Busted! : Circulation of halal products in markets is creating a parallel economy to fund violent. 

Hindutva groups have claimed that the circulation of halal groups has led to “anti-national” activities being funded and a parallel economy being run. However, existing institutional mechanisms, point otherwise. Firstly, according to those who supply halal certificates, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has notified certification bodies to register themselves with the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), Quality Council of India.

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This means that the certification process seems to be very much under the government’s purview. Secondly, the UP government has banned the sale of these product only on the domestic market, there is insufficient evidence as how this could lead to the creation of any parallel economy. The domestic flow of halal goods, according to reports, is very low as most of the halal certification process on goods is done for export purposes. Multinational corporations, like Reliance, Adani Pvt Ltd., make use of halal certificates for their exports. Thus, the ban on these goods seems untenable and appears to be motivated by political reasons other than what seems to have been stated. There is no national halal certifying body in India for export goods or for the sale of goods in India. In the absence of this, the sentiment against halal goods seems like an attempt is being made to communalise as issue which is bureaucratic and has little to do with religion.

What are Halal products?

Recently the UP government initiated a ban on the manufacture, sale, and distribution of Halal non-meat products, including cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, within domestic markets; as of now, there is no ban on the export of these products.

Halal essentially means “lawful” or “permissible”; observant of the Islamic faith are required to follow dietary guidelines set by Islamic law that designates certain food items as halal i.e., permissible, and thereby prohibits others.

Apart from Muslims, Jews also have a system of religiously mandated dietary prescriptions which are followed globally, called kosher. Due to these dietary preferences, there is a global demand for halal and kosher foods that industries worldwide seek to meet. Countries across the world have mechanisms, public and private, to certify halal and kosher foods for citizens. According to Forbes, the global market for halal goods was set to reach 3 trillion dollars in 2023. There are several brands, cites Forbes, that provide halal certified products such as dates, hummus, cosmetics, meat etc. Similarly, kosher food also faces a growing market for consumers who are Jewish and non-Jewish alike.

Speaking to Forbes, Shayn Prapaisilp, chief operating officer of Global Foods Group, an international grocery store in Missouri that stocks thousands of halal products and imports from around the world, says that, “Muslims represent a significant market segment that American brands are not always reaching,” and posits that halal food is imported from across the world, including North Africa, Asia, and even parts of Europe. Amongst countries globally, Turkey, Vietnam and Thailand, Japan, Philippines and even Australia are leading in the production of halal products at a global level. India too is said to have a “booming” share in this industry.

Why do companies use halal certificates on vegetarian or non-food items?

Halal certification for products is mainly pursued by manufacturers for export purposes because it is a market requirement. In India, several companies are responsible for issuing halal certificates, these companies are not religious bodies but remain in connection with religious bodies. Consumers of halal goods want to be ensured that the products they are buying, be it cosmetics or medicine, and is halal-compliant, in the sense that it does not hold ingredients, such as alcohol or pork. According to Scroll.in, companies seek halal certification as a halal certificate is mandatory for exporting products to Muslim-majority nations. Some of the products that are to be exported sometimes are distributed in the domestic market as a way of cutting costs, however that remains a very small percentage of products. In India, private entities, often with the support of religious bodies, are responsible for issuing these certificates.

The first recorded instance of halal certification being issues in India was recorded in 1974 for meat. Following this, in 1993, this was extended to other products as well. Since, unlike other nations, India has no official certifying committee or body for certifying halal goods. Thereby in the absence of one, organisations have to take up the role to provide certifications for companies to export these products abroad.

So, what is the Halal product ban row?

In April 2022, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court for a complete ban on halal certification and products which argued that it was an imposition forced on “85%” of Indians. Earlier this year, a company like Himalaya was targeted for having meat in its products, after halal labels on Himalaya’s products went viral, suggesting that halal means a product has non-vegetarian content in it. The company had to release a statement decrying these claims and asserting that it adhered to all the demands of transparency and standards set by the government.

pic.twitter.com/9iCRhuQUbc

— Himalaya Wellness Company (@HimalayaIndia) April 1, 2022

However, now there appears to be some sort of a consensus on the arguments used in the Hindutva circles against halal products. None of the organisations are arguing that halal products necessitate the inclusion of meat in the product, there appears to have been an update in the information systems regarding the arguments used.

For instance, on the website of an organisation called Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, one is greeted with the statement, “Beware! Halal completely controls your life!” It further claims, “Halal Certification is slowly becoming all-pervasive. From food to cosmetics, from hospitals to hospitality, from clothing to housing, Halal certification is chipping away into the nation’s economy. It is a system that is dictated by a certain religion’s beliefs that has crept into India’s secular system. It is a parallel economy that has taken a giant leap to stand up and challenge the GDP of quite a few nations. It is a system that has been found complicit in terror funding.” Earlier this year in February, the HJS had even initiated a protest and submitted a memorandum to the local MLA in Dhanbad for the ban on halal goods.

