in its Halal endeavours from certification to industry-related growths. The Halal Journal reports.
Halal Certification of business hubs in Cotabato & ARMM being intensified In order to help the expansion of business and trade, which will in turn develop the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) of its members and non-members, the Muslim Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kutawato, Inc. (MCCIKI) conducted the ‘Forum on Halal Assurance System’ on 13 August 2009 in Sardonyx Plaza, Cotabato City, Philippines. MCCIKI President, Ustadz Esmael W. Ebrahim, said that the forum aimed to educate the participants (individuals and business enterprises) from the city and nearby localities in the region on the true meaning of Halal, with lectures and discussions by Halal experts covering the Historical Perspective of Halal, the Muslim Mindanao Halal
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Certification Board, Inc. Certification Process, Halal and Food Safety, and Actual Application for Halal Certification. The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) ARMM Halal Regional Coordinator, Dr. Norodin A. Kuit, said that the ARMM Halal Industry had formulated the ‘ARMM Halal Food Industry Development Master Plan 2009-2010’ which endorsed the realisation of other Halal programmes/ projects such as the operationalisation of three slaughterhouses in Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Datu Odin Sinsuat, the commercialisation of Halal compliant feedmill, a contract on broiler growing, and the enactment of the Halal Fraud Bill by the Regional Legislative
Assembly, among others. It has certified business establishments such as the New Tam’s Bakery, Mardoney’s, VIP Restaurant and Philippine Trade in Cotabato City, GEDI Organic Fertilizer in Pigcawayan, North Cotabato, Sunrise Corn Coffee in Butuan City, Limers Production MPC in Guimaras, Persian Palate in Cebu, Shawarma Snack Center in Ermita, Manila, and Squeeze-C Bottled Calamansi in Zamboanga City. Several other establishments are also waiting to obtain the Halal certificate for their products. He also said that Kuwaiti investors led by His Excellency Sheik Ahmad Dawood Al Sabah have expressed their interest to set up a cattle production
and meat processing facility in the ARMM, which is considered as a sign that the Halal industry in ARMM is beginning to draw attention from foreign countries. During the forum, DAF showcased its range of Halal products such as toothpaste, beauty and detergent soap, vanilla, coffee and condiments, creating awareness on the availability of Halal certified products. Several issues and concerns were raised at the open forum which eventually designed additional helpful mechanisms to improve the industry, such as the proposed mergence between the City Licensing Office and The Muslim Mindanao Halal Certification Board, Inc. (MMHCBI)
on the inclusion of Halal certification to establishments during the processing of business permits and related documents, making it a two-way process to help establish Halal as a strong niche in the region. The forum was the joint effort of the MCCIKI, DAF-ARMM, Growth with Equity in Mindanao, City Government of Cotabato, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Poultry deal to generate livelihood and improve the ARMM Halal industry More than twenty farmers representing their respective cooperatives underwent training on broiler raising technologies based on Halal standards, The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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fastrack
Programme in ARMM: Gains and In-roads; Broiler Housing and Feeding Management; Common Poultry Diseases/ Management at Broiler Contract Growing Scheme’ and the criteria for qualified raisers. An educational tour in progressive broiler farms in Kabacan, North Cotabato, was conducted, enabling the participants to witness and learn the proper methods on broiler production and other issues and concerns advantageous in the programme. The DAF-ARMM, through the leadership of Secretary Keise T. Usman, intensified its campaign/ promotion on the Halal industry programmes. The broiler contract production scheme will establish sources of certified Halal broilers and by-products for the region. The said activity was organised by the DAF-ARMM and the Mindanao Halal Industry Development Corporation (MHIDCorp).
barangays (the smallest political unit into which cities and municipalities in the Philippines are divided) in Sultan Kudarat and Datu Odin Sinsuat in the Province of Maguindanao. Dr. Norodin and Sultan Feeds Farm Manager, Lester Granada, discussed the ‘Halal Development
which was conducted from 29-30 October last year at the DAF-ARMM Conference Hall in Cotabato City, Philippines. Livestock Division Chief, Dr. Norodin A. Kuit, said that the training was aimed at giving proper orientation to the chosen contract growers from the The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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Halal Industry in ARMM leaps another level The development of the Halal industry in ARMM is one of the major concerns of the region, particularly for the DAF-ARMM as the spearheading agency. The inauguration of the Integrated Halal Livestock and Poultry Slaughterhouse in Capiton, Datu Odin
Sinsuat, Maguindanao on 25 November last year lent big support and assistance in pursuing the production of Halal certified poultry and livestock products in the region. Regional Halal Coordinator, Dr. Norodin A. Kuit, briefly presented the inception of the programme. He also discussed the difference of Halal slaughtered livestock and poultry to those which do not conform to Halal processes or procedures. Secretary Keise T. Usman said that this facility is a huge development of the Halal industry in the country through DAFARMM and partneragencies that will encourage the establishment of Halal production of livestock and poultry for the ARMM and nearby municipalities, and eventually for export. The local government of Datu Odin Sinsuat was grateful to the department for making their municipality the site for this breakthrough facility. As a thanksgiving for another milestone in the expansion of the Halal industry in ARMM, the agency prepared a kanduli (food presented as thanksgiving) for the participants, namely DAF officials and employees, local government officials/ representatives of Datu Odin Sinsuat; particularly Brgy. Awang, and the beneficiaries of the Halal Broiler Contract Growing Scheme.
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Asia •• O’Briens delivery service is now in town!
O’Briens, the home of freshly-made deli dishes and snacks as well as a variety of gourmet coffees and teas, has introduced its very own Delivery Service in the Klang Valley area in Malaysia since late October last year. The first sandwich delivery franchise in Malaysia, O’Briens, is famous with its madeto-order hot or cold sandwiches. Its healthier choices of Shambos™ to Tripledecker®, Wrappos®, Toosties®, salads and freshly squeezed juices without additives, have always been the ultimate preference for individuals who place well-being at the top of their priority. “At O’Briens, we believe in giving customers the finest customer service, hence we are extending our services with this O’Briens Delivery Service so that our customers can enjoy a hearty and healthy meal not only in our outlets, but even at home or at work,” said Mr. Brian Pua, Operations and Business Development Director cum Master Franchise of O’Briens Malaysia.
O’Briens outlets are currently delivering within the Klang Valley area, covering the surrounding areas of each location. “However,” Brian added, “we do get orders from locations that are outside our boundaries. In a special situation like this, we would of course need an advanced booking in order for us to make our delivery on time.” Other than delivery services, O’Briens also provide catering services to any corporate and private function as well. One can email them at info@ obriens.com.my to enquire about their catering range. To place an order, customers using the O’Briens Delivery Service can call the hotline number (1300-30-3000) from 9am to 9pm, or they can pick up O’Briens’ delivery leaflets from the nearest outlets and enjoy the promotional offer, or download the menu from http://www. obriensonline.com. All of O’Briens’ ingredients are sourced locally and are certified Halal to ensure that Muslim customers in Malaysia
can also safely consume food from O’Briens. The launch was graced by the presence of Mr. Eoin Duggan, First Secretary of the Irish Embassy and Mr. Hugh Hoyes-Cock, the CEO of O’Briens Irish Sandwich Café, Asia-Pacific. Originating from Dublin, Ireland, O’Briens has more than 300 outlets providing the healthy food option in 13 countries across Asia, Europe, Australia, and Africa. O’Briens has been in Malaysia since 2002 and has grown from strength to
strength, beginning with the first outlet in Great Eastern Mall and growing to the current 10 outlets in the Klang Valley, inclusive of Damansara Heights UOA II, Menara OCBC, Menara Weld Shopping Centre, The Curve, 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Suria KLCC, Menara Prudential, Sunway Pyramid, and KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport). O’Briens Malaysia is looking at expanding its outlets throughout Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak in the near future. The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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country in focus 01
Words by Dayana Nordin
The Maldives: A Republic of Tropical Paradise and Wonderful Tourism
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“Dhoni”, said the little girl, referring to the water rafts which plays a significant part in the Republic’s economy. “Generally, all sorts of boats are called Dhoni over here.” Welcome to Maldives. Abundant with sea life and pristine sandy beaches, Maldives is referred to many as a tropical paradise. Officially known as the Republic of Maldives, the country is nestled in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Southern Asia, and is made up of 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (ring-shaped coral reef enclosing a lagoon). The atolls of Maldives encompass a territory spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometres, making it one of the most disparate countries in the world. 03
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01. A Maldivian girl 02. A Dhoni at the Meemu atoll on the Maldives 03. Lounge chairs on the beach at Vilamendhoo in South Ari Atoll 04. Watertaxi at Mirihi Island, common transport in the Maldives
T
here are roughly 200 inhabited islands and about 80 of them contain tourist resorts. Malé is the country’s capital and largest city. It is one of the smallest capitals in the world and one of the most crowded with a third of the country’s population (about 75,000) living in Malé. Together with modern high-rise buildings housing the government offices, Malé is the hub of trade and the central seat of the government. The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in terms of both population and area. Fascinatingly, the country is mostly all water compared to land, with low elevation of islands that makes the Maldives sensitive to sea level rise. The Maldivian cultures reflect the blend of peoples who settled on the islands, reinforced by religion and language. The Maldives economy revolves around tourism and is currently enjoying extraordinary growth again, having sprung back from a string of disasters in the past few years. Scores of the islands have The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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been developed for the top end of the tourist market and even the bottom end does not come cheap. As perfect as the country looks to the rest of the world, the Maldives has been through a period of political transition with the first democratic parliamentary elections held in May 2009. Social unrest is still possible and some demonstrations on Malé Island and other islands have ended in violence. Government The Maldives became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. Prior to that, the country was long a sultanate, first under Dutch and then under British protection. For 30 years, President Maumoon Abdul
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Photos by Paolo Milanesi (01), Niels Rameckers (02), Fabian Gruber (04), Henry UK (05, 12), Muthu Krishnan (06, 07, 08), Infinity VJ (03, 09), Rob Amos (10), Rachel Collinson (11)
