halalfocus.net » Media & Events

Indonesia: PBNU Drafts Halal references

salama — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:49:07 +0000

TEMPO Interactive, SURABAYA: The leaders of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) are working on drafting halal standards. As such, all production distributed among NU members must be approved by the Nahdlatul Ulama Businessmen’s Association (HPN). The special standard is part of the recommendation produced during the ‘Rembug Saudagar NU and NU Expo 2012′ that was held in Surabaya from January 26 – 29.

“This is important because 70 percent of Muslims in Indonesia are NU members. We have an interest to keeping the products used and consumed by NU members halal and ensuring they are manufactured honestly,” said HPN chairman Abdul Kholik.

Besides maintaining product quality, NU says the the halal label aims to increase the bargaining power of Nahdliyin and its share of the market.

Committee head of NU Expo 2012, Anang Prabowo, said the expo was attended by 25,000 visitors. “The expo this year was more successful than last year,” he said.

FATKHURROHMAN TAUFIQ

UAE: SouqExtra! Ewan Center Embraces New Retail Trend

salama — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:16:02 +0000

Community Supercenter sees 48% rise in daily footfall in year 2011

SouqExtra! Ewan Center Embraces New Retail Trend

Dubai, UAE – 25 January 2012: SouqExtra!, the national chain of community supercenters, has experienced a 48 percent increase in daily footfall corresponding to the positive reception of its concept by the local retail community and the confident outlook for the UAE retail sector.

SouqExtra! officials announced this encouraging trend during a cake cutting ceremony held with retail partners and community members to mark the second anniversary of its flagship outlet at Ewan Residences in Dubai Investment Park.

The Anniversary celebration is the first major event on SouqExtra!’s 2012 Activity Calendar. The entertainment needs of children during this event have also been given a special care with bouncing castle, clowns, magic show and a host of other fun filled activities that will continue for 3 days.

Speaking on the occasion, Saleh Abdullah Lootah, Managing Director of SouqExtra! said “These new figures are very astounding, and are driven by the increased consumer confidence in the UAE and the rising demand for modern retailing concepts, such as SouqExtra!”.

This is backed by the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) who stated that consumer confidence in Dubai rose during the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to the previous quarter. The confidence index increased from 15 points to 125, boosted by a 22 per cent in survey respondents’ optimism of an economic recovery over the next 12 months.

“Our operational model, that revolves around the needs and unique demographics of the residential communities in which we are based, has proved very successful and has been praised by retail partners and consumers alike,” said Justin Wilshaw, the Chief Executive Officer of SouqExtra!.

Attending to the local community demand at SouqExtra! Ewan Residences, new retail space has been allocated for more services including a coffee shop, a driving institute and a sunglass offer according to Mr Wilshaw.

Building on the lifestyle supercenter’s community-centric character the first year anniversary celebrations at SouqExtra! Ewan Residences saw a 100% increase in daily footfall.

SouqExtra! is a pioneering lifestyle supercenter model, representing an innovative retail concept shaped by extensive research into outlet positioning as well as the quality and variety of services offered. It offers an innovative program that encourages local entrepreneurs to enter the exciting retail scene, and focuses on providing access to amenities and services that connect consumers’ professional and family life to the larger community, adding something Extra! to life.

- Ends -

About SouqExra!

SouqExtra! is the name of neighbourhood community-focused centers, with integrated primary services such as high-end grocery, kids’ play area, fast food outlets, coffee shops, full-fledged gymnasium, salon, photo shop and community hall, all designed to help the community meet their daily needs. SouqExtra’s tagline “My Favourite Place” sums up the concept’s unique sales proposition. The gyms, for instance, will offer the full range of fitness equipment, complete with a trainer. The community hall will be rented out to residents for hosting parties, birthdays, events, celebrations, family gatherings and other community activities. The Phase 1 of SouqExtra will add retail space of 500,000 sq. ft. in UAE. Each SouqExtra centre will boast a uniform design with a friendly ambience and ample parking spaces, to serve as a one-stop shop for day to day needs of the community.

UK: Press TV, the Iranian state-funded news channel, loses UK licence

salama — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:15:34 +0000

Posted by Samira Shackle – 20 January 2012 15:32

The controversial broadcaster has been taken off the air after Ofcom ruled it was in breach of licencing rules.