These arguments are similar to what Neeraj Denoria, a Bajrang Dal associate, stated in a speech recently on November 19, in Lucknow. He parroted the same conspiracy theory, “This is an economic system created by Islamic Jihadis. It is through this, there is a parallel system run by Islamic Jihadis. This money is being spread on Love Jihad, Islamic Jihad, Ghazwa e Hind, Madarsa. I appreciate the UP CM for banning halal products.”

Thus, it can be noted that the question of Halal products has been taken up by Hindutva groups. However, this issue did not really gain any traction from the government late last month in November, when an FIR was registered at the Hazratganj Police Station based on a complaint filed by Shailendra Kumar Sharma, a Lucknow resident and office-bearer of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM).

The complaint alleged the unauthorised use of “illegal halal certificates” by certain companies was used to enhance sales within “a particular community”. Sharma argues that the financial gains from such practices are being channelled to support terrorist organisations. Responding to this complaint, the police had filed charges against Halal India Pvt Ltd in Chennai, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Halal Trust in New Delhi, and the Halal Council of India and Jamiat Ulema in Mumbai. The charges include multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, such as 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 298 (intent to wound religious feelings), 384 (extortion), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), and 505 (statements that cause public mischief).

In other news, similarly, union minister Giriraj Singh has also written a letter on November 22 to the chief minister of Bihar demanding a ban on halal certificates.

Similarly, on November 18, the Uttar Pradesh government issued an order, through the Food Security and Drug Administration (FSDA), prohibiting the manufacturing, sale, storage, and distribution of specific items certified as halal. The directive also called for actions against organisations engaged in producing and selling drugs and cosmetics with halal certification.

Why has the UP government banned it?

According to Scroll.in, the UP government claims that the halal product ban is an attempt to discourage attempts to “weaken the country” by “anti-national elements” that aim to “create divisions” and create “unfair financial benefits.” The government has argued that this requirement for halal certification, is leading to people from other communities losing out in business, and thereby, to also creating a “parallel system to confuse people.”

The Uttar Pradesh government claimed that attempts to discourage the use of products without halal certificates lead to “unfair financial benefits” and also form part of a strategy to “sow class hatred, create divisions in society, and weaken the country” by “anti-national elements”, according to PTI.

Do these accusations hold ground? The accusation stands that there is a parallel economy run by the sale of halal products. So, one can safely assume this economy is sustained only by the revenue generated in the domestic sale since the UP-government’s ban is not on exports.

However, one glaring contradiction is evident: if halal products are funding Islamist or anti-national violence then why is there a ban only on the domestic flow of these goods? Should the government’s imperative not be to curb an end to even the domestic flow of these if they are being used to run an alleged parallel economy completely?

Could it be possible that this ban is not implemented on the flow of exported goods, which seems to be where the majority of such products are catered towards, because this is a conspiracy, dog whistle theory? If a ban on halal goods exports were to be implemented then that would ensure a huge loss in the revenue of large scale multinational companies, such as Adani Wilmar Ltd, Reliance Industries, Tata, Himalaya, and even Baba Ramdev’s Ramdev Food Company etc., each of whom are noted to collect halal certificates to sell their products abroad.

Furthermore, one would assume, to sustain a “parallel economy” the sale, distribution and demands of the products would be considerably large? But is that the case?

Observers suggest otherwise. Shubha Prada Nishtala, a member of the Association of Food Scientists and Technologists of India, speaking to Scroll.in, confirms that there is “no consumer asks as such for non-meat (halal) products.”

Furthermore, an official from All India Food Processors’ Association has claimed the crackdown in Uttar Pradesh was in “conflict with the Centre’s policy”. “All these halal certifying bodies are valid businesses. So how can UP say they are illegal?”

Similarly, a spokesperson for the Jamiat, who also runs a halal certification company, has stated that, as required by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry notification, they are registered with the NABCB (National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies under Quality Council of India). The team at Sabrang India has verified this: the Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind Halal Trust is listed under “Product Certification Bodies” at the NABCB’s website, with a validity up to 2026 and is credited for granting certificates for halal meat.

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The post Unveiling the Alleged Link: Halal Products and Anti-National Funding appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Voters who might want to drift away, anguished by the lacklustre economic situation and poor employment record, seem never to lack a polarising issue to galvanise them in Uttar Pradesh. It began decades ago with the Ram Temple issue, but now politics is tuning into the Kashi Vishwanath temple ‘issue’.

Meat and meat consumption capture headlines regularly while few note how Uttar Pradesh has become a hub for wandering stray cattle, which are allowed to recklessly roam the streets, creating a nuisance, falling prey to passing cars, if not raiding standing crops and adding to farmers’ economic losses.

Politics related to cow slaughter and allegations of eating beef have taken many lives in Uttar Pradesh—the lynching of Akhlaq, Junaid, and Rakbar Khan, among others, sent shockwaves at regular intervals. Still, those ruling the state apparatus seem to have an appetite to repeatedly bring up the meat issue.

Uttar Pradesh has paid dearly for communal politics every time it has been raked up. So-called love jihad was drummed into such a heated political issue in the state that it culminated in the Muzaffarnagar violence of 2013.