Gayoom dominated the islands’ political scene when he was elected to six successive terms by single-party referendums. Following riots in Malé in August 2004, the president and his government promised to embark upon democratic reforms together with a more representative political system and expanded political freedoms. However, progress was sluggish and many promised reforms were slow to be realised. Even so, political parties were legalised in 2005. A constituent assembly termed the ‘Special Majlis’ finalised a new constitution in June 2008, which was ratified by the president in August. In October 2008, the first-ever presidential elections under a multi-candidate, multi-party system were held. Political activist, Mohamed Nasheed, who had been jailed several years earlier by the former regime, defeated Gayoom in a runoff poll. Strengthening democracy, combating poverty and drug abuse are some challenges facing the new president. Members of the Maldives’ Cabinet slipped on scuba gear for the world’s first ever underwater cabinet meeting to highlight the threat global warming poses to the lowest-lying nation on earth, in Girifushi, Maldives, in October 2009. In the meeting, the President, Vice President, and the cabinet signed a declaration calling for collaborative global action on climate change, ahead of the UN climate conference in Copenhagen. Economy The Maldives is not blessed with many natural resources apart from her beauty and the treasures of the sea. In fact, about 99 per cent of its territory consists of water. Therefore, it is not surprising that tourism and fishing are the main industries of the country. Despite the scarcity of resources in the Maldives, the economy has experienced a phenomenal growth these past two decades. What’s more, Maldives is one of the few countries which enjoy an annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 5.8 per cent as stated by The World Bank in 2008, with approximately USD1.723 billion GDP purchasing power parity and per capita GDP of USD4,500. The currency of the Maldives is the Rufiyaa (MVR), which is divided into 100 larees. As its largest industry, tourism accounts for approximately 28 per cent of GDP and more than 60 per cent of foreign exchange receipts. In addition, 90 per cent of government tax revenue comes from tourism-related taxes and import duties. Until the development of the tourist industry, the fisheries sector was the Maldives’ principle
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05. Dhoni worker during sunset 06. Malé at night 07. Morning hours at a fish market 08. Construction workers doing pavement at Villingli 09. A resort staff cleaning the beach
economic activity and source of export earnings. Now it is the second leading sector in the country and continues to provide the most employment opportunity to the islands’ population. The Maldives has also developed a modest merchant fleet in the region now called Maldives National Shipping Limited. Manufacturing and agriculture play a lesser role in the economy, constrained by the shortage of domestic labour and the limited
availability of cultivable land. The manufacturing industry consists mainly of garment production, boat building, and handicrafts, and accounts for about 7 per cent of GDP. Due to the country’s inability to conduct large-scale commercial farming, most staple foods must be imported. In late December 2004, a major tsunami left more than a hundred deceased while 12,000 were displaced and property damage exceeded USD300 The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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country in focus 10
10. Water villa resort at Olhuveli 11. Tables and chairs set out for dinner on the beach 12. A Muslim man standing on a dusty track on the Island of Fenfushi
are the major challenges facing the government. Over the longer term, Maldivian authorities are concerned about the impact of erosion and possible global warming on their low-lying country, as 80 per cent of the area is one metre or less above sea level. Population The population of the Maldives has thrived during the last few decades. The most cited source for the total population of the Maldives is the CIA World Factbook, with the estimated number of 396,334 as of July 2009. The 2009 estimated growth rate is at 0.17 per cent, and this puts the Maldives between Malta and Brunei in terms of world ranking. The ethnic groups that are prevalent in the Maldives are the South Indians, Sinhalese and Arabs, and the languages spoken are Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic) and most government officials speak English. Most inhabitants of the Maldives are Sunni Muslims. The population is scattered throughout the country, with the greatest concentration on the capital island, MalĂŠ. Many Maldivians live in poverty;, however, the country has developed its infrastructure and industries, including the fisheries sector. Health care, education and literacy have also been improved throughout the country.
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million. As a result, the GDP contracted by about 4.6 per cent in 2005. However, the economy recovered quickly through the help of rebound in tourism, post-tsunami reconstruction, and development of new resorts, with GDP growth registering 18 per cent in 2006. Growth then slowed in 200708 but remained above 5 per cent per year. The trade deficit expanded sharply as a result of high oil prices and imports of construction material. Government spending on social needs, subsidies, and civil servant salaries has created a large budget deficit and inflation has picked up sharply, reaching nearly 13 per cent in October 2008 due to high oil and food prices. Branching out beyond tourism and fishing, reforming public finance, and increasing employment The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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Tourism In October 1972, the Maldives opened its doors to international visitors and since then, over 10 million tourists have visited the country. The Maldives has successfully marketed its natural assets of splendid sunsets, stunning unpolluted beaches and blue waters, to bring in about USD500 million a year. As previously stated, the tourism industry here accounts for 28 per cent of the country’s GDP. There are no restrictions on foreign nationals entering the country. Israelis and people
who have Israeli stamps in their passports are perfectly welcome, which is rare in the Muslim world. There is no better time to visit the Maldives as it is in a developmental frenzy; and every few months brings newly opened resorts from top end boutique brands to ecologically sound back-to-nature hotels. Islam in the Maldives Some sources claimed that the original inhabitants of the Maldives were Buddhists, before Islam was introduced in 1153, and has remained dominant since. With the exception of Shia members of the Indian trading community, Maldivians are Sunni Muslims. The Maldives, being the smallest Asian country in both population and area, is also the smallest predominantly Muslim nation in the world. Three years after obtaining independence from Britain, a quasi-Islamic presidential republic replaced the reigning Islamic Sultanate. In 2008, submission to the Islamic faith became a legal requirement for citizens. The importance of Islam in the Maldives is further evident in the lack of a secular legal system. Instead, the traditional Islamic law or Shariah, known in Dhivehi as sariatu, forms the fundamental law code of Maldives as interpreted to conform to local Maldivian conditions by the president, the attorney general, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Majlis. Most inhabited islands have several mosques and MalĂŠ has more than thirty. Most mosques are whitewashed buildings constructed of coral stone with corrugated iron or thatched roofs. The isolation of Maldives from the historical centres of Islam in the Middle East and Asia has allowed some pre-Islamic beliefs and attitudes to survive. hj Sources: The World Bank, Republic of Maldives: Department of Information under Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and other sources.
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islamic finance
Islamic Foreign Exchange Swap
as a Hedging Mechanism
Words by Dr. Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki
**
International Shari`ah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA)
Islamic Foreign Exchange Swap (Islamic FX Swap) is a contract that is designed as a hedging mechanism to minimise market participants’ exposure to volatile and fluctuating market currency exchange rates. To date, there are three main instruments of Islamic swaps: FX Swap, Cross Currency Swap and Profit Rate Swap. This article focuses solely on Islamic FX swap.
Photo by Carlos Sotelo
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Shariah perspectives on the FX Swap
The FX Swap is a derivative instrument that has a specific objective to hedge against the risk of fluctuations in the exchange rate. The conventional structure of a FX Swap normally involves two foreign currency monetary exchanges; at the beginning and at the expiry date (FX Swap involves exchange and re-exchange of foreign currency). The dual exchange makes this FX Swap different from a forward contract. In the forward contract, the exchange only takes place once. The FX swap involves two stages of exchange. At the beginning when the first currency exchange takes place, US dollar (USD) is converted to for example Malaysian ringgit (MYR) based on the spot rate. On the same day, both sides will seal a forward contract to exchange the MYR back to USD at a forward rate. From the Shariah view point, the problem with the conventional FX Swap structure arises when the parties involved want to exchange currency
sometime in the future but fix a rate on the day the contract is concluded. This contravenes basic Shariah rules governing the exchange of currency (Sarf). Under Sarf, it is prohibited to enter a forward currency contract, where the execution of a deferred contract in which the concurrent possession of both the counter values by both parties does not take place. This rule applies in the case of an FX Swap, since the contract of exchanging two foreign currencies is done on a forward basis where the contract is concluded today, but the exchanges actually happen in the future (on the date of maturity). There are two structures
under the Islamic FX Swap. One structure is based on the Tawarruq contract (also known in the market as commodity Murabahah transaction) and the other adopts the concept of Waad (promise/ undertaking).
Islamic FX Swap based on Tawarruq
This is structured with the application of two sets of Tawarruq (at the beginning) to achieve the same effect as a conventional FX Swap. As an illustration, say an investor has USD14.5 million and he wants to invest in the Euro currency (EUR) but does not want to be exposed to fluctuations in the currency market. This FX Swap product aims to protect the investor from currency rate fluctuation risks. To understand the process and mechanism which is used in the Islamic version of FX Swap that complies with Shariah, Diagrams 1(a) and 1(b) gives a complete illustration of the mechanism of Islamic FX Swap. Table 1 shows the cash flow in an FX Swap.
Islamic FX Swap based on Waad
The second structure in a FX Swap is based on the concept of Waad. The Waad is an Arabic word which literally means ‘a promise’. The value of the Waad in Shariah is similar to the value of a social promise in Common Law. The promise may have moral force, in that breaking it may provoke opprobrium (social blame), but it does not entail legal obligations or legal sanctions. Under Civil Law, the Waad Photo by Feikje Meeuwsen
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islamic finance
Diagram 1 : Islamic FX Swap Mechanism Diagram 1.A : Islamic FX Swap - First Part
Broker A
USD
Broker B
3
1
Investor {bank=agent}
Diagram 1.B : Islamic FX Swap - Second Part
2
Broker A
USD
6
1. I nvesto r bu ys co m m o d it y wo r t h U S D14.5 mi l l i o n (thro ug h th e b a n k) by ca sh . 2. I nvesto r (th ro u gh b a n k) sells t h e co m m o d i t y to th e bank at the p r i ce U S D 1 4 . 5 0 1 m i l l i o n by c re d i t. Th e expire date is o n e yea r. 3. B ank sells co m m o d i t y to B ro k e r B by c a s h a n d obtains USD 1 4 . 5 m i l l i o n . Th e b a n k c h a n g e s U S D 1 4 . 5 millio n to EUR 10 m illio n b a sed o n t h e sp ot rate.
EUR
EUR
Investor {bank=agent}
Bank
Broker B
5
4
Bank
4 . B a n k b u ys t h e co m m o d i t y f ro m B ro k e r B wo r th EUR 1 0 mi l l i o n by c a s h . 5 . B a n k n ow s e l l s t h e co m m o d i t y wo r t h EUR 1 0 million to t h e i nve s to r at t h e p r i ce o f EUR 1 0 . 1 4 1 m i llion by c re d i t. E x pi r y d ate i s a l s o o n e ye a r. 6 . I nve s to r s e l l s ( t h ro u g h b a n k ) t h e co m m o d i t y to B ro k e r A a n d o bta i n s EUR 1 0 mi l l i o n .