George Galloway is one of the UK’s most prominent contributors to Press TV. Photograph: Getty Images

Press TV, the Iranian state-funded news channel, is to be taken off the air in Britain after Ofcom ruled that it was breaching broadcasting rules.

The channel has responded with outrage, calling the decision “scandalous” and a “clear example of censorship”. Its chief executive, Mohammad Sarafraz, said that it was “an act of aggression by the British monarchy” which “will prevent the British from learning the truth”.

Yet it is not entirely out of the blue: the controversial broadcaster was threatened with a ban last year, after it emerged that it had aired an interview with Maziar Bahari, a Newsweek journalist, while he was imprisoned in Iran in 2009.

Rather than banning the channel outright, after hearing submissions Ofcom finally settled on a £100,000 fine in December 2011. However, Press TV failed to meet the early January deadline for paying the fine. Ofcom said that the broadcaster has been “unwilling and unable” to pay it.

This is not the only reason that Ofcom has given: it also ruled that Press TV is in breach of broadcasting licence rules in the UK because it runs its editorial insight from Iran’s capital, Tehran. The regulator wrote to Press TV about this in November, offering a choice of either switching editorial control for programming to the UK, or to transfer the broadcasting licence to Iran. According to Ofcom, Press TV has not responded.

These technical explanations are all very well, but it is difficult not to view this in the context of escalating tension between Iran and Britain (my colleague Mehdi Hasan has blogged extensively on this). The country’s nuclear programme has drawn ire from the west, and in November, Britain closed Iran’s embassy in London and expelled all diplomats, after the British embassy in Tehran was attacked by a crowd angry at sanctions.

Certainly, the channel’s fans will (rightly or wrongly) view it in this light. In October last year, Press TV ran a poll in which 52 per cent of respondents said that Ofcom’s attempts to get the channel taken off air was “an instance of intellectual terrorism”. The instant reaction on Twitter shows many concerned about free speech (although others are cheering the decision). Salma Yaqoob, the leader of the Respect Party, tweeted: “Reality is we r seeing increased hostility and preparation for attack on #Iran”.

While this has been rumbling on for months, things are now moving fast. Ofcom has contacted BSkyB, which broadcasts Press TV, to tell them to take the channel off the air before the end of the day. It appears the plug has already been pulled, although it can still be viewed online.

Regardless of the technicality — and certainly, Press TV played a significant part and displayed belligerence by failing to take action — this move will be seen as highly symbolic. It is yet another area where tension with Iran is escalating.

Indonesian Vice President Opens the AGM-WHFC

salama — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:44:53 +0000

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Indonesian vice president, Boediono, opened Annual General Meeting World Halal Food Council (AGM-WHFC) and International Workshop on Indonesian Role for Strengthening Global Halal 2012, at his office, Monday.

The meetings among Muslim scholars, he said, would promote understanding and expand experience on how to implement the system of halal product in an effective way. Halal means food or other things prepared in accordance to Islamic law.

“The forum will be a great opportunity to open discussions and exchanging ideas among policy makers, practioners, academicians, and stake holders,” Boediono said.

For Muslims, food, drink, medicine, cosmetic and other products are not only to fullfill physical needs, but also should be in accordance to religious principles.

Indonesia has 200 milions Muslim in its population. The number is equal with six other countries in total, namely Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Uni Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, and Turkey. The huge number reflects a great potential for halal product.

“Therefore, we need to work hard to write, implement, and monitor the policy on halal products. We also need to promote implementing these policies to achieve global standardization in halal product,” he said.

Furthermore, Boediono explained that halal standardization was the duty of Indonesian Muslim Scholars Council (MUI) and Drug and Food Enforcement Body (BP POM). The bodies task to certify halal products in Indonesia.

“We need to enhance cooperation with other countries. Hopefully, The World Halal Food Council can facilitate such cooperations,” Boediono said.