With Adityanath Yogi as the Chief Minister since 2017, the problems of Uttar Pradesh have only grown. The frequency with which hate speeches are made, the raids on meat shops that have devastated the economy of a section of the Muslims and Dalits, and the introduction of bulldozer (in)justice—all have frightening consequences for the disadvantaged groups, and especially for the religious minorities.

Interestingly, the ban on halal-certified edible products applies only to the local market. Products meant for export have been excluded, though all meat exported to countries where halal meat is consumed requires halal certification. Halal, in Arabic, simply designates what is permissible as per Islamic religious practices. Halal certification of meat items guarantees that the animals, including poultry, were slaughtered in the prescribed Islamic way. India has no clear nationwide law or rule that requires halal meat to be sold—it has been left to individual preferences. Meat that is exported is, naturally, subject to proper checks for halal certification.

The halal trade is economically highly significant—a roughly $3.5 trillion industry—and India has benefitted vastly from the promotion of halal exports. Its significant trading partners are the Organization of Islamic Countries and South East Asian nations.

The Uttar Pradesh government has justified the ban by saying that some companies had issued “forged” halal certificates for financial gain—meaning that they did not follow the prescribed rules, but claimed they did. Surprisingly, a communal angle has been inserted into the forgery allegation by claiming that these companies cause social animosity and violate public trust. If the issue is fake halal certificates, why impose a blanket ban on domestic sales? If it is about animosity, where is the evidence?

Indeed, a more detailed presentation of the facts of this case known so far is here but was there a need to ban halal certified foods altogether? Does not the state government, along with the Centre, need to thrash out the law it wishes to prescribe, or not, in a more dignified and realistic fashion?

According to Mufti Habeeb Yusuf Qasmi, president of the Halal Council of India, the controversy over halal certification reflects the propensity to view every development from a myopic Hindu-Muslim lens. “Halal is about hygiene and purity. It is not a Hindu-Muslim matter but about food,” he said.

Indeed, while the meat trade and beef export are associated with Muslims, many prominent companies in the meat and beef trade are from the majority community—Al Kabeer Exports, one of the biggest meat exporters, is owned by Satish Sabharwal, and Sunil Kapoor owns Arabian Exports Pvt. Ltd. There are many such instances.

All in all, the ban implies that those who do wish to consume certified halal edibles—which is, of course, the Muslims—would be denied access to these items. The situation is made even more ironic when the state government sees an effort to create a market for halal-certified products as a “conspiracy”.

But in the past, the state government’s problem was also with small meat traders, many of whom are Muslims. Immediately after coming to power, the Yogi Adityanath government shut many meat shops, saying they did not have proper licenses.

In the end, the Allahabad High Court asked the Yogi Adityanath government under which provision of law were meat shops in the state capital, Lucknow, being forced to shut. It rapped the Lucknow Municipal Corporation for not having taken timely action to renew the licenses of meat shops.

Meat has become a major irritant in Uttar Pradesh—one that has repeatedly aided the Uttar Pradesh government in polarising the state’s people and politics. But the politics of the Chief Minister goes beyond food. In a very blunt fashion, he coined the ‘80-20’ term, which implied that he was not banking on getting votes from the Muslims, who are 20% of the population of Uttar Pradesh. He put forward this formulation in an advertisement in a national newspaper, the dog whistle intensifying the communal divide as expected.

He also uses the term “abba-jaan”, which means dear father in Urdu, in his speeches to humiliate the Muslim community—he actually accused the community of appropriating food grains meant for all communities. He deliberately attributed the violence in Muzaffarnagar to its Muslim residents, although numerous fact-finding reports have disclosed that the violence was orchestrated in the name of the “security of Hindu girls”.

Further, it is not in dispute that the violence led to the large-scale displacement of Muslims from Muzaffarnagar, and that the Jats in the area suffered, too, but their losses were far fewer. Yogi Adityanath recklessly targeted the Muslim residents of Kairana town when he spread myths about the forced displacement of Hindus. It turned out that 346 Hindus had migrated away from Kairana, mainly for economic reasons.

Another divisive practice introduced by the Yogi Adityanath government, which other chief ministers of BJP-ruled states have adopted, is of bulldozing residential and commercial properties, mainly of Muslims and the poor, on a variety of pretexts. After the fact, the authorities paper over their actions by making claims about having sent notices and that the bulldozed structure was illegal.

Indeed, a structure could be illegal, but are bulldozers the government’s only administrative tool against them? From recent experience, it has become evident that bulldozers are selectively used against Muslims and those the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) considers its rivals or opponents. The practice, whatever the pretexts, has devastated coexistence in Uttar Pradesh, especially its Muslim residents. That is why it has been said that “while Yogi Adityanath has called bulldozers a symbol of development and peace and a means to enforce the law, the opposition has criticised his government by calling bulldozer ‘justice’ a violation of the law”.

All in all, the ban on halal products for domestic consumption is yet another instance of the divisive policies initiated in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh.