Diagram 2 : Islamic FX Swap based on Wa’ad
1.a. Bai Al-Sarf
Investor
USD14.5m
Bank
EUR10m
1.b. Wa’ad
Investor
Wa’ad to buy USD14.5m at the rate 1.43
Bank
2.b. Bai Al-Sarf at expiry date
Investor
EUR10.141
Bank
USD14.501m
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Table 1 : Cash flow in an FX Swap
Return Buying Price Selling Price Tawarruq USD 1bp Tawarruq EUR 1.40874% Exchange Rate
14,500,000 10,000,000 1.45
Cash Flow of Investor Beginning End
14,501,450 (14,500,000) 14,501,450 14,500,000 10,140,874 10,000,000 (10,140,874) (10,000,000) 1.43
can be binding or non-binding depending on the intention of the party who is giving the promise. The OIC Islamic Fiqh Academy, based in Saudi Arabia, has decided that the Waad is “obligatory not only in the eyes of Allah but also in a court of law” when: • It is made in commercial transactions • It is a unilateral promise • It has caused the promise to incur liabilities
and a real transaction must occur, and must be proven. 6. The sequence of each contract to be executed must be followed accordingly to ensure that all these contracts are independent and separate from one another (mustaqillah).
Also, it is a requirement that the actual sale – if the promise was in respect of selling a certain asset – be concluded at the time of exchange of the offer and the acceptance (known in Arabic as Majlis al-Aqd) and not at the time of the Waad. The Islamic FX based on the Waad structure involves exchange of currencies (Sarf) at the beginning, and a promise or undertaking (Waad) to carry out another Sarf at a future date based on the rate determined today. At the expiry date, the second Sarf will be implemented to get back the original currency.
Most of the swap products that have been approved by the respective Shariah committees of each financial institution have put a condition that Islamic swaps are exclusively for hedging purposes. This means that swaps can only be used as an insurance activity aimed to protect an asset from adverse change, which can be an unexpected or undesirable change in the value of an asset, at the lowest cost. Based on statistical reports issued by the US Office of the Controller of Currency (OCC), only 2.7 per cent from the total of derivatives are used by end users. That means transactions that aim to hedge only achieve the percentage stated, while the majority, 97.3
Parameters for hedging
Cash Flow of Bank Beginning End
The general Shariah parameters that one must abide by when structuring swap products are as follows: 1. Each contract in the swap structure must be actual, not a fictitious contract (suriyah). 2. Each contract has its own effect (atharuha). For example, a sales agreement gives the effect of ownership. There should not be any encumbrance on ownership (milkiah tammah). It is up to the buyer whether he wants to sell it, keep it or use it. 3. Each contract in the structure must be independent and separated. 4. The contracts must not be conditional to one another. 5. For exchange contracts (Uqud Mu’awadhart), the pillars and conditions of the contracts must be complied with. The contract must be clear
(14,501,450) 10,140,874
per cent, is used by dealers, or in other words by speculators. These statistics will surely trigger concern as to what extent the Islamic swap product is really free from speculative activity that is not allowed in Shariah. Thus, more detailed guidelines or parameters (dhawabit) are necessary to make sure that this product is used solely for the purpose of hedging and not for speculative activities. Some financial institutions give a written representation to get a guarantee and declaration from the counter-party subscribing to the swap product, thereby making sure that the swap is only used for the purpose of hedging and not speculation. For other financial institutions, the swap is only used for hedging when there is a clear underlying transaction and contract, for example the Ijarah contract. This is to ensure that the underlying asset or asset foundation for the swap instrument is based entirely on actual and real economic activity and not a fictitious one.
hj
*About the author: Associate Professor Dr. Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki is the Head of Research Affairs at the International Shari`ah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA). Dr. Asyraf specialises in Islamic Banking and Finance, Islamic Microfinance, Fiqh Muamalat, Corporate Governance of Islamic Financial Institutions, Accounting for Islamic Financial Institutions, Risk Management and Analysis of Islamic Banking, Islamic Accounting, Islamic Business Ethics, and Corporate Social Responsibility. **This article was previously published in Vol. 6, Issue 45, 13th November 2009, of the Islamic Finance News – a publication by the REDmoney Group, and is reprinted with the permission from the author. For more Islamic Finance news and updates visit www.islamicfinancenews.com. The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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islamic finance update Compiled by Zaahira Muhammad
KUWAIT FINANCE HOUSE AWARDED THE ’BEST ISLAMIC BANK IN THE GULF’ AND THE ‘BEST ISLAMIC BANK IN KUWAIT’ BY GLOBAL FINANCE Kuwait Finance House (KFH) was awarded ‘The Best Islamic Bank in the Gulf’ award, and ‘The Best Islamic Bank in Kuwait’ award, in the Global Finance Group Awards. These were accorded in recognition of the Bank’s countless successes, the local and global expansionary measures, as well as its ability to match risks and investment opportunities on one hand and business requirements and growth on the other. Mr. Mohammed Suleiman AlOmar, Chief Executive Officer, KFH received the awards in Istanbul, where he said, “These awards are a significant addition to the numerous prizes and awards that KFH has received recently, especially because they celebrate the presence of KFH in the Gulf market. They also recognise the Bank’s commitment and adherence to the global banking rules and standards. KFH has now become a symbol for the Islamic finance industry in Kuwait, as well as around the globe.” He added, “The Gulf is a significant region in our growth and expansion strategy. It is a promising market and we have absolute confidence in achieving success and growth there, as we did in the Kuwait market. We have also obtained an investment banking license in Saudi Arabia and are executing major real estate development projects in the eastern areas, as well as other major cities in the Kingdom. Since inception seven years ago, KFH-Bahrain has been actively involved in infamous projects in the region, namely ‘Durrat Bahrain’ and ‘Muharraq Homes.” Mr. Al-Omar notably highlighted, “I am indeed very proud to announce that KFH is the sole organisation in the history of the Islamic finance industry to have facilitated the transfer of a conventional bank (National Bank of Sharjah) to a full-fledged Islamic bank. This reiterates the trust and confidence in the Kuwaiti private sector.” The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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Mr. Mohammed Al-Omar receives the prize
He further added, “KFH is continuously working on strengthening its commercial ties, building cooperation, communication bridges and channels with countries where it operates. These include Turkey, Malaysia, Singapore, Jordan, Bahrain, Australia and Saudi Arabia.” Mr. Al-Omar also indicated that the investment of KFH in the Gulf region over the last decade has been via financing of projects, which has amounted to more than KD15 Billion. These encompass various industries including communications, infrastructure, energy, real estate development and other financing projects such as the issuance of Sukuk, all of which have been arranged based on the ingenuity of the Bank’s products. Mr. Al-Omar concluded saying, “The fact that KFH has simultaneously won ‘The Best Islamic bank in the Gulf’ as well as ‘The Best Islamic Bank in Kuwait’ titles is indicative of the strategies the Bank has employed to ensure it diversifies its profit centres, mitigates risks while availing opportunities, wherever they may be presented.” |SOURCE: KFH ONLINE, 9 OCTOBER 2009
AL HILAL TAKAFUL SIGNS AN AGREEMENT WITH AJMAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Representing Al Hilal Takaful Company at the signing was Mr. Jihad Feitrouni, the CEO, while AUST was represented by Mr. Thamer Saeed Salman, Vice President for Administrative and Financial Affairs. Senior management members from both sides attended the ceremony which took place on
15 September 2009, in Ajman, at the University headquarters. Mr. Feitrouni, in his speech, praised the efforts that have been made in consolidating the common desire for the cooperation between Al Hilal Takaful and Ajman University, a reputable educational institute well-recognised locally and regionally. On his part, Mr. Salman said that AUST senior administration pays considerable attention to the wellbeing and healthcare of all staff members of AUST and their families. He added that the University is looking forward to maintain a long-term relationship with Al Hilal Takaful, which is a privileged partnership rather than a business one. He also stated that the University is confident that the services provided by Takaful Al Hilal will meet the expectations of AUST staff members. Both parties wished all success and prosperity for this relationship, which would mark the beginning of further forms of and ideas on mutual cooperation. Al Hilal Takaful is a new company providing general and medical Takaful (Islamic Insurance Products & Services) complying with the Islamic Shariah Principles, the company was founded in 2008 in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and it is whollyowned by Al Hilal Bank, one of the most important investments of Abu Dhabi Investment Council, the investment arm of the Government of Abu Dhabi.”
crisis and transforming our economy, it is imperative for us to act quickly and seize early mover advantages.” “Emerging as a regional or even global centre or clusters in key areas will provide a resilient and sustainable platform for future growth,” he said. Nor Mohamed said this in his keynote address entitled, “Lessons From Beyond the Dismal Science” at the opening of Khazanah Megatrends 2009 here. Nor Mohamed also said Malaysia’s relatively small economy should remain adaptive to the changing global environment and build upon strong symbiotic relationships. “The crisis has accelerated the trend of global growth centred in Asia, particularly in China, India, Indonesia and the Middle East. Malaysia is uniquely primed to benefit from the emerging new world order,” he said. He added Malaysia was also well positioned in Asean and Asia and can forge partnerships with other countries to jointly access regional markets for Halal products and Islamic finance. On another note, Nor Mohamed said there was a need for continuous and appropriate policies to tackle the present economic cycle. “The lesson history teaches us is that cycle of boom and busts will continue to occur going forward. “Investment history tells us that bubbles are forever. The only question is where and when they emerge,” he said.
|SOURCE: AME INFO, 3 OCTOBER 2009
|SOURCE: BERNAMA, 13 OCTOBER 2009
MALAYSIA SHOULD FOCUS ON INDUSTRY CLUSTERS TO DRIVE GROWTH, SAYS NOR MOHAMED Malaysia needs to develop and strengthen industry clusters in areas that will be drivers for the country’s future growth, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department, Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said. He said the areas included Islamic finance, downstream palm oil and higher valueadded electronics industries. “In recovering from the current global financial
SABB Takaful raises SR343m in Kingdom’s first rights issue for insurance company SABB Takaful announced that it had successfully raised SR343.4 million in capital through its rights issue. In terms of value, this represents a total coverage of 114.5 per cent from the SR300 million the Company sought to raise. According to statistics provided by Aldukheil Financial Group, the Financial Advisor & Lead Manager of the rights issue, SABB Takaful’s eligible shareholders subscribed to
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25,530,835 shares, representing 106.4 per cent of the rights issue shares. SABB Takaful kept its subscription period window open for ten working days. The successful rights issue was coordinated and managed by Aldukheil Financial Group, while Saudi Hollandi Capital acted as the Underwriter. Shareholders were able to subscribe through any of the appointed receiving banks branches, in addition to electronic channels such as telephone and internet banking, as well as via ATMs. The final allocation for the offered shares will be announced on 1 September 2009. Dr. Yazid AbdulRahman Al-Ohaly, Chairman of SABB Takaful, said, “The rights issue has been incredibly successful and we are extremely proud of the outcome. We are very pleased with our shareholders’ trust and enthusiasm to support our future business plans.”