Pakistan could be the Halal Hub of the Future

salama — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:54:06 +0000

Pakistan could be the Halal Hub of future: Zubair Mughal

International Conference on Halal Industry, Declaration Issue

(Lahore) The two day International Conference on Halal industry in Pakistan has concluded. Among those attending were the ambassador, industrialists and businessmen from 15 different countries participated. Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh, Provincial Minister Agriculture and Livestock, Justice Khalil ur Rehman, Chairman Halal Research and Development cell, Hamid Yakoob Shiekh, secretary Livestock and dairy department, Muhammad Zubair Mughal, CEO Halal Research Council, Dr. Tallat Naseer Pasha, Vice Chancellor, UVAS, Dr. Iqrar Ahmad, Vice Chancellor Agriculture University Faisalabad, Ishaq Latuconsina, Indonesian ambassador, Dr. Haja Sittie Shayma Zenaida Laidan, Regional Director Department, Ministry of Science and Technology – Philippine, Kavilash Chawla, Managing Director Nur Global Strategies, Chicago - U.S.A, Abdul Basit, Chairman Big Bird Group, Mohamad Yakob Bin Munshi Deen, Managing Director Halagel – Malaysia, P. Ahmad, Pak Qatar Takaful, S. Anjum Bashir Director General – Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC), Nissar Ahmad Ramtoola, President – Jummah Mosque – Mauritius were some of the prominent and featured personalities at the conference.

The conference was organized by Halal Research Council in collaboration with PAMCO and Livestock & Dairy Development Department Punjab in which research papers on various topics like export of Halal products from Pakistan, promotion of Pakistan’s Halal Industry internationally, International Halal Research & development and Certification, opportunities of promotion in the Global Halal Industry and the potential of Halal Industry in Punjab were presented. In that conference, the MoU was signed amongst Philippine and Mauritius for the sake of promoting the Pakistan Halal products. The main subject of the conference was the proposal from Justice Khalil ur Rehman for the formation of Halal Authority which was unanimously appreciated by all. Other accepted proposals include the Halal awareness Campaign, Research in the field of Halal and Halal Publications.

While addressing, the organizer of the conference, Muhammad Zubair Mughal, Chief Executive Officer, Halal Research Council said that Pakistan has every capability to become Halal Hub in comparison with any other country and the whole world is anticipating Pakistan as a Halal Hub which is becoming reality. He further added that a huge quantity of Halal Food, Halal Meat, Halal Cosmetics, Halal gelatin and Halal bones can be exported from Pakistan through which we can increase our exports hence can cover the trade deficit. In addition to this, he said that Halal Research Council will continue its journey in the field of Research, Development & Innovation and will arrange the international conferences in South Africa, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and UAE in the year 2012. whereas at national level, a road show from Khyber to Karachi would be arranged and 300 seminars on Halal awareness in 100 cities of Pakistan within one month would be conducted.

Crescentrating Top 10 Halal Food Blogs/Sites

salama — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:09:21 +0000

Crescentrating presents its Halal Friendly Travel (CRaHFT) Ranking for the Top 10 Halal Food Blogs/ Sites in 2012!

The dictionary defines the word ‘food’ as “any nourishing substance that is eaten or drunk to sustain life, provide energy and promote growth”, but what the dictionary doesn’t tell you is that food also brings families and friends together, incites new sensations, and offers people a simple way of experiencing a culture.

This is the first year that we have included this category in our CRaHFT Ranking and hope to make it part of our annual ranking. There were more than 30 Halal Food blogs which were nominated this year and we had more than 36,000 votes spread across them.

These 10 food blogs/ sites, out of thousands of pages which discuss the latest culinary concoctions and techniques, share great recipes and reviews so that everyone can attempt to master the art of cooking and suggest various Halal food products for consumers worldwide. After much consideration, and passionate voting by our readers, we are excited to present to you Crescentrating’s Top 10 Halal Food blogs/ sites for 2012.

1. Fauzia’s Kitchen Fun
Fauzia likes to consider herself as an “average girl tinkering around her kitchen” but Fauzia has made cooking a fun and exciting activity for many people around the world. The Facebook page, which has over 28,000 loyal fans, offers a variety of recipes from snacks and sandwiches to main dishes such as yummy meatloaf or seafood specials, all with step-by-step instructions.

