Halal certification in Australia

In the last few months I've noticed an uptick in anti halal centiment, particularly on Facebook, and especially around Australia Day (26th January).

The basic premise is that halal certified foods fund terrorism, and also cost more to sell due to paying for certification.

The anti halal campaign has taken hold to the point a yoghurt company stopped making halal, and many other companies have been targeted, even a small cafe have received abusive emails and messages on their Facebook page.

What's funny, is that halal certification has been around for over 40 years, it opens up more markets for Australian companies who are looking to export their product, as I said before, the claims it funds terrorism is completely unfounded.

From what I've found out, much of this campaign is spearheaded by fundamentalist christian groups, preying on anti Muslim centiment, fear and ignorance, whilst promoting themselves.

I'm saddened by how easily my fellow Australians, some who I call friends, can be so easily fooled by such rhetoric..

a reply to: Chadwickus

The animal rights people have a problem with it, too. It has to do with the animal not being stunned prior to slaughter.

a reply to: ketsuko

Personally, I have no issue with the halal method of slaughter, although stunning them is more humane . I do however have a problem with how some Muslim butchers have treated animals in the past, particularly our cattle, you may remember a few years back we stopped exports to Indonesia and Egypt (I think) due to them torturing and abusing the cattle...people who demand these animals are transported live so they can be slaughtered by a halal butcher...THAT I have huge issues with, and I would have thought a few million Muslims eating this meat would too, but seemingly not.

a reply to: ketsuko

The animal rights people have a problem with it, too. It has to do with the animal not being stunned prior to slaughter.

I would think that anyone caught slaughtering animals not rendered unconscious would face very heavy fines .

In Australia, it is a legal requirement that animals are slaughtered unconsious, according to the RSPCA, and halal meat producers locally comply with this standard if they are to receive certification.

Halal food is such a massive market it is not going away anytime soon people had better just get used to it....

and if they ever manage to outlaw bacon dont panic there is beef bacon
www.halalbeefbacon.com.au...

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

I have absolutely no problem with halal food . But . If i am ever told what i can or cant eat then it will be a big Hell No .

a reply to: hutch622

i dont really have a problem with it either,they can cut the meat in whatever direction they want and bless it all they want,it doesnt change the flavor...and like you if i am told what to do there becomes a problem.....

I dont have an issue with Halal food, I lived in Malaysia for 6 years and basically everything is Halal.
Most Aussie products would already be halal compliant anyway, when food gets a certification its not like anything is changed its just another way of labeling like "non GMO" or "organic".

I think what most of the masses are concerned with is the apparent appeasement and pandering to a tiny minority (2% I think) of our population that they feel are imposing their way of life instead of adjusting to ours.

If companies looking to export their products to Halal markets were smart they would simply do 2 runs of their labeling, 1 for domestic consumption with no Halal tick and one for export with the tick.
Should they have to? No, people should be happy Aussie products are reaching a worldwide audience as the money goes back into our economy and creates more jobs for Australians but smart business sense would tell them its worth the tiny effort this would take for the potential earnings involved and would keep everyone happy.

HMMM this is a sticky subject. I live in Melbourne. Waiting on my citizenship ceremony as I am an U.S. immigrant.
The positive thing about Halal certification is the companies can sell their products to A LOT more people. I don't see why people aren't going after the Kosher certification. On the other hand. Since I am becoming an Aussie, I have felt the need to research the laws of my new nation. From what I understand Australians have the right to practice their religion as long as it does not break the Australian laws. So why are these companies expected to pay a fee for the certification? We have plenty of Muslims in Australia. Why couldn't we contact a local Imam to come and inspect the premises and stamp some papers? And the treatment of animals in industry aren't that great anyways so why make things worse by abstaining from stunning cows so they can watch their life's blood run out of them on to the floor?

As far as Christians spearheading the campaigning against Halal. I think OP may have something against the fundy's. Should be everyone's right to not want Sharia law imposed on them through unconventional avenues. Halal food is fine with me but why are we asked to pay higher prices so certain people that have nothing to do with me will buy it. Food is already expensive enough here!

I've told a few dickhead bogans that Bundy is Halal certified, some even fall for it!. In fact I might make a meme and share it on facepalmbook?

another perspective:
why don't these people upgrade from 13th century to 2015 and stop demanding meat from animals that must be slaughthered ancient-style?

i don't mind if they do their business as long as it's according to our laws and ethic standards. but halal meat isn't exactly.

religion is some kind of imagination.
animal stress and pain is real.
that's my view of things.

The real kicker is all the pig products secreted into the so called "halal" certified food, its an inside joke how even with this approval from a money grabbing entity they don't care whats really in the product so long as they get their cash annually.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Chadwickus

The animal rights people have a problem with it, too. It has to do with the animal not being stunned prior to slaughter.

Isn't Halal slaughter identical to Kosher slaughter? Where the blood is completely drained out?

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Chadwickus

The animal rights people have a problem with it, too. It has to do with the animal not being stunned prior to slaughter.

This is correct and the govt, growers and industry choose to ignore it and after caving into the meat industry last year over the treatment of cattle on a ship berthed in Indonesia, they will never stand up to industry again either.

The ironic thing is, is that its very likely that one day, should the occasion arise, the industry and the growers, will want the rest of us to go an fight their wars for them in some foreign land. We can all see that Islam is being deominsed by the US and their vassal sates of which our own Australia is one. So, the next step is ........... ???

If people were real that concerned about the wellbeing of the meat they eat, they wouldn't be eating meat in the first place would they?

a reply to: woodwardjnr


But they do and considering they do and always will, we may as well ensure the most humane and ethical treatment possible for the animals.

originally posted by: stargatetravels
a reply to: woodwardjnr


But they do and considering they do and always will, we may as well ensure the most humane and ethical treatment possible for the animals.

by putting a bolt through their head

Just seems people use it as a another stick to beat muslims with.

a reply to: woodwardjnr


I wasn't really talking about the OP, more your comment about not eating meat if they cared about animals.
Killing an animal is killing an animal, I've seen some pretty awful videos of how they're killed, from all countries, faiths and non faiths.
Just because something isn't killed in accordance with halal, doesn't mean it'll be treated and killed well.
People flout the rules, they don't adhere to practice and regulations etc.

The whole food certification business is a complete scam that needs to end. If you check the labeling on most major food brands these days they are not only 'Halal' certified, the same product is usually also certified 'Kosher' .

It is not possible to legitimately be both Kosher and Halal and therefore this is not about complying to a religeous practice, its about blackmailing businesses who have to pay huge sums of money to gain access to certain markets. And this cost is then past on to the rest of us whether we like it or not.

a reply to: Chadwickus

The question is:

How does anyone really know if their meat they are about to eat is 'Halal' or not?

I bet many 'Muslims' have ate non Halal meats!!