various perils of this massive project were realised from the very beginning. Undoubtedly, choosing Takaful International is an added value to the project because of their technical and professional potential. Al-Sayed of Takaful said that the insurance coverage for Albilad Real Estate Investment Company are in compliance with the Shariahh principles and will provide adequate protection to the Water Garden City. He added that the company prioritises clients by providing insurance services to suit their various needs and demands. The coverage will include contractor all risk insurance and third party liability. Water Garden City, located in Seef District, sprawls over an area of 56 hectares and includes vital facilities along the new sea front. |SOURCE: Arab News, 14 SEPTEMBER 2009
|SOURCE: AME Info, 1 SEPTEMBER 2009
Takaful insures Bahrain project Bahrain-based Takaful International Company sealed an agreement with Albilad Real Estate Investment Company to provide insurance coverage related to the construction and establishment of the Water Garden City, one of the largest projects in the region. A signing ceremony was held at Albilad headquarters in Bahrain Financial Harbour in coordination with the insurance brokers, AON Middle East Reinsurance Company. Water Garden City project is one of the highly advanced construction projects in GCC countries with a total estimated cost of USD6.6 billion. This huge project is designed to be an urban residential city with worldclass services, entertainment facilities and commercial offices. The insurance agreement was signed by Zeyad Janahi, General Manager of Albilad, and Younis Jamal Al-Sayed, CEO of Takaful. Janahi expressed his delight to sign this agreement with Takaful International Company. The importance of having insurance to cover the
Islamic banking, panacea to global meltdown Islamic fund has been declared as the only resilient alternative in the face of global meltdown as the returns from the Islamic financial institutions throughout the world in 2008 were in the region of USD600 billion. The Co-ordinator of a-three-day international conference of Islamic Banking and Finance, Dr Ibrahim Abdulquadri, in an interview with reporters said, it would commence this week, noting that Islamic fund is the resilient alternative in the face of the global meltdown. He stressed that Islamic banking and finance was the only way of annexing Islamic funds going on around the world. He noted that some Western and Asian countries, having seen the advantages inherent to Islamic banking and finance, are struggling tooth and nail to corner the funds accruable from this alternative to regular banking system. The three-day conference, jointly organised by the University of Ilorin and Islamic Research and Training Institute of Saudi Arabia, comes up between
Tuesday and Thursday this week. Abdulquadir said that the United Kingdom now has five Islamic banks, adding that “for somebody like the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, to say at an international conference on Islamic banking in 2006, that he would do everything to ensure that Britain becomes an Islamic financial hub of the world, means there is enormous advantages in the sector. Since then the system has been performing wonderfully well.” |SOURCE: Vanguard, 5 OCTOBER 2009
Takaful Malaysia invests RM15m on rebranding Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Bhd will spend RM15 million on rebranding to grow its market share to 50 per cent. In a statement, Takaful Malaysia said, the exercise would include a modern, young and energetic “look” for its logo, physical creative refurbishments of its 13 platinum branches and a refreshing look for its outdoor billboards and signages for its branches nationwide. The company, which would celebrate its 25th anniversary on 10 November at the Hilton Hotel, said, the enhancement was necessary to elevate Takaful Malaysia’s value in years to come. It said the refurbishment of the new branches would be ready by end-November. The Takaful operator said, it would be taking measures to ensure visibility of its new brand through various media and ground activities. |SOURCE: bernama, 8 OCTOBER 2009
Malaysian pilgrim fund doubles stake in Bank Islam Malaysia’s state-run pilgrim fund will double its stake in Bank Islam to about 20 per cent after taking up preference shares allotted to another shareholder, Dubai Group, the Business Times reported on Thursday, citing sources. The sources said, it meant Bank Islam, Malaysia’s No. 2 Shariahh bank, had managed to raise RM540 million (USD158 million) to strengthen its Tier 1 capital – an exercise that stalled after Dubai Group refused the initial offer last week. Bank Islam
then gave its other shareholders Lembaga Tabung Haji, a pilgrim fund holding RM23 billion, and Islamic banking group BIMB Holdings (BIMB.KL), a chance to take up shares allotted to Dubai Group that came up to RM216 million. Lembaga Tabung Haji, which previously held a 9 per cent stake in the firm, took up all the shares, the newspaper quoted the sources as saying. The purchase now dilutes Dubai Group’s stake in Bank Islam to 30 per cent from 40 per cent. Dubai Group, an investment vehicle owned by the ruler of Dubai, said last week, it was reviewing options for its stake in Bank Islam as it moves its investment focus closer to home. If Dubai Group eventually sells its stake in Bank Islam, it could spark a round of consolidation among Malaysia’s Islamic banks. Several Islamic bankers in Malaysia have said, Maybank’s Islamic subsidiary wants to acquire a stake in Bank Islam. |SOURCE: REUTERS, 8 OCTOBER 2009
Dubai Group rethinks Malaysian Bank Islam stake Dubai Group, a state-owned investment vehicle is reviewing options for its stake in Malaysia’s Bank Islam as it shifts its strategic focus closer to home. If Dubai Group eventually sells its stake in Bank Islam, it could spark a round of consolidation among Malaysia’s Islamic banks. Several Islamic bankers in Malaysia have said Maybank’s Islamic subsidiary wanted to acquire a stake in Bank Islam. Dubai Group confirms that it is in the process of reviewing its strategic options relating to its (Bank Islam) stake. Following the reassessment of its investment strategy, Dubai Group has redirected its competitive advantage closer to home. Bank Islam, Malaysia’s No. 2 Shariahh bank, had offered preference shares to its shareholders in April to raise up to RM540 million (USD156 million). But Dubai Financial Group, a unit of Dubai Group which holds a 40 per cent stake in the Malaysian lender, refused the offer, Bank Islam said. Dubai Group, however, said that Malaysia remained a key market for future investments. Islamic The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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banking group BIMB Holdings Bhd owns 51 per cent of Bank Islam, with Lembaga Tabung Haji, or the Malaysian pilgrims’ fund, holding the remaining 9 per cent. Both Malaysian shareholders took up the share offer, allowing Bank Islam to raise its Tier 1 capital by RM324 million, it said in a statement. Both shareholders have to decide whether to take up the offer within seven days, it said. |SOURCE: BI-ME (Business Intelligence Middle East), 1 OCTOBER 2009
Gulf banks seek Pakistan licence Pakistan is likely to issue a new Islamic banking licence for Gulf banks – including one from Abu Dhabi – next year, a senior banking executive said. At least two Gulf-based or Gulf-sponsored banks are operating in Pakistan and the new licence is likely to be in line with the central bank’s drive to increase Islamic banking to 12 per cent of the banking sector from the current five per cent by 2012. “New licences will be issued. There is a strong possibility that an Islamic banking licence for the Gulf will be issued next year,” said Pervez Said, a former Director of Islamic
banking at the State Bank of Pakistan, who is going to be the CEO of Pakistan’s Dawood Islamic Bank next month. “Foreign banks are now in a position where they want to go in [to Pakistan],” he said, on the sidelines of an Islamic retail banking summit. Dubai Islamic Bank has had operations in Pakistan since 2006. Emirates Global Islamic Bank, which is owned by leading investors from the UAE and Saudi Arabia, started operations in 2007 in Pakistan. “I can tell you there is at least one licence in the pipeline. The Middle East is the region where people still have money and are looking to invest,” he said.
markets, governments, regulators and institutions in the Middle East have responded professionally and appropriately. We now are in a position to declare with a great deal of confidence that the region has successfully passed through the worst of the crisis without experiencing any systemic risks. This is a great accomplishment and speaks well about the future of this region and this industry,” said Dr. Omar, in his opening address to the Banking Outlook Middle East 2009 conference, which was held in Dubai.
|SOURCE: Reuters, 13 OCTOBER 2009
UK’s only Islamic insurer targets entrepreneurs Salaam Halal hopes to widen its base to Western Europe Bradley Brandon-Cross. The UK’s only stand-alone Islamic insurer will expand next year to offer takaful insurance to companies run by Muslim business owners. The insurer, which launched in 2008 providing car insurance and more recently home insurance, is targeting the two million Muslims living in the UK. The plan is to offer the UK’s first takaful product range for Muslim-owned small and medium-sized business. In
Mideast banks resilient to crisis, poised for growth The Middle East banking sector has been remarkably resilient to the global financial crisis and is poised for growth in light of regional market reforms and global structural changes favouring the region, said Dr. Omar Bin Sulaiman, Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre and Vice Chairman of the UAE Central Bank. “During a period of great strain on financial systems across the globe,
|SOURCE: Gulfnews.com, 14 OCTOBER 2009
Britain, there are some 140,000 of these, with concentrations in London, Leicester and Birmingham. Salaam Halal will particularly target businessmen with less than GBP1 million annual turnover, typically lawyers, accountants, doctors and retailers. Salaam Halal is considering offering life savings products in partnership with other insurers in the UK. The company also plans to move into European countries with large Muslim populations, such as France, Germany and the Netherlands. On grounds of practicality and faith, offering takaful insurance that includes general liability, commercial motor, commercial property and pecuniary loss, has good potential. The packages on offer to this sector are looking tired as they are based on products developed 40 years ago, so a new approach could appeal to more than the Muslim sector. |SOURCE: Money Market UK, 1 OCTOBER 2009
MIFC Starts Road shows in Qatar, Bahrain In an effort to promote Malaysia as the international hub for Islamic finance, the Malaysia
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International Islamic Finance Centre (MIFC) organised six-day road shows in Qatar and Bahrain. The road shows are headed by Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah, who is also MIFC’s financial ambassador. More than 80 Malaysian delegates took part in the road shows to discuss the potential of Islamic finance and its benefits. MIFC is an initiative launched on 14 August 2006 to strengthen Malaysia’s position as a centre of excellence in Islamic finance. Under the MIFC initiative, Malaysia is positioned as a centre for Sukuk origination, Islamic fund and wealth management, international Islamic banking, international takaful and human capital development. MIFC is a collaborative effort by the country’s financial and market regulators including Bank Negara Malaysia, Securities Commission, Labuan Offshore Financial Services Authority (LOFSA) and Bursa Malaysia - together with industry participation from the banking, takaful and capital market. During the road shows, the Malaysian regulators and market players met with their respective counterparts to network and vie for potential business linkages. Participants brg proses1_09.pdf 1 13/12/2009 16:02:56
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include Khazanah Nasional Bhd, CIMB Islamic Bank, Cagamas Bhd, BNP Paribas Bhd, Bank Islam Malaysia and MAA Takaful Bhd. The delegation left for the second leg of the road show to Bahrain on 13 October for another three-day meeting. |SOURCE: Bernama, 10 OCTOBER 2009
Malaysia Eyes Close Brunei Ties On Islamic Banking Malaysia has broached the idea of working side by side with Brunei Darussalam in promoting the two countries jointly as an Islamic banking hub. Malaysian High Commissioner to Brunei, Dato’ Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari, said that Brunei and Malaysia can be promoted as an Islamic banking hub as both countries are Islamic nations and have people who are knowledgeable in Islamic banking. Islamic banking is getting popular in countries like Singapore and even the United Kingdom, and if Brunei and Malaysia cooperated to promote it, the two neighbours would have an “advantage”. Malaysia is looking at the possibility of bringing in Islamic banking experts to Brunei, as the Malaysian Islamic
banking and finance sector is already quite advanced. “We can work together to promote this new and alternative mode of banking compared to conventional banking to the rest of the world,” said the High Commissioner. Meanwhile, Dato’ Ku Jaafar also spoke of relations between the Sultanate and Malaysia, saying, he was “very happy” that ties were “getting stronger”. However, he said, he would like to see more of Brunei’s participation in the economic development of Malaysia, through education and by establishing more collaboration in defence and other sectors. |SOURCE: BruDirect, 12 OCTOBER 2009
Swiss Re launches Shariah cover Swiss Reinsurance Co., the world’s second-largest reinsurer, is starting a Shariah-compliant family and general insurance business in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Zurich-based company has received a
composite license from the Malaysian financial regulator Bank Negara, Swiss Re said yesterday in an e-mailed statement. Bank Negara has moved towards liberalisation of the Malaysian insurance industry by granting eight so-called takaful and retakaful licenses. Takaful is a Shariah-compliant alternative to conventional insurance, where uncertainty and interest are not allowed. Insurance broker, Willis Group Holdings Ltd., said in July, it would increase its investment at its Malaysia unit. “This new license will allow us to consolidate and enlarge the scope of our efforts by also providing general retakaful solutions,” the company said. Swiss Re has been offering family retakaful solutions in the Middle East for three years. Around USD1.7 billion takaful premiums were written in 2007. Swiss Re said the global takaful market could reach USD7 billion by 2015. “The 1.5 [sic] billion Muslims around the world, and also non-Muslims, interested in the principles underpinning Shariah-compliant products represent a growing client segment for the insurance sector,” the company said. |SOURCE: Royal Gazette, 9 OCTOBER 2009
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In actual fact, many Islamic obligations involve physical and spiritual activities in order to strengthen the mind, body, and soul.