The Facebook page is also a great platform for others to share their favorite recipes, discuss their latest culinary escapades, triumph in the dishes that came out great, and figure out what went wrong in the ones that didn’t turn out so well. With everything going on with Fauzia’s Kitchen Fun, it is most definitely one of the top Halal food pages of 2012!

2. Foodilcious “Cooks @ Work”
Five women. Five destinations. One goal: To learn and share new recipes and tips.
The Foodilcious network is an intricate Facebook page (more than 75,000 likes!) where people can view recipes submitted by one of the five page owners, recipes submitted by other group members, request for a specific recipe, or discuss cooking know-how and tactics.

The page’s photo albums have thousands of recipes in categories such as “Microwaveable Goodies”, “Chocaholics”, “Our Dining Tables” and “High Tea Snacks” along with the more custom categories such as desserts, appetizers, and basics. The Foodilcious “Cooks @ Work” page is unquestionably one of the top 10 Halal food pages too look out for!

3. Masala Mornings
Craving for something that your mother used to make for you when you were younger? Look no further than Aunty Shireen from Masala Mornings TV, where every meal has a little touch of a home.

Every weekday, Shireen Anwar, lovingly known as Aunty Shireen, cooks your favorite recipes on live TV! You can then visit the Masala Mornings Facebook page and take down the recipe to make it on your own. Step by step directions in English, as well as Arabic, make this a great page for every cook!

4. Ramadan Recipes
The Ramadan Recipes Facebook page came to be… well, during Ramadan! What was initially created as a platform to share and talk about the meals prepared during the month of fasting, soon expanded to a collection of recipes which are great for any time of the year!

The page is filled with recipes for scrumptious meals such as lasagna, chow mein, biriyani, curries and many other mouth-watering appetizers, main courses and desserts. The layout of the recipes are a bit different on this page since not only do you get step by step directions, but each step is accompanied with a picture to give you a better idea of how well the directions are being followed. Great recipes, detailed directions – a definite page to explore for the up and coming cook.

5. Lecker & Yummy Recipes
The Lecker & Yummy Recipes blog page is run a by a hard-core foodie named Sajeedha, who has been cooking since she was very young. She began experimenting in the kitchen at the age of 19; her love for food has followed her well past college, marriage, and is now an activity she shares with her own kids as well.

The blog has recipes for a variety of foods, some of which originate from India, Turkey, and Germany. A few of the more popular recipes listed include Mansaf, a traditional dish in Jordan, Maqloobeh, famous in Palestine, and Ispanak Tepsi Borek, hailing from Turkish cuisine. Take your family to these amazing destinations with one mouthwatering bite!

6. Delicious Bytes “Love of Cooking”
The Delicious Bytes “Love of Cooking” Facebook page is not only a collection of recipes, but a vault of information related to cooking. The recipes found on this page are shared from cut newspaper clippings, recipes that were jotted down from TV shows, and anywhere else where people may have found a good recipe worth sharing.

“Our mission is to spread the love of food and cooking from our kitchen to yours”; and boy, have they! Cooks of all levels will appreciate the types of food which can be found on the Delicious Bytes “Love of Cooking” page, especially the many pickles, chutneys and jams! A definite must-visit Halal food site this year!

7. Zaiqa.net
Zaiqa is a word from the Urdu language which translates to ‘taste’… and the Zaiqa food blog guarantees great tastes in every recipe listed! One of the most unique qualities of this site is the ‘Category Index’ which allows you to find recipes based on an ingredient – making it easy to prepare something with leftovers! Other than a never-ending list of recipes, visitors of this amazing food blog will also find links to many other food sites which the author enjoys.

The Zaiqa food blog offers its visitors kitchen tips, quick fix meals, and even product reviews. Be aware, users might go to the page for one particular recipe and end up walking away hours later with 10 other recipes to try.

8. Basma’s Cuisine
From ‘Chessboard Cookies’ to ‘Chicken Lasagna’, Basma’s Cuisine is a page filled with nice recipes for the beginner cook. The site has step-by-step instructions along with accompanying photographs and visitors will enjoy finding such unique and tasty recipes!

The page was created to express the owner’s love and respect for cooking while creating a platform which shares their interest with the rest of the world.