Halal certification is internationally accepted, and respecting people’s feelings is the core of a plural society. Halal products, it must be remembered, are not just meat or culinary items but an array of products and services that inform the lives of many Indian citizens. Whatever the pretext for banning halal certification, this step will worsen the communal divide already prevalent in society.

One also must understand that the BJP repeatedly needs to strengthen its divisive core, especially since the Lok Sabha election is due in a few months. The halal ban is yet another issue for the BJP to whip up in the service of sectarian politics. Food habits and personal preferences, guided by the cultural practices of any community, must be respected. What fits the bill in a plural, diverse society should not be outlawed.

Related:

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The post Uttar Pradesh: A divisive agenda to the fore appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The order begins with clarifying its objective is public interest, “In the interest of public health, production, storing, distribution and sale of halal certified edible items banned in Uttar Pradesh with immediate effect.”

The order has stated that this is an “unfair advantage” which is being exploited by “anti-social or anti-national elements.” It must be of note that this ban will not apply to products made for export.

Similarly, on November 17, an FIR was filed at the Hazratganj Police Station case was filed by the police regarding the sale of products with “illegal halal certificates” after a complaint was lodged by Shailendra Kumar Sharma, who from Lucknow  and a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) office-bearer. The complaint alleges that “some companies are certifying products as halal to boost sales within a specific community.” The complaint also argues that the financial profits from such activities are being used to fund terrorist organisations.

In response to this complaint, the police booked Halal India Pvt Ltd based in Chennai, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Halal Trust in New Delhi, and the Halal Council of India and Jamiat Ulema in Mumbai and now they face various  charges under several sections of the Indian Penal Code including 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 298 (intent to wound religious feelings), 384 (extortion), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), and 505 (statements that cause public mischief).

Responding to these allegation, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has refuted them and has declared them to be baseless, and has asserted that it will take  all necessary legal measures to counter such misinformation,  stating that, “We adhere to government regulations, in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry notification, requiring all halal certification bodies to be registered by NABCB (National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies under Quality Council of India), a milestone that Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind Halal Trust has achieved.”

In its press release, the Jamiat further claims that there is a “robust” demand for halal goods globally, and there is an “imperative” for Indian companies to obtain such Certification, a fact endorsed by our Ministry of Commerce, Government of India (refer to Ministry of Commerce Trade notification no. 25/2022-23).”

#Clarification on #HalalCertification

New Delhi November 18, 2023
In light of recent misleading information circulating through various media outlets and an FIR lodged in Hazratgunj, Lucknow, regarding Halal Products and Certification services, Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind Halal Trust,… pic.twitter.com/Lnzvai8rN1

— Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (@JamiatUlama_in) November 18, 2023

Similarly, according to The Wire, Mufti Habeeb Yusuf Qasmi, the president of the Halal Council of India has refuted the claim that companies providing halal certificates are serving communal interests.

Qasmi asserted, “This is absolutely false. Venky’s, Zorabian, and Godrej (companies that are certified by the Halal Council of India) are all run by non-Muslims.” and has asserted that Halal certification has, in fact, proven beneficial for the businesses of non-Muslim companies.

It must be of note that animosity against dietary preferences of Muslims has been seen widely. Several organisations, linked to right-wing groups, have campaigned for the “boycott” of Halal goods in several parts of the country.

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The post UP Govt bans halal items, only allows for export appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Following the same pattern, a hate speech was delivered by a Bajrang Dal leader in Haridwar, where he had targeted Muslims, issuing threats to commit violence if the Muslim community commits sacrifice cattle on Eid and any blood is found in the drain.

The speech:

“In whichever street or city you find blood in the drain, you tell me or any person from my organisation, and I will tell these people how Eid is celebrated here. This is Haridwar, it belongs to us. If we let them play with our religious sentiments here in the pious Haridwar, then shame on us.”

“There are so many meat shops running illegally here. These chicken centres are running in the midst of Lord Ram and Goddess Durga openly, what use performing aartis on them? These chicken centres are present on the back of our Lord Ram.”

“We want to urge the district management and the state government to close all these meat shops and liquor shops. A few years ago, these liquor shops used to be 15 km or 20 km away from Harkipodi, and as soon as the BJP government came, new liquor shops started popping up in close proximity. If the BJP government comes again, these liquor shops will be within our district. These BJP ministers are playing with our religious sentiments, these people only want our votes, and they do not want to do anything for our Hindu community.”

“One such BJP neta, who is new and upcoming, he wants a ticket for Mayorship. That same person had gone to the police to complain against cow vigilantes, how shameful is this? He said that this way he could gain the votes of the Muslims, but I just want to tell him that this way he will not gain any Muslim votes, and will rather lose the votes of the Hindus too.”

“The Hindu community will have to unite and fight this battle for our religion. We need to fight together that this is our holy Haridwar, we need to fight to protect its sanctity. Even during the British colonial times we had maintained the holiness of our land, and we shall continue to do that even now.”