Islamic Sports & Recreation
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Sports & Recreation
for a Sound Mind, Body & Soul
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“Refresh your mind from time to time, for a tired mind becomes blind”, and Abu Darda also commented, “I entertain my heart with something trivial in order to make it stronger in the service of the Truth.” The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him, p.b.u.h.) advised his followers to engage in many forms of
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Muslims and visiting the sick also involve physical movements. These activities in Islam, so long as they are done moderately, are considered as forms of exercise to strengthen and preserve the well-being of the human body. Mundane routines must be broken to ensure efficiency in daily tasks be it at work or at home. Ali bin Abi Talib said:
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n Islam, sports, exercise and recreation are encouraged for both men and women alike, just as a balanced diet is prescribed, and harmful substances prohibited. In actual fact, many Islamic obligations involve physical and spiritual activities in order to strengthen the mind, body, and soul. Prayer, for example, involves motion of the body for spiritual purification, while the Hajj also involves physical motions of the body in its different rituals. Walking to and from mosques, visiting fellow
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sports that are even today considered as some of the best forms of exercise such as wrestling, racing, archery and horseback riding. In early Islam, men were encouraged to participate in horseback riding and archery where athletics were part of military training. As stated in Sunan Abi Da’ud, narrated by Uqbah ibn Amir, “I heard the Apostle of Allah say: Allah, Most High, will cause three persons to enter Paradise for one arrow: the maker when he has a good motive in making it, the one who shoots it, and the one who hands it; so shoot and ride, but your shooting is dearer to me than your riding. Everything with which a man amuses himself is vain except three (things): a man’s training of his horse, his playing with his wife, and his shooting with his bow and arrow. If anyone abandons archery after becoming an adept through distaste for it, it is a blessing he has abandoned; or he said: for which he has been ungrateful.” Muslims during that era played a series of
sports which included running, horsemanship, archery, fencing, wrestling, weight lifting, stone tossing, high jumping, and swimming. These activities were carried out to make their bodies strong, but each to its purposes and conditions. Islam encourages practicing sports to strengthen the human body and mind. The Hadith by Bukhari and Muslim states, “A strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than a weak one.” Due to the fact that Islam does not encourage one to forego religious and worldly duties, a strong and healthy body is needed to fulfil these duties. “Exercise is conducive
to a more balanced emotional state, as it aids in the release of harmful free radicals and excess hormones,” says Sister Hikmat Beiruty in her article published on her blog, ‘Muslim Women in Sports’. Sports make the body active, enhance its immunity, protect it from diseases and help the body get rid of waste. Nowadays, sports are commonly participated by both men and women. The fact that Islam encourages sports makes one realise how great, flexible and comprehensive this course of Allah given to mankind is. However, one must not occupy himself with sports to the extent that leads to neglecting religious
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However, one must not occupy himself with sports to the extent that leads to neglecting religious and other duties; prayers, for example, must still be performed five times a day.
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and other duties; prayers, for example, must still be performed five times a day. During the holy month of Ramadhan, sports can be played, but it is important for one to not exert oneself to his limit due to the fact that when fasting, one does not consume any food or drink until iftar (the first meal consumed after an entire day of fasting). Islam teaches its ummah to do everything in moderation, and that applies in sports as well. It places terms that aim at maintaining morality and that cope with the general wisdom of legislation. Sports are to be practiced according to these terms so as to avoid any undesired harm. The general rule of Shariah is that any act that involves transgressing limits set by Allah whether in eating, drinking, clothing or anything else, is prohibited. The Quran declares: “O ye who believe! Forbid not the good things which Allah hath made lawful for you, and transgress not. Lo! Allah loveth not transgressors.” (Al-Ma’idah 5: 87) In Islam, women are also allowed to participate in sports. For example, during the time of the
Prophet (p.b.u.h.), while Aisha (r.a.) was on a journey with him, she had a race with him and outpaced him. As time passed, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) raced her again to even the score from his previous loss to his wife, in which case he outpaced her and said: “This is for that outpacing.” This event is proof that even at the time of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) were women encouraged to partake in sports. However, there are a few conditions to be met in this respect which includes; women must not dress themselves for the purpose of gaining attention from men, women must not expose their private parts which Islam requires to be covered, and intermingling
with men in such a way that brings them physically close together is not advised. Undeniably, women also need to perform exercises for a healthier lifestyle although there are Islamic observances that must be followed. However, these restrictions should not falter women’s need for physical exercises because there are ways to exercise while at the same time observing and complying with Islamic teachings. Fitness trends among Muslim women have increased, as women are becoming more educated, with increasingly more women seeking out fitness centres that allow them to exercise to stay healthy, as well as adhere to religious obligations. For
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example, in Malaysia (where a majority of its population are Muslims) fitness centres with special sections for women only are made available as a service to provide for the demand from Muslim women. This allows women to exercise freely without having to wear the hijab (head cover). There are Muslim sportswomen who observe Islamic obligations, such as Lida Fariman who competed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics as a shooter. Like most Muslim women, Lida Fariman prays five times a day and keeps her head and body covered with a hood and a long dress wherever she goes, even to the Olympic shooting range. Another example is Ruqaya Al-Gassra, the first woman to represent Bahrain in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where she participated in the women’s 100 metre sprint event, finishing in fifth place. Coming from a small town, she was able to participate in running and still remain a devout Muslim, proudly wearing a head scarf and her body fully covered. She said in an interview
Islam, these laws are to ensure that when the sport is carried out according to the conditions required, the Muslim playing the sport will receive the dual benefit of physical as well as spiritual well-being. Furthermore, recent developments in Islamic sporting attire for women have demonstrated that it is in fact possible for Muslim women to participate in sporting events of all levels while adhering to Islamic dress codes. Such developments should therefore allow for the greater participation of Muslim women athletes in the sporting arena in the future.
Undeniably, women also need to perform exercises for a healthier lifestyle although there are Islamic observances that must be followed. PHOTO BY Tim Wimborne
PHOTO BY ROOHOLLA VAHDATI - IRANIAN STUDENTS NEWS AGENCY (ISNA)
BY Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
with Reuters, “The hijab has never been a problem for me. In Bahrain, you grow up with it.” In conclusion, the practice of sports in the Islamic deen has a long history, as evinced by various Hadith found in the rich tradition of the Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.). What is central to the practice of sports in Islam is that they are performed within the framework of considerations and requirements as laid out in the Quran and the Sunna of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.). These requirements however should not be seen as draconian laws intended purely for the sake of barring the average Muslim from performing any sporting activity whatsoever. In
PHOTO BY Nevit Dilmen PHOTO BY Vahid Salemi (AP Photo)
PHOTO BY MAJID SAYADNAVARD - IRANIAN STUDENTS NEWS AGENCY (ISNA)
PHOTO BY Chris Carlson (AP Photo)
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As the capital of Belgium
and administrative centre of the European Union (EU), the city has earned the title of ‘The Capital of Europe’. One of the unique traits of Brussels is definitely the coexistence of Dutch and French culture which can be seen in its atmosphere – its picturesque medieval streets, impressive historical monuments, beautiful boulevards, parks, cosy cafés and restaurants, as well as its lively cultural life. Being a predominantly Roman Catholic country, churches can easily be spotted in most places, but other prayer houses (mosques, synagogues, Protestant churches, and Orthodox churches) for other faiths are also available. The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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Attractions Include... MANNEKEN PIS The Manneken Pis is the world famous peeing boy statue which is located at the corner of Eikstraat or Stoofstraat near the Grand Place. This statue of a little boy is a major tourist attraction in the city. THE ATOMIUM Located at Heysel Park, The Atomium is a monument that was built for the World Fair of Brussels (1958), commonly known as Expo ‘58. Its 102-metre structure – made up of nine steel spheres connected in a way that the whole construction forms the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times – was designed by André Waterkeyn. This amazing structure contains exhibit halls and other public spaces, and the topmost sphere provides a panoramic view of Brussels. MINI EUROPE Situated at the foot of The Atomium, Mini Europe is a unique park which has the reproductions of the most attractive monuments in the European Union on show. A total of 350 buildings and 80 cities are represented. The park contains numerous models such as London’s Big Ben, Paris’ Eiffel Tower, Brussels’ Grand Place, and many more.