9. ElZaA
The ElZaA food blog was initially created in 2007 by Ruhina with the intention of helping her family refine their skills in the kitchen as well as being a platform to share family recipes. Now, almost 5 years later, it offers a chance for people to bring their families together around the world, with recipes of hearty meals of both local (Pakistan) and international cuisine.

The blog offers a more personal twist on cooking and most, if not all, recipes are ones that Ruhina herself makes for her family. The blog is great for beginner and experienced cooks, and we just had to include it in our Top 10 list!

10. Sameer’s Eats
Sameer’s Eats makes it easier to find a good Halal-restaurant in North America! Sameer of Sameer has only one thing in mind: amazing Halal restaurants; and his goal is to find as many of them as possible for people to enjoy and dine at.
Sameer hosts the leading online show for discovering the best Halal eateries; not only does he review restaurants, he also releases videos of dining experiences as well as identifying Halal food items in well-known restaurants. The site is refreshingly honest and has to be added in our list of must-visits for this year!

We thank all those who participated passionately in voting for their Food blogs that has become part of their everyday life! In the next few days, we will also highlight all other great Food Blogs who were nominated this year, but did not make it to our top 10 list. Keep an eye on them, there is a good possibility that some of them will make it on to the list next year!

And that concludes the Top 10 Halal Food Blog/ Sites for 2012!

Kuwait: 1st Gulf Workshop on the Halal Industry and its Services

salama — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:51:47 +0000

The 1^st. Gulf Workshop on the Halal Industry and its Services*

Kuwait, 27-28 March, 2012, Holiday Inn, Al-Salmiyah

Entitled: Towards the establishment of a fund to finance Halal R&D activities

Introduction

It is a religious requirement that food should be Halal and Tayyib (prepared according to Islamic teachings). To fulfil this requirement, there is an urgent need for R&D activities in the Halal area. Unfortunately, such activities have little or no funding whatsoever, despite the vastly expanding market for Halal products and services. Education relevant to Halal concept, needed for manufacturers, dealers, government inspectors and consumers, require concerted effort geared to set the stage for meeting this requirement.

Hence, the upcoming Halal workshop, among other things, aims at establishing a funding plan for R&D activities and Halal related education that covers a multitude of products ranging from foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and skin care products.

Mission

Conduct an in-depth study on how to secure funding for Halal R&D activities and provide needed technical knowledge and education.

Objectives

Mobilize specialized human and technical resources for setting up a funding plan for Halal R&D activities, and related awareness campaigns. Review and assess
Attempts at establishing similar funds worldwide.
Perform in-depth legal and religious studies to decide on an appropriate mechanism for funding Halal R&D activities.

Presentations submitted should contain the following format and authors should avoid repetition to keep high scientific standards as suggested by Dr. Jasim Ahmad:

Title of the presentation
Abstract (300 words) consisting of the following two paragraphs:
Focused summary on the topic.
Reasoning behind the topic.
Main body should contain the theme of the topic
Last sentence should be conclusion and recommendation.

Need: CV of 300 words only written in one paragraph only.

If you would like to participate please send your Abstract and CV to Dr Hani M. El-Mazeedi: mazeedi@hotmail.com.

Points for consideration as suggested by Mrs. Mariam Abdulatif:

Session 1:

View and evaluate what has so far been achieved in the field of Halal R&D.

Background on Halal R&D
Scope/Type of Halal R&D
Evaluation/ status/ general perspective on current and on-going Halal R&D
Challenges & Recommendations

Session 2:

Methodology for raising awareness about Halal and related marketing techniques.

Background on Halal Education/training & promotions
Halal Education: Formal – university/colleges – Masters, PhD

Informal – Training – awareness (all, public, NGOs, govt), industry, professionals

Halal Promotions – conferences, seminars, publications, mass media
Halal Trade promotions – govt, OIC, industries, commerce agencies
Challenges & Recommendations

Session 3:

Sources of financing Fund activities

Background on financing Halal R&D
Governments, banks, (KFH, IDB) trade agencies, UN, OIC, ASEAN, ICRIC, universities
Halal industries: food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, personal care, ingredients manufacturers/producers, logistics
Challenges & Recommendations

Session 4:

Practical steps towards establishing a fund to finance Halal awareness and Halal R&D activities.