The video can be viewed here:

Location: Haridwar, Uttarakhand

Bajrang Dal leader delivers hate speech targeting Muslims, threatens violence if Muslims sacrifice cattle on Eid. pic.twitter.com/u3Ou9XPzSD

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) June 21, 2023

In addition to the above-mentioned hate speech, “Say No to Halal” was also been trending with 20.7 K tweets, as reported by the India Today NE. This whole trend was set rolling by members associated with the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), a right-wing extremist Hindutva fringe outfit that has been advocating for establishing a ban on the use of Halal meat in products.  And now, once again, days before the Eid-ul-Adha, the same issue has been raised by the outfit. The post tweeted by Suni Ghanwat, convenor of the HJS, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, is as follows:

After Halal Free campaign in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, now the whole country will be Halal product free. In #वैश्विक_हिंदुराष्ट्र_महोत्सव everyone opposed #HalalJihad which is an economy parrellel to country’s economy should be stopped.
Say No To Halal pic.twitter.com/hwYgXwnjjN

— Sunil Ghanwat (@SG_HJS) June 20, 2023

Post this, the said tweet got picked up by other people with far-right ideology. One of them wrote, “After Halal Free campaign in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, now the whole country will be Halal product free,” as reported by the India Today NE.

Another twitter user wrote, “Nowadays, McDonald’s burgers, Domino’s pizzas, and almost all in-flight meals are Halal. Is it constitutional to force halal food even on non-Muslims? Say No To Halal.”

The post can be viewed here:

Nowadays, McDonald’s burgers, Domino’s pizzas, and almost all in- flight meals are Halal. Is it constitutional to force halal food even on non muslims ?
Say No To Halal pic.twitter.com/AuRItyhlGl

— Savitri Gubyad (@Gubyad_Savitri) June 20, 2023

While all human acts that affect the environment, including those sanctioned by religious faith and custom need to be re-visited and questioned, the selective pin-pointing of Bakri Eid as one such needs querying. Not only are large sections of people, including in India eaters of meat, this requires slaughter too. While mass slaughter of animals like the mass felling of trees amounts to both cruelty and an assault on nature which is detrimental to climate change, the positioning of this debate against Muslims and Islam has a specific purpose. Rather than resulting in constructive discourse, the one-sided debate that is generated fuels agendas, which produces no beneficial results and instead isolates that particular community.

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The post Days before Bakri Eid, threats of violence issued, calls for ban on Halal meat made appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Dhanbad’s Randhir Verma Chowk saw the far right Hindutva organization Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) hit the street in a protest against ‘Halal certification’. It was joined in the demonstration by an organization called Halal Sakhti Virodhi Kriti Samiti (Action Committee against Forceful Halal). According to reports appearing in local news outlets, Shambhu Gavare of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti said that an increasing demand for halal products in India is forcing Hindu business owners to get halal certification. He also said that while earlier the idea of halal was limited to meat products and export to Islamic countries, but now various products such as sugar, oil, flour, chocolate, sweets, cosmetics, medicines, etc. are also being halal certified in India. He went on to claim that when the Indian government certifies products through authorized bodies like FSSAI and FDA, halal certification should not be necessary. 

According to an article on their website, office bearers of the HJS had also met the BJP’s Dhanbad MLA Raj Sinha on January 18th to talk about ‘Halal’. The report quotes the MLA‘s saying, ‘I will send a statement to the central government and demand an investigation. Also, I will try to create awareness about Halal certification in the society’. 

The protest is the latest in a long, concerted effort by the Hindu Janjagriti Samiti to put the issue of Halal certificate or ‘Halal Jihad’ as it prefers to call it on Hindutva’s national outrage map.

What is Halal?

Halal certification is a process of verifying that a product or service is in accordance with Islamic dietary laws. It certifies that the food, drink, or other consumer goods have been produced, processed, and/or prepared in a manner that is permissible under Islamic law. The criteria for halal certification includes, among others, that the food should not contain any pork or alcohol, and that it should be prepared according to certain slaughter and handling practices. 

India does not have a mandatory halal certification system in India since it does not have a national regulation for the certification. However, certification is undertaken in India through private organizations like Halal India Pvt Ltd and Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Halal Trust for a fee. Since the International (and domestic) market for products marked ‘Halal’ has increased, many entrepreneurs see an opportunity in voluntarily seeking Halal certificates for their products. 

But that has not stopped the far right from raising the bogey of ‘Halal’ giving rise to concerns that this is yet another pretext to demonize India’s minorities.

A concerted effort to spread outrage against Halal certification

It seems that the far right Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) is attempting a mainstream makeover by increasing its visibility through street protests on right wing hot button issues. Members of HJS and its sister organization Sanatan Sanstha have been charged with the murder of journalists and rationalists like Gauri Lankesh, MM Kalburgi, Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare. That these protests are often attended by BJP leaders is a sign of increasing legitimacy of the hitherto ‘fringe’ HJS and its sister organization, the shadowy Sanatan Sanstha.

The anti-Halal protest was kickstarted last October when the HJS led a protest outside KFC and Mc Donals in Bangalore demanding that non muslims be served non halal products. But the issue was raised vehemently by right wing accounts on social media last March. While it did not find any resonance on ground, politicians in Karnataka including the Chief Minister were quick to weigh in. BJP’s general secretary, CT Ravi, known for his hate speeches, predictably christened it ‘Economic Jihad’.