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01. Panoramic view of the “Place de la Bourse” . Photo by Marija Rajkovic. 02. Typical houses in Belgium. Photo by Dimitri Castrique. 03. The famous little boy statue. 04. A small flower market in the middle of Grand Place, Brussels. Photo by Christi Page. 05. The Atomium. This famous structure was build in 1958 for the Brussels Univeral Exposition. Photo by Michel Meynsbrughen. 06. The Belgium main square. Photo by Plebelic. 07. Grand Place Square at night. 08. The music museum in Brussels. Photo by Stéphane Vandenwyngaert. 09 Brussels’s town hall by night. Photo by Stéphane Vandenwyngaert. 10 The Saint Hubert Gallery. 11. Hotel de Ville, one of the most beautiful buildings in Brussels. Photo by Jorge Avina.
Travel Note
Public toilets are very few in Brussels (but they can be located in train stations and in some metro stations). However, it is a lot easier to look for the nearest restaurant or hotel when nature calls. If you find a public toilet, expect having to pay EUR0.25 to EUR0.50. So, don’t forget to carry some small change!
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THE BELGIAN COMIC STRIP CENTRE The Belgian Comic Strip Centre, housed in a former departmental store, is one of the major tourist attractions of Brussels. Inaugurated on 3 October 1989 by His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen, the centre welcomes more than 200,000 visitors each year. The centre chronicles the history of Belgian comics, and exhibits comic strips in three different languages: English, French and Dutch. Different ranges of comic art are exhibited including Wild West, crime and politics, science fiction, as well as children’s comics. Belgium’s most famous comic characters Tintin and Snowy are also exhibited at the centre. THE GRAND PLACE (Grote Markt - Market Square) The Grand Place, also known as Grote Markt or Market Square, is the central square of Brussels which is surrounded by the city’s Town Hall, the Breadhouse and the Guild Houses. Being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the square is considered as the most important tourist destination and most memorable landmark in Brussels. Belgian begonia cultivators decorate the Market Place with a beautiful flower carpet every two years during the third week of August with a different decoration theme every time. So, be sure to go in August to experience the beautiful flower carpet! The Halal Journal |
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A Visit to Beeftopia!
Blue Swimmer Crab Cake
Charcoal Flame Grilled Ribeye
T
he red, black and white awning at Block H of Solaris Mont Kiara screams for attention to any passerby, and it definitely caught my attention. The sign on the restaurant says “MeatWorks”, and it’s located on Jalan Solaris 5, Kuala Lumpur. For a meat lover like me, I was even more attracted to it – especially since I was hungry! The open doorway revealed a rustic brick wall to the right, and white tables and chairs, which reminded me of a chic, cosy house on a ranch (and funnily enough, the warmth it exuded reminded me of the 70s TV series “The Little House on the Prairie”). Entering the restaurant, the friendly greeting by the waitpersons and the scent of grilling meat welcomed me, tantalising my taste buds; I could not wait to be seated! I had a choice of seating out front, where the smoking area was, or in the immediate dining area inside the restaurant. There is also the sitting area on the first floor called The Deli (where the Butchery and Meat Studio are situated) for a more casual environment to hangout with family/ friends. Once seated, I was presented the menu, which was one difficult process for me, as all the dishes listed were delectably described. I was spoilt for choice, but was fortunate enough to have the waiter there to help me with several suggestions (very good suggestions too, as I later found out). For starters, I had the Blue Swimmer Crab Cake – crisp crab cake served with mandarin orange and celery salad and paprika aioli. The breaded crab cake is nothing like any other crab cakes I’ve ever tasted before (definitely The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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by Ruzanna Muhammad
Char-grilled Quail
Tiramisu
MeatWorks signage and awning
The Meat Studio
not anything like any processed crab cakes you can get at the supermarket) – moist, juicy, and fresh – absolutely scrumptious with the tangy, zesty taste of tangerine. For the weight watchers, yes, the crab cakes are fried, but you will not feel even a drop of guilt, as they are not laden with oil when served, and they taste so good! Moving on to the main course, I was recommended to try something from the grill. I opted to try the charcoal flame grilled ribeye steak served with steak sauce, mashed potato, fresh greens and cherry tomatoes on the side. The succulent, tender and juicy meat was full-flavoured and was absolutely lip-smacking! As if crab cakes and 200g of meat were not enough, I ordered tiramisu and the vanilla panna cotta for dessert. For those watching their sugar intake but want to satisfy their ‘sweet tooth’, the tiramisu would be perfect as it is lightly sweetened and is deliciously soaked in espresso; you really won’t need a cup of coffee to end the meal. The vanilla panna cotta, on the other hand, is absolutely to die for and is simply perfect to round up a hearty meal. MeatWorks’ version of this Italian custard dessert is served in a little glass cup topped with diced peaches; it is light (perfect for weight-watchers) and is silky smooth in texture. Other recommended dishes are the Cajun Spiced Quail (char-grilled
and served with cheddar cheese mashed potato, mixed pickles and brown sauce) for starters; and the Texas BBQ Burger (200g beef patty, honey-chilli BBQ sauce, and battered onion rings in sesame bun) or the Char-grilled Barramundi (Barramundi fillet served with adzuki bean pilaf, sautéed vegetables, Café de Paris butter, and seared scallops) for main course. After a meal fit for a king, I took a walk to the Meat Studio and found out that this is where they conduct cooking classes and demonstrations for those interested in picking up cooking techniques with the restaurant’s professional chef. With enough space for ten people, this is also a perfect place for a cosy gathering with friends who love to cook. The Butchery is also on the first floor where you can buy prime quality beef from a selection of fresh and aged meat. MeatWorks is open daily from 10am to 11.30pm and if you have plans to dine with a large group, make a reservation by calling +603 6203 0871 or by sending an email to reservations@meatworks.com.my. As I left the restaurant, I knew MeatWorks is one place I would return to again, and again – be it to dine, hang out or even to shop for fresh quality meat. The owners were really not joking when they say the restaurant is the place to be “for all your meaty cravings and more”.
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www.world-of-halal.com
Your Halal
Choice in Asia 12. - 16.05.2010 IMPACT Exhibition Center Bangkok, Thailand
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WORLD OF HALAL covering:
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Food & Beverage • Cosmetics & Pharmaceuticals • Tourism & Hospitality Logistics • Food Technology & Catering
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Held in conjunction with
International Koelnmesse Pte Ltd Ms Lynn How Tel: +65 6500 6712 Fax: +65 6294 8403 l.how@koelnmesse.com.sg
Thailand-IMPORTERS Expolink Global Network Limited Ms Supaporn Wannaying Tel: +662 640 8013 Fax: +662 664 2076 supaporn@expolink.net
Jointly organized by
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Reading and watching The Kite Runner Book Title: The Kite Runner Author: Khaled Hosseini • Publisher: Riverhead Trade ISBN-10: 1594480001 • ISBN-13: 978-1594480003
The Kite Runner, a novel from Khaled Hosseini, is a story of two boys in Afghanistan and who later became Afghan immigrants in America. It is a story set in Afghan culture which at this level provides a good way for people to learn about the Afghan culture and history in a form of a story. Looking at The Kite Runner as a story about culture, however, makes people miss what the book really is about. This novel is about humanity, about friendship, loyalty, longing for acceptance, cruelty, redemption and survival. Because it deals with issues that are universal, the core story could be set in any culture. The Kite Runner looks at how the main character deals with a secret from the past and how that secret shaped who he became. It tells of Amir’s childhood friendship with Hassan, his relationship with his father and growing up in a privileged place in society. It makes one sympathise with him and feels angry with him at different points; also becoming attached to Hassan and his father. This book is a page turner with complex characters and situations that will make one start thinking about friendship, betrayal and redemption. It is intense and contains some graphic scenes. The Kite Runner is fantastic; assuredly not to be missed and has to be one of the best books you’ve read in a lifetime!
Khaled Hosseini, a physician and story teller
Movie Title: The Kite Runner Directed by: Marc Forster Distributed by: DreamWorks and Paramount Vantage
“If you tell me to eat dirt, I will... but I know you won’t ask me to...”, says young Hassan to his best friend Amir, in the film ‘The Kite Runner’, a story about friendship, betrayal, redemption and hope. Budgeted at USD20 million, the Kite Runner is an adaptation from the novel of the same name by Khaled Hosseini, a novelist and physician originally from Afghanistan, currently living in the United States as a citizen. The film, directed by Marc Forster, is one of the most controversial films of the year, and it’s not just one of those controversies invented by PR people to sell tickets. This is a film that was actually pulled from release because the producers began to fear for the safety of their actors. That may give you an idea of just how sensitive and topical some of the materials are. While the novel weaves the story on multiple levels – the childhood of two boys, the relationship with estranged father, self redemption, history and culture of Afghanistan and its socio-political statee – the movie, with its limited medium time, did not escape the nature of adaptations. But still, the message of friendship and broken relationships (between father and son, between brothers) and redemption is presented in a beautiful way. Since it is an adaptation, some critics have charged that something was lost in translation, but if you don’t bring the baggage of the novel into the screening, you will be very moved. The friendship between young Amir and Hassan is richly and perfectly established, as is the reason for their separation. The performances by Homayoun Ershadi, as Amir’s father, and by child actor, Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada, as Hassan, are as good as any acting we see in a good film. The director did not elaborate about the problems in Afghanistan because the movie was not about the problems in Afghanistan and not about political agendas, but is a story about friendship and betrayal. As far as the controversial rape scene is involved, it is pivotal to the movie and thus needs to be part of it. The scene has been depicted in a less harrowing manner than originally planned: there is no nudity in it (not even underpants are exposed), but the idea of an attack is shown; and a sexual aspect is suggested only very briefly at the end of the scene by a trousers buckle being undone, trousers being tugged slightly down, and unzipping a fly which were done by a body double. The Kite Runner is an important film for our modern world, because now (more than ever), we need stories that show the reality of war, not just action movies that glamourise violence. The subject matter is intense and the movie carries the emotions of the audience into that subject matter without The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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many jarring “Hollywood touches” that have ruined other movies of the same genre. Despite all the tragedy, you come away from it with a sense of humanity, and a sense of hope. The soundtrack is amazing. The recitation of poetry by Rumi, by the boy as the two main characters are fleeing the country during the Russian invasion, under terrifying circumstances, truly showed the power of those poems. Also, the sound heard every time a kite line is cut; it is a profound, distinctive sound that causes one to wonder if kites actually make a sound like that when they are “cut”, or if it gives a sense of the vibration/ sound experienced by a kite flyer during competitions. The depiction of the Afghani boys flying their kites captured some of the beauty and grace of an art form unknown to most of the world. One more thing worth noting is the graphic animation for the title sequence (introduction of the film), which is so exquisite, with names displayed to look like Persian calligraphy – very unique and beautiful. Excellent and strong acting, raw violence and lovely shots make this a beautiful film worth watching – it is visually stunning as it is far removed from Hollywood’s big star cast and banality. The cinematography was brilliant; one would never guess it was filmed in China (due to the dangers of filming in Afghanistan at the time)! The film is an example of how to convincingly and tenderly expose us to the wonders and the frailties of a society that has been much misunderstood
around the world. The market scenes, the topography of the area, the kite flying contest, and the relationships between people are all beautifully exposed. In fact, one of the things that all of us who saw it liked best was the movie’s ability to make you feel like you were “there”, unlike most depictions of non-European foreign nations. At the end of the film, one cannot help but to feel saudades – a Brazilian word defined by Antonio Carlos Jobim (a Grammy Award-winning Brazilian songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, and pianist/ guitarist) to describe “a feeling of longing for someone or someplace, which is very sweet but also tinged with an inescapable sadness.” It is a feeling which tells us that the past should stay with the past, and life moves on with new hopes.
