Australia: Secret deal to tie up Halal market

news.com.au

 World Muslim League general secretary Abdallah Ben Abdel Mohsen Al-Turki wearing the school blazer of Sydney's Malek Fahd Islamic School, with AFIC president Hafez Kassem. Source: News Corp Australia
World Muslim League general secretary Abdallah Ben Abdel Mohsen Al-Turki wearing the school blazer of Sydney’s Malek Fahd Islamic School, with AFIC president Hafez Kassem. Source: News Corp Australia

A NUMBER of the region’s top Muslim leaders signed a secret deal in Mecca last year to tie up more of the $1 trillion halal certification market.

The meeting was called by a Saudi-born ultra-orthodox Wahhabi leader in a bid to set up a new umbrella organisation and investment fund to control the booming market, The Australian reported today.

Abdallah Ben Abdel Mohsen al-Turki, “honorary president” of the World Muslim League, brought together a range of figures to conquer and divide the multimillion-dollar market.

Embattled Australian Federation of Islamic Councils president Hafez Kassem, Australia’s “Mr Saudi”, Sha­fiq Khan, hard line preacher Sheik Omar El-Banna, and Australia’s Grand Mufti Ibrahim Abu Moham­med, were all present and all signed the document.

“The federation shall seek to set up an Islamic investment fund to invest in good-return projects, especially in the area of halal food of all kinds, as well as investing in the establishment of an Islamic abattoir,” states the agreement.

It was reportedly discussed that 70 per cent of the profits from the investment fund would be distributed among the various signatories and 30 per cent would go to the World Muslim League, which is funded by the Saudi regime.

The Grand Mufti signed the agreement representing his own centre, the Australian Islamic Culture Establishment, and not the Australian National Imams Council.

“The intention was that a bank account would be created, a kitty, and these people would be the custodians of the fund,” one man told The Australian.

“They worked out the distribution formula and some of that money would go to the league. Whether that goes to their Australian office (in Melbourne) or back to Saudi Arabia, we do not know.”