Since then, there has been a concerted attempt to give the anti-‘Halal’ protests a widespread character. A book titled ‘Halal Jihad’ written by Ramesh Shinde, national spokesperson of HJS was launched at IIC, in the heart of Delhi, on September 7, 2022. 

#Halal_Jihad book launch written by Shri. Ramesh Shinde @Ramesh_hjs at #IIC India International Centre in #Delhi
By (from left) – @KapilMishra_IND, @SureshChavhanke, @Ramesh_hjs, @Vishnu_Jain1

Let’s pledge to spread the word through this book !#IndianEconomy #HinduRashtra pic.twitter.com/BjnY2QjrQ9

— HJS_Delhi-NCR (@HJS_Delhi) September 7, 2022

The launch was attended by Kapil Mishra, Suresh Chavhanke and Advocate Vishnu Jain of ‘Gyanvapi’ fame. 

It has since made an appearance in the speeches of VHP functionaries in Rajasthan. BJP’s Goshamahal MLA Raja Singh brought up the issue of Halal at the HJS led ‘Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha’ in Mumbai on the 29th of January in a speech so hateful that the Supreme Court of India had to order a videographing of the next HJS rally. In October last year HJS submitted a memorandum to none other than Mr CT Ravi himself. 

The HJS lays down its thoughts on the issue of ‘Halal’ with considerable clarity on its website. The page lists the forceful advocacy that the HJS has launched against ‘Halal certification’. 

From lobbying with state government ministers like AK Sharma in Uttar Pradesh to launching books with rabble rousers like Suresh Chavhanke and Kapil Mishra, to administering an oath to thousands of ‘Dhara tirth yatris’ with Shambaji Bhide to not consume ‘Halal’ products, the HJS seems to have their hands full in their battle against Halal.  

पू. संभाजी भिडेगुरुजी यांच्या उपस्थितीत ५० सहस्र धारकर्‍यांचा हलाल उत्पादने न घेण्याचा निर्धार !

श्री शिवप्रतिष्ठान हिंदुस्थानच्या धारातीर्थ यात्रेत @manojkhadyehjs यांच्या #BoycottHalalProducts आवाहनाला उत्स्फूर्त प्रतिसाद pic.twitter.com/la8BvBtNd7

— HinduJagrutiOrg (@HinduJagrutiOrg) January 31, 2023

Dhara Tirth yatras are fort ‘walks’ organized by Shiv Prathisthan’s Shambaji Bhide in Western Maharashtra, a traditional Congress stronghold. 

Related:

Mumbai: BJP leaders attend far right Hindutva rally where calls for economic boycott of Muslims, violence against them are made

Hindu activists begin door-to-door campaign against halal products in Karnataka

How Halal is your harassment?

The post Protest against ‘Halal Certificate’ in Dhanbad latest in an effort to create another stigma & bogey appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The right wing ecosystem, amplified by its social media team of keyboard punchers, have now decided to trend “Boycott Himalaya” as it has a Halal Certificate. The trend began as soon as goons of right wing outfits in Karnataka began harassing Muslim vendors, meat shop sellers having halal certification of their products. Online groups began sharing Himalaya’s Halal certificate and asking that the products made by cosmetic/pharmaceutical companies be boycotted. The right wing trolls, were inspired to attack Himalaya as it was founded and is owned by a Muslim. The right wing influencers added their two bits to the trend.

#BoycottHimalaya

— Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) April 1, 2022

They remained obsessed that Himalaya was a Muslim owned and run company. However, the anti-Muslim rant is bizzare, at best, because the  9 out of 10 people who make up Himalaya’s  team of are not Muslim.

Several RW Politicians and RW trolls have been trending #BoycottHimalaya by sharing Himalaya’s Halal certificate. Just because Himalaya is owned by a Muslim. BTW 9 out of 10 in Himalaya leadership team of Himalaya are Hindus. THREAD on their hypocrisy and Muslim Hate ?? pic.twitter.com/HcCXQDWn0M

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) April 1, 2022

According to fact checkers, a Halal certificate, that is the norm especially for those who export their products, is also held by companies such as Adani, Patanjali,  Reliance  and many more.

Here is Halal certificate of Adani. Will the Right Wing boycott Adani products?@SirPareshRawal ? pic.twitter.com/KQurtPMmvH

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) April 1, 2022

Here is Halal certificate for Reliance product. Will you boycott Reliance? pic.twitter.com/HCbkrltQOi

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) April 1, 2022

Iska kya karna hai? pic.twitter.com/fJgE4Rt1En

— StayPositive (@IndStayPositive) April 1, 2022

As far as Himalaya is concerned, it was founded by M. Manal,  according to the company;s website Manal’s “vision was to bring the traditional Indian science of Ayurveda to society in a contemporary form.” Himalaya products are available in 68 countries in Europe, the Middle East, CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), and Africa. Himalaya claims it was “the first Indian pharmaceutical company to be registered with the Ministry of Health in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).”