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is a new site meant for Muslim children, age seven and above. It’s a fun educational tool about Halal, with interesting games and quizzes. Although it is still new and needs more work, it’s a good start by the people behind eat-halal.com.
http://cn.last.fm/music/Toufic+Farroukh/+images/42326
http://cn.last.fm/music/Toufic+Farroukh/+images/25287447
www.eat-halal.com/kids If you have children, show them this website. This
photojournalism
Jazz up with rich, exotic tunes by
Toufic Farroukh
A composer of jazz and a saxophone player, Toufic Farroukh is known for his jazzy tunes, with a touch of Middle Eastern flavour to it. Being an artist with two cultural roots, he incorporates both Lebanese and French sounds to his music. Toufic Farroukh is a musician who is open to different forms of artistic expression particularly theatre, dance and cinema. His interest towards the saxophone started when his brother, a saxophone player, taught him the basics of playing the saxophone. Toufic then learned music at the Advanced College of Music where saxophone was his first goal. Despite all that he learned from the musical institutions, he is still a self-made musician, who learned and composes music on his own. He started writing his music when no other musicians were able to express music the way he would like it to be. Toufic released five albums to date, starting from his first album, Ali on Broadway (1994), second album Little Secrets (1998), third album Drab Zeen (2002), fourth album Ali on Broadway/ The other Mix (2004), and his latest and fifth album Tootya which was released in 2007. They are all unique in their own way; at the same time bear the familiar rich and exotic jazzy sounds of Toufic Farroukh.
http://www.oplus.org/mm/stationery/StoryA/OP126/OP126GB.htm
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Muslimah Beauty Care BioValley Hand and Body Whitening Cream
BioValley Hand and Body Whitening Cream protects the skin from strong UV/ UVB rays and at the same time create instant whitening effect which lightens freckles and age spots. It is a great moisturiser and a mild anti-ageing solution that makes the skin soft and supple.
Natifa UV White Facial Toner
Natifa UV White Facial Toner is enriched with Goat’s Milk, Pegaga extract, Whitening Complex DC as well as UV sun shield that refines pores, cleanses and refreshes as it whitens the skin. The Halal Journal |
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Photos were taken from the artist’s gallery on http://www.ahmedkrausen.com
Light & Lenses: Seeing Islam through the Camera
Ahmed Krausen, famous for his work “Images of Islam in Europe”, is a freelance photographer based in Copenhagen, Denmark, and specialises in the study and photographic documentation of the Muslim community in Europe. His work shows the diversity of Islamic expressions, especially how Islam is managed in different ways by European Muslims, through Islamic The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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architecture and the inter-mingling of the Muslims and local culture. Ahmed Krausen was born in 1955 in Aachen, Germany, and was brought up in a Protestant family within a predominantly Roman Catholic community. The political events of the 60s and the 70s contributed positively to his personality. His main subjects of interest have been Social
Studies, Theology and Geography. In 1978, he left Germany for Denmark and has since then been living in Copenhagen. He bought his first reflex camera, a Russian Zenit, in 1977. With this camera, he made his first photo experiments. “The b/w photography was the most attractive. The processing of the film in the darkroom made
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Nye Muslimer i Danmark, Forlaget Univers
Danske Verdensreligioner, Kate Oestergaard
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Divine Inspiration - Seven Principles Of Islamic Architecture, Islamic Arts Museum of Malaysia
Photos were taken from the artist’s gallery on http://www.ahmedkrausen.com
“The camera has been the most important tool on my spiritual way to Islam. The significance of Light is for me as a bridge between Islam and photography.” – Ahmed Krausen
me enthusiastic. This camera – heavy like a Russian ‘T34 tank’ – I carried with me on my first travel to East Africa”, Ahmed explained on his website. Between 1979 and 1985, he travelled for long periods to various countries in Asia, Africa and New Zealand searching for answers to many questions regarding life and death. The teachings and inspirations he received, especially from people in Egypt and Sudan, changed the course of his life forever. The lessons and experiences he gained there later proved to be crucial to his decision to become a Muslim. In 1990, Ahmed went to Italy for work for two years, after which he returned to Denmark dissatisfied, but with valuable additions to his professional experience, and knowledge of both how to make Italian food and a new language. Finally, in 1992 he embraced Islam; has been married since 1995 and has three children. In 2005, his love for photography encouraged him to take a one-year course at the Copenhagen Photo School where he was able to delve into his practical photographic experience and experiment further to develop his interest in various types of cameras and photo equipment, as well as films. His fascination with Islam took him on a photojournalism journey through Europe, from one Muslim community to another. Among other things, the Muslim community in Europe is diverse in regard to ethnicity, cultural background, and whether its members were born Muslims or are new converts. Furthermore, European Muslims interpret Islamic culture in unique ways and adapt with a lot of creativity to the non-Muslim environment. In other words, Muslims in Europe, especially in Denmark, negotiate with the question: what does it mean to be Muslim in a European context? Ahmed attempts to show this negotiation
through a combination of images, principally, of architecture and people’s daily activities and ceremonial gatherings. The images of the lives of Muslims consist of portraits of both born-Muslims and converts in activities such as biking, shopping, reciting the Qur’an, praying, celebrating weddings, and participating in burials. Ahmed loves to focus on the architecture of old and new mosques in different European countries and how they adapt or contrast themselves to local architecture. He also recorded the description of the photographed mosques, their architecture, history, construction details, and their sponsors, and translated them into other languages, such as German, French, and Italian, for his slideshow presentations in schools and for Muslim and Christian communities throughout Europe. Ahmed has done numerous exhibitions in Europe, where he hopes to contribute in inspiring the entire Muslim community to know one another, as well as to establish bridges and cultural dialogues between Europe and the Muslim World. His most famous photography exhibition was “Being a Muslim in Europe” that took place in 2008 at the El-Sawy Culture Wheel in Egypt. His photos can be seen in a few important publications such as “Nye Muslimer i Danmark” (written by Kate Oestergaard, PhD., and Tina Gudrun Jensen, PhD. published by Forlaget Univers, Aarhus), and “Divine Inspiration – Seven Principles Of Islamic Architecture” (published by Islamic Arts Museum of Malaysia). *Note:For more information on Ahmed Krausen, visit http:// www.ahmedkrausen.com.
Book Title: Echoes Author: Jamilah Kolocotronis Publisher: Muslim Writers Publishing ISBN-10: 0976786192 • ISBN-13: 978-0976786191
Echoes by Jamilah Kolocotronis is a story of Joshua Adams who has always been wild (being involved with girls and alcohol), which left him with three children and a failing marriage. After an argument with his wife, Joshua moves in with a few Muslim friends. He then becomes interested in studying Islam, and six months later, he becomes a Muslim with a new lease on life. However, the fresh start to his new life is overshadowed by the echoes of his past. Joshua’s struggle to maintain his life as a practicing Muslim while at the same time facing difficulties from his past life leads Joshua to make the greatest jihad, which is the jihad of the self. A story of determination and love, Echoes is the first book in the Echoes Series by the author. This book is an interesting read that not only excites you, but will also inspire you in certain ways. You will definitely look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series! The Halal Journal |
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“As an artist I am constantly searching, ceaselessly broadening the means of my artistic expression and pushing forward the frontiers of art. I want to express myself using all the tools at my disposal, from colour and movement to poetry; the rhythm and resonance of the calligraphy together with the poetry further develops and explores a greater power of expression. I hope that this expression is attainable to all and that it is hospitable to cultures other than my own.” – Ali Omar Ermes
A globally renowned artist, Ali Omar Ermes is one of the most gifted contemporary Islamic artists of today, whose artwork is principally based on the Arabic letter forms. His work represents the traditional Arabic love of literature in various amazing dramatises – images of calligraphic and letterforms, where he places the subject matter against a richly textured abstract background, often creating layered meanings with additional poetic inscriptions. He was born in Libya in 1945 and has lived in England for the past 25 years. After spending his childhood in Libya, Ali Omar attended the School of Architecture and Design in London. In 1975, he was appointed consultant of the World Islam Festival in London and toured the Muslim world in connection with the festival before returning to Libya. He relocated to England permanently in 1981, and currently works in London. His style is unique. He combines in his paintings excerpts from world literature, mainly Arabic/ Islamic poetry and prose, and uses them as comments on human values such as justice, peace, human rights, protection of the environment, as well as moral and social responsibilities. It would be quite wrong to equate Ali Omar with the traditional Arabic calligraphers. As in so many art forms of earlier centuries, calligraphers of the Islamic past were trained to copy the style of their master, and only when they had achieved their master’s perfection could they move forward to create their own individual contribution to the art form. Working with pen and ink, calligraphers are also constrained by the physical limitations of their materials. Hence, Arabic calligraphy was a highly circumscribed art form – of the greatest beauty, but also of the strictest limitations. Ali Omar, however, does not claim to be a calligrapher, but regards himself as a painter who uses calligraphic forms as a subject matter in his work and this gives him a greater freedom of expression in many levels of application. He makes the point on a number of his works. For example, he notes on one canvas that its letter forms are in a painted style, and he entitles a number of other paintings decorative compositions on the basis of the letter. This identification of himself as a painter allows Ali Omar much greater freedom than is permitted to a calligrapher. Even so, Ali Omar is not simply a painter for his paintings have another aspect which takes them outside the mainstream of standard artistic expression. Having begun life as a poet, he now uses Arabic literary quotations as part of his compositions, interlacing the wisdom and beauty of expression of early Arab poetry. He describes poetry as the medium between the visual movement of the image and the universe to which it belongs. His favoured poets are many, but to name a few, the pre-Islamic literary pioneer Zuhair Ibn Abi-Sulma and other stunning Islamic poets like Abu Firas Al-Hamadani, Abu Al Tayyib Al Mutanabbi and Abul Ala Al Ma’arri. Ali Omar’s work is an interesting mixture of influences; from his strong personal beliefs, to his interest in literature, especially poetry, and his passion for colour, form and texture as a means of expression in his paintings, plus his unique technique in accomplishing this cohesive work of art. Arabic letter forms are the basis of Ali Omar’ paintings, and as such they speak volumes about his beliefs, about the culture from which he comes, and about the ultimate source of his inspiration. Sometimes, as in the composition based on three vertical groupings of three of the Arabic letter ‘Meem’, he weaves the letters of his foreground so tightly into their background that they depict a rhythmic river, and almost cease to have calligraphic identity. As Ali Omar says, “Mine The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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Photos from www.aliomarermes.co.uk.