Proposed Framework of Halal R&D Fund
Scope/Type of Halal R&D and Halal Awareness Education/Training structure
General outline on the proposed Board of Directors/Trustees, proposed structure of the Halal Fund Organization, the Procurement and Disbursement of Funds
Challenges & Recommendations

Session 5:

Proposed budget for managing Halal awareness and Halal R&D activities.

Background on budget/costs of Halal R&D and Halal Awareness Education
Scope/Categories of financing Halal R&D and Halal Awareness Education and promotions
Evaluation/ status/ general perspective on proposed budget for halal R&D and Halal awareness Education and promotions
Challenges & Recommendations

Session 6:

General guidance to the requirements of operational manual for financing Halal awareness and Halal R&D activities

Background on Halal R&D and Halal Awareness Education and promotions
SOP for financing Halal R&D
SOP for financing Halal Awareness education and promotions
Proposed General Guidelines on Financing Halal R&D and Education
Challenges & Recommendations

All speakers must collaborate with his co-speakers for the same session to avoid any duplications.

All chairmen of each sessions must go over the presentations of his session of the two speakers to guide them and finally approve their presentations. All chairmen should send all presentations to Mrs. Mariam Abdulatif mariam.alatif@gmail.com

Final proposal write-up is the responsibility of:

Mrs. Mariam Abdulatif (Chairman)
Mrs. Hanen Rezqui
Mr. Khlaid Mohammed Rizwan

Note: The final proposal will be translated to Arabic to be presented to the Government of the State of Kuwait, the aim of this governmental approved workshop is to end up with a document entitled: the establishment of a fund to finance Halal R&D and Halal awareness programmes containing reasoning and practical steps leading to the establishment of the fund. Speakers and chaired individuals may have their differences in the way they handle Halal, but this should not affect the main issue of the Halal workshop. The selections of participants was based on individual’s competence and expertise.

The workshop consist of 6 sessions

Day I 08:30-09:30 Session One:

View and evaluate what has so far been achieved in the field of Halal R&D.

Chaired: Dr. Jasim Ahmad (Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, KISR, Kuwait)

Speakers:

Prof. Dato’ Dr. Yaakob Bin Che Man (Advisor, Halal Product Research Institute, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM, Malaysia)

Dr. Alina Binti Abdul Rahim (Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, IHRAM, Malaysia)

09:45-10:45 Session Two:

Methodology for raising awareness about Halal and related marketing techniques.

Chaired: Dr. El Katme Abdul Majid, UK

Speakers:

Dr. Muhammad Munir Chaudry (President, Islamic Food & Nutrition Council of America, IFANCA, USA

Dr. Mian N. Riaz (Director, Food Protein R& D Centre, Head – Extrusion Technology Program Graduate Faculty, Food Sci. & Tech. Program, Texas A&M University, USA)

11:00- 12:00 Session Three:

Sources of financing Fund activities

Chaired: Dr. Ajeel Jasim Al-Nashmi (Kuwait Finance House, KFH, Kuwait)

speakers:

Dr. AbdulQahir Qamar (International Islamic Fiqh Academy, IIFA, Saudi Arabia)

DR. Ayman, Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs (Iffta Department)

Day II 08:30-09:30 Session Four:

Practical steps towards establishing a fund to finance Halal awareness and Halal R&D activities.

Chaired: Dr. Suliman Mohammed Shamsaldeen (General Manager & Supervisor of Studies Center, IICO*).

speakers: Abdulwahab Al-Hooti (Consultant, IICO).

Prof. Dato Dr. Muhamad Muda (Vice Chancellor, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Malaysia)

Dr. Essa Zaki (Kuwait)

09:45-10:45 Session Five:

Proposed budget for managing Halal awareness and Halal R&D activities.

Chaired: Awqaf Secretariat General, ASG, Kuwait

Speakers: Dr. Mian N. Riaz, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sharifudin Shaarani (Dean, School of Food Science and Nutrition, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia)

11:00-12:00 Session Six:

General guidance to the requirements of operational manual for financing Halal awareness and Halal R&D activities

Chaired: Dr. Mian N. Riaz

Speakers:

Dr. Muhammad Munir Chaudry

Mrs. Mariam Binti Abdul Latif (Malaysia)

* This document is officially not approved yet and may subject to any change, once approved we will contact the approved names and we will send an official governmental invitations, and please advise on any errors that you may find in this document.