On its leadership now are Shailendra Malhotra who heads its Middle East operations, Saket Gore who is the business head of the Consumer Products Division (CPD), Jatin Brahmecha the global CFO of Himalaya Global Holdings, Jayashree Ullal who leads Himalaya India’s Finance and Operations. 

KG Umesh who runs its Human Resource Management function, Rajesh Krishnamurthy its  Business Head, Consumer Products Division (CPD).  Others include Sharat Sutrave its Director, Manufacturing, Anil Jiandani who heads the Pharmaceutical and Animal Health divisions of Himalaya India,  Dr. Rangesh’s the  Chief Scientific Officer who was once a Lecturer in Ayurveda Medical Colleges in Bangalore and Mysore. Nabeel Manal, the only Muslim on the leadership team is from Himalaya’s founding family,  who joined the company  in 2004.

Harassment over Hahal continues offline

On Friday, Karnataka Police told the media that they have arrested seven members of the Bajrang Dal accused of assault of vendors selling of halal meat in Shivamogga district. Right Wing groups have been active on the streets of Karnataka allegedly intimidating vendors, and demanding a ban on halal products. A “campaign” has been launched to influence the government to mull over a ban on Halal and keep the economic boycott on buying of meat from Muslim traders boiling. The intention is clear, to attack the minority community’s right to earn a living. 

These RW groups include the Hindu Jagruthi Samithi, Sri Rama Sene, Bajarang Dal who, according to The News Minute (TNM), have demanded that vendors remove their halal certifications from the signboards. The groups have asked “Hindus not to buy meat which is halal cut” but to opt for the ‘Jhatka’ method of slaughter. According to TNM, Pramod Muthalik, Founder of Sri Ram Sene called for boycott of halal cut meat in Karnataka, which was then amplified by multiple RW organisations who asked for boycott of halal meat during the post-Ugadi ‘Hosa Tadaku’.

According to the TNM report the RW groups claimed, “Islamic organisations are trying to make a parallel financial system in the country. It is dangerous for the security of the country. When there are government certifying agencies like FSSAI and FDA for food certification, where is the need for certification based on religion? Halal certification is against the precepts of secularism and gross injustice to the traditional butchers and meat traders.” Shivamogga Superintendent of Police BM Laxmi Prasad had told the media that a first information report was registered over the incident at the Hosamane police station in Bhadravati.

The RW goons have been active on the streets harassing Muslim shop owners. Those recently arrested have been identified as Vadivelu, Savayi Singh, Ramu, Sanjay, Srikanth, Lokesh and Manjunath, residents of Bhadravati. According to news reports on Wednesday, members of the Bajrang Dal attacked a Muslim meat vendor named Thousif. They told him “to sell only non-halal meat since his shop was located in a Hindu majority area.”  

5 #BajrangDal members arrested in #Shivamogga 4 abusing & attacking meat stall owner Tousif.Dal members demanded Tousif to provide non #Halal meat.When Tousif said to go to another shop for non halal meat.He was assaulted.Same group went to other shops demanding nonhalal meat. pic.twitter.com/o5H3wrFe50

— Imran Khan (@KeypadGuerilla) April 1, 2022

Four Bajrang Dal members booked in Bhadravathi, Shivamogga for assaulting a meat/poultry shop owner Tousif for selling halal meat. FIR registered as the incident took place on 31 March. Several Hindu groups have been demanding boycott of halal meat. ⁦@TheQuint⁩ pic.twitter.com/hs1drwPyTc

— Nikhila Henry (@NikhilaHenry) April 1, 2022

Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra who on Thursday said those who do not respect the Constitution and honour the court verdict on hijab “should be taught a lesson.”  Such a call seems to bae all that  Bajrang Dal goons needed. A group barged into a Janta Hotel and “threatened hotel staff not to serve Halal food” they reportedly “also attacked a muslim customer Usama for having Halal food.

Bhadravati(Shimoga): 15 Bajarangdal goons entered into Janta Hotel and threatened hotel staff not to serve Halal food, also attacked a muslim customer Usama for having Halal food,
Usama resisted asking “Who Are you to tell me what I should eat?”
1/2 pic.twitter.com/WnjMfeCmv6

— Mohammed Irshad H (@Shaad_Bajpe) April 1, 2022

Related

Bajrang Dal smells an opportunity in stirring the halal pot, pastes boycott posters 

‘Halal food is economic jehad’: BJP gen sec CT Ravi cooks up fresh hate

Why is iD dosa batter giving communal trolls indigestion?

Four arrested for issuing ‘notice’ to bakery to remove halal info, had called it ‘discriminatory’

Hate-monger Sangeet Som’s Sena bristles at hate video

Tripura: Muslim man lynched on suspicion of cattle theft

West Bengal: Muslim mason allegedly lynched by Hindutva mob

The post How Halal is your harassment? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Chikkamagaravalli Thimme Gowda Raavu a.k.a CT Ravi had last made the news when he raised the slogan “desh ke gaddaro ko goli maro!” (shoot the traitors) as his reaction to the alleged “security breach” on the Prime Minister’s route in Punjab in December. Now, the BJP National general Secretary, who is also a four-time MLA from Chikmagalur, has decided to join the right-wing groups’ hate call to boycott ‘Halal’ meat which they equate with Muslim dietary habits, and has called all Halal food ‘economic jihad’ reported The New Indian Express.