Ali Omar Ermes
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is a distinctive thought movement engaging Arabic, Islamic, World Art and Literature, sharing well-rooted Islamic humane values towards a healthier existence for worldwide citizenship.” With the freedom to explore any paint and what the paint-brush have to offer, he explores colour; sometimes in simple contrasts of light and dark, or by varying complimentary and contrasting tones by separating foreground and background, or by drawing them together through different colour emphases. His paintings produce a strong visual language, which speaks eloquently to people who can read the Arabic script and those who cannot. On multiple levels his work has brought a new dynamism and vitality to the world of Islamic Art and has been described as “a Bridge between the divide of cultures and languages”. His talent as a fine photographer adds an extra disciplined approach to his work technique; as a painter, his inspiration is drawn primarily from the Islamic culture but also includes other cultures. His painting appeals particularly to a sophisticated audience, who appreciate the natural way he embodies his artwork and the beauty, strength and colours he brings from all these elements, collectively or separately, to his work; all that is appreciated by various people from various backgrounds
with a mature taste in art and highly sophisticated culture and lifestyle. Ali Omar Ermes is considered by many curators and art experts around the world as a unique international artist and probably the most collected contemporary Muslim artist in the world. His work can be seen in the permanent collections of internationally respected museums such as: The Ashmolean and The British Museum (Great Britain), The Sackler/ Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian Institute (Washington DC), Wereld Museum (Rotterdam), The National Gallery of Jordan (Amman), The National Gallery of Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), and Ian Potter Museum (Melbourne). His work is also in private collections including the Collection of the British Government (London), Prince of Wales Collection, The Royal Collection of the Sultanate of Oman, H.H Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashed Al-Maktoum (Dubai), Arab Heritage Gallery at Khubar (Saudi Arabia), as well as in international Banks and Oil Companies. His work is seen and admired by an international audience, be it Muslim, Christian, Jewish or Hindu, from South East Asia, across the Middle East, throughout Europe and North America. *Note: For more information, visit http://www.aliomarermes.co.uk.
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Light travels in a straight line. Ibn al-Haytham proved that rays of light travel in straight lines, and carried out various experiments with lenses, mirrors, refraction, and reflection. He was also the first to reduce reflected and refracted light rays into vertical and horizontal components, which was a fundamental development in geometric optics. One of his experiments includes lighting a candle at the end of a tube. Looking at one end, he could see the light from the candle. When he covered the other end of the tube where the candle is, he could not see the light. This means that light only travels in a straight line. He later created the camera obscura to explain how the eye perceives what it sees. Photo + Cutlines by Anormale Layla Qamar
A Chinese man working in a Halal section in a supermarket that belongs to a Chinese community south of Johor, Malaysia. Most retailers in Muslim countries are used to the Halal culture and accept it as part of their lifestyle, which includes selling all Halal meat to Muslims and non-Muslims. They even get more than one Halal certificate from different certifiers to show how serious they are in Halal-related matters when doing business. Photo by Mark Piet
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art & literature
photojournalism
goodstuff
Malaysian Muslim children in colourful traditional clothes celebrating Eid. On the first day of Eid ul Fitr every year, children will visit their neighbours from house to house to spread the well wishes and spirit of Eid. As a tradition and common practice during Eid, the elders and working adults will give Eidiyah (a small amount of money as a gift) to children who visit their home. Photo by Mark Piet
Coloured flags billowing in the cool evening of a desert in Dubai. Flags have been used as communication tool since the Roman times. What was known as standard was used by the Roman legion at war as a tool to show which army they represent. Coloured flags have been used since the 1800s in a signalling method called semaphore. The colours of the flags can also be used to communicate. For example a white flag can mean surrender or peace; a red flag can be used as a warning signal, and a black flag can mean war, or determined to defeat enemies. Photo + Cutlines by Anormale Layla Qamar
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parting words
Marketing Malaysian agri-food Director General of the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) of Malaysia, Dato’ Mohamed Shariff Abdul Aziz, talks to The Halal Journal about FAMA’s agri-food marketing activities.
Can you briefly tell us about FAMA? FAMA has been entrusted to provide the marketing support services to ensure the success of the marketing of food and agricultural products in both domestic and international markets. The marketing support services include: • Provision of market information (e.g. market potential, consumption pattern and trend, product utilisation, and consumer behaviour and profile). • Development of accreditation and quality assurance system to ensure food is of high quality and safe for consumption • Advertising, promotion, and branding to increase and expand market domestically and internationally. In relation to this, FAMA developed and is promoting “Malaysia’s best” as a national brand, and Halal is one of the qualities FAMA seeks and promotes in products, by default. • Product development and improvement to continuously upgrade the processing, packaging, and quality processed food. • Networking and building strategic alliances with supermarkets and hypermarkets domestically and internationally to ensure the availability of market outlets and the marketability of the agricultural products. What is being done to improve local agrifood production and manufacturing? An important stimulus already exist to boost and sustain agricultural production and the integration of agriculture and manufacturing in the form of potentials in import substitution, and the growth of local demand and exports. An approach that emphases in food processing and the relation between pre-production and end-distribution has been taken to improve the linkages between manufacturing, processing and marketing and enhancing the country’s competitive advantage. To achieve this, the strategic thrusts identified are the Food System Chain and the National Food Terminals (TEMAN) programmes. The complete food system chain is called Food Processing Plus Plus (that is plus production and plus distribution) for maximisation of upstream and downstream resources. Consequently, the distribution and marketing functions link manufacturers to the end consumers, with market research playing a key supporting role. Based on this system, farmers will reap more benefit from increased involvement in the total value chain including food processing, distribution and marketing. FAMA intends to establish Food Terminals in strategic areas, where pre-production, food The Halal Journal | Jan+Feb 2010 |
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processing and distribution activities would be consolidated. TEMAN would function in support of producers while creating conducive environment for the growth of agricultural production in the country. Although TEMAN should be private sector-driven, a strong government presence via the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) is crucial to safeguard the interest of farmers and help overcome the irrationalities in the present agricultural marketing system. How does FAMA assist farmers in marketing of agricultural produce? FAMA is the government agency providing training and extension for the marketing of horticulture crops and freshwater fish. Our agriculture marketing training and extension programmes are geared toward two main objectives: • Educating and training the target groups on post harvest practices and handling • Upgrading and improving the marketing skills and capabilities of the target groups in areas like salesmanship (wholesaling and retailing), exporting, importing. Our programmes target farmers and their assistants, participants at the Farmers’ Markets, processors, and officials of other agencies involved in production. These target groups are reached through activities such as lectures, talks and seminars, demonstrations, dialogues, study tours, guest speakers from among successful farmers, exporters, processors, retailers, wholesalers, supermarket operators, and through posters and leaflets. How does FAMA assist small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) in product marketing? FAMA’s Market Development Programme for SMEs sets forth to transform their product image from being perceived as low class and of inferior quality to one of high quality, authentic traditional delicacies. The change is in line with changing consumption pattern and consumer behaviour that show preference for high quality, safe and convenient food. The programme focuses on product differentiation, convenience, Halal food, and products having the least competition from established brands. It will capitalise on products’ uniqueness and authenticity through branding, advertising and promotion. Scope of the Programme: 1) Packaging improvement via consultation services in packaging material and design to suit SMEs’ target consumers. Services exclude product identification and printing of packaging material.
2) Market penetration (listing consultant). SMEs intending to market their products to specific supermarkets and hypermarkets could work with FAMA to recommend them for listing with such outlets. This recommendation benefits both retailers and SMEs; retailers are assured of the consistency of quality and supply of the products, while SMEs enjoy reduction or exemption of listing fees and trading terms. 3) Vendor Scheme and distribution system (run by the FAMA Processed Food Division that manages the distribution of processed food). Its Vendor Scheme ensures consistent product quality and supply of goods for distribution. SMEs can apply as vendors for the ‘AgroMas’ brand of products or other brands approved by FAMA. Periodic audit of approved vendors will ensure that SMEs and products comply with the required standards. Products from approved vendors (SMEs) are distributed through Farmers’ Markets, and established retail outlets (e.g. supermarkets, hypermarkets, sundry shops and convenience stores). The distribution system comprises standard pricing systems, structured national and regional promotion plans, management of sales teams (distributors and FAMA’s national distribution network), and timely market reviews. 4) Advertising and promotion – Domestic and international trade expositions and sales carnivals are held to promote SME products, expose entrepreneurs to the changing consumer needs, and provide linkages and networking with potential buyers. When SMEs’ direct participation is not possible, FAMA or the respective organising agencies will promote SMEs’ product samples. Other advertising activities to increase consumer awareness of SME products: at point of sale, and through mass media and billboards. Special promotional activities are also carried out as and when necessary to promote sales of SME products (e.g. in-store promotions, discount purchases and premiums to attract consumers, and special rebates for distributors and retailers). 5) FAMA offers short courses and seminars to increase SMEs’ knowledge and skills in marketing, management, and quality system development. Special training programmes with other relevant government agencies are co-organised to improve specific areas of production. Study trips are organised to expose them to successful enterprises within the country and ASEAN region, where the SMEs could learn from the management style and technology used in their industries. SMEs seeking to join this programme should register with FAMA through its head office or any FAMA state or district office. Participants will be included in FAMA’s mailing list to be notified of all programme activities and market updates.
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30 & 31 March 2010 Pavillon 3 - Porte de Versailles - Paris
Paris Halal expo, your gateway to the European Halal market Paris Halal expo the only Halal trade expo in Europe www.parishalalexpo.com Annonce Halal 210x277 Angl.indd 1
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