Attaching words like Jihad/Jehad when they want to target Muslims is a well known right wing tactic, which has once again begun doing the rounds of social media as the the Hindu New Year falls on April 2. This time, the messages “appeal” to Hindus to boycott Halal meat. 

In Ravi’s home state of Karnataka, the festival is celebrated with great joy and special foods are cooked, offered to gods, and shared with friends and family. According to the TNIE report, “A day after Ugadi, a section of “non-vegetarian” Hindus offer meat to God and celebrate the New Year.” However, this year some right wing groups are asking people to skip this part of the celebrations. Ravi seems to have added fuell to this call and remarked that Halal food was so called  ‘economic jihad’. A massive econmic boycott forbidding Muslim / non-Hindu vendors around temples during fairs is gathering steam in  Karnataka. Now Ravi says, “Halal is an economic Jehad. It means that it is used like a Jehad so that Muslims should not do business with others. It has been imposed. When they think that Halal meat should be used, what is wrong in saying that it should not be used?”

According to him Halal meat offered to ‘their [Muslim] God’ is dear to them (Muslims) “but for Hindus, it is somebody’s leftover” stated the report adding that Ravi believed “Halal has been designed in a planned way so that the products should be purchased only from Muslims and not others.” He asked the media, “When Muslims refuse to buy meat from Hindus, why should you insist on Hindus to buy from them? What right people have to even ask this?” Ravi went a dangerous step ahead to reportedly say that “if Muslims agree to eat non-Halal meat, then these people (Hindus) will also use Halal meat.” 

According to the news report 61 progressive thinkers from the State, including K Maralusiddappa, Prof S G Siddaramaiah, Bolwar Mahamad Kunhi and Dr Vijaya, have written to the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai with an appeal to check religious hatred. They wrote, “It is shameless work to deliberately instil religious hatred in this land where the epistle is sung as a garden of racial peace,” adding “festivals are held all over the State and are all economic and cultural dimensions that do not make any Muslim relatives wealthy.” 

Meanwhile, the Karnataka government has already directed temples coming under the Muzrai Department to mark Ugadi, the first day of the Hindu New Year, as a “Dharmika Dina” (religious day), reported The Hindu. The Minister for Muzrai Shashikala Jolle announced that “as the Religious Endowment Department in accordance with is religious background, we thought it was appropriate to celebrate Ugadi day as a religious day.” According to the directions, issued “programmes should be organised at all notified temples on that day as per Indian culture.” Such a programme should involve efforts to bring awareness among people about the “influence and benefits of the various stars”, said the minister. It has also been announced that the traditional offering of neem and jaggery will be made at the temples who have also “been told to conduct special poojas and prayers for the development of the State,” added the news report .

The food politics are not new to the state. Last year, Bangalore based iD dosa batter makers [who hail from a Muslim family] were targetted by a communal misinformation campaign and had to issue a public statement saying their idli dosa batter contained only rice, urad dal, fenugreek and RO-water. This was after a Whatsapp and social media campaign had spread the fake news that the dosa batter made and sold by iD had ‘cattle bones and calf rennet’.  

Recently, iD Foods issued advertisements in newspaper when on scanning a QRcode, a live feed of the food production line at their automated factories can be seen. It is also on their website under the page titled ‘trust factory’ 

Whoa! Really interesting effort by iD Foods – they are live-streaming from their batter factory in Bengaluru (the world’s largest batter factory, as they call it) to build trust (after relentless and persistent disinformation campaigns)! There are 8 live feeds that stay live 1/3 pic.twitter.com/zhGSJlfiGn

— Karthik ?? (@beastoftraal) March 30, 2022

Food centred communal prejudices are all a part of The Pyramid Of Hate. Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) Secretary and human rights defender Teesta Setalvad has explained how such minute biases and prejudices are a part of the climb up the pyramid of hate.

Related:

Why is iD dosa batter giving communal trolls indigestion?

Four arrested for issuing ‘notice’ to bakery to remove halal info, had called it ‘discriminatory’

Hate-monger Sangeet Som’s Sena bristles at hate video

Tripura: Muslim man lynched on suspicion of cattle theft

Hate Watch: Saffron flags greet Tejasvi Surya’s cycle rally outside mosque

Karnataka: Two BJP members condemn ban on Muslim traders during festivals

Hijab ban case: K’taka HC concludes hearing, reserves judgement

Shivamogga: 20 injured in violence during Bajrang Dal member’s funeral

Karnataka: Bajrang Dal member killed, cops refute links to hijab row

The post ‘Halal food is economic jehad’: BJP gen sec CT Ravi cooks up fresh hate appeared first on SabrangIndia.