Indonesia: Jakarta to be World’s Halal Food Center

salama — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:22:15 +0000

Jakarta will be a center of the world’s halal food as headquarter of the World Halal Food Council (WHFC) that will be officially opened in January 16 2012.

“The office, located in the MUI (Indonesian Ulema Council) Building, Central Jakarta, will be inaugurated concurrently with the opening ceremony of the WHFC annual meeting,” the Director of MUI Food and Drug Analysis Agency (LPPOM) Lukmanul Hakim said in a release received here, Thursday.

Indonesia as a world’s halal food center is supported by some international halal certification agencies such as those in United States, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Australia, Taiwan and Singapore.Last year, Coordinating Minister of Economy Hatta Rajasa has signed the declaration that established Jakarta as the head office of the World’s Halal Food Council. and supports from the international keeps coming to Indonesia.

Lukman said the annual meeting of WHFC in Jakarta would be a great and strategic momentum for Indonesia as a country which had the largest number of halal products consumers.With a great number of Muslim consumers and the various industries of food, beverages, medicines, and cosmetics, Indonesia should be a leader in the world’s halal products competition,” Lukman said.

The Annual General Meeting of WHFC will be held in Jakarta on January 16-18 and will be opened by Indonesian Vice President Boediono. The meeting will be attended by Ambassadors and commercial attaches from other countries, observers, directors of halal product industries, and at least 25 world’s halal certification agencies.

The agenda of the meeting would be a discussion on the work program, standardization, socialization, and education of halal products all around the world. WHFC was established in 1999 in Indonesia and Prof. Aisjah Girindra was elected as its president.

On June 23 2011, members of WHFC agreed to reactivate the WHFC and elected Lukmanul Hakim as its president as well as Jakarta as its headquarters.

Opinion: Is Islamic Finance ready for more standardisation?

salama — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:28:28 +0000

AMEinfo.com

When bankers from East and West gathered in Manama at the 18th Annual World Islamic Banking Conference in November 2011, one topic was prevalent at nearly all discussion rounds: standardization.

But while Islamic Finance is expanding to new frontiers such as Uganda, France, Egypt, South Korea and Oman, the objective to make Shariah-compliant financial products more standardized appears more and more like a far-fetched daydream.

Let’s take France, with its legal environment based on the Napoleonic Code civil. The French jurisdiction differs greatly from British Common law or Case law, the predominant legal framework in England, the centre of Islamic finance in Europe. How shall a financial solution, let’s say an Islamic trade financing based on Murabaha, be used by a London-residing bank if it was legalized in France? Calls for more standardization overlook the individual nature of national jurisdictions, which still exist even in the 27-member states European Union.

The Common law is also used in the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), one of the major Islamic banking hubs in the Middle East, while the jurisdiction in the UAE is based on a mix of the French Code Civil and Islamic law. “Both legal environments differ too much from each other,” says Houram Houssani, Partner at the GCC’s largest law firm Al Tamimi & Co. in Dubai. “This is why we think the DIFC will, legally, continue to exist as a state in the state within the UAE.”

At the same time, Qatar has implemented a strict separation between Islamic and conventional banking, banning Islamic windows at all conventional lenders in the country, a first in the industry.

Divergent views on Islamic Finance’s future

Anecdotal evidence also shows that the leading market participants do not agree at all in the direction Islamic Finance shall take, as AMEinfo.com has learned when from interviewing experts at conferences. One Islamic Finance consultant based in Dubai blames some banks for not operating in an Islamic way at all but “running a Shariah-bank with a conventional window”. Other professionals are outraged that some financial firms try to develop Islamic derivatives or even Islamic hedge funds despite the fact that Shariah bans interest, short-selling and speculation.

In some cases, rules set by the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB), one of the most accepted international standard setting organizations, are even stricter than the guidelines for the conventional world. According to Rohit Verma, product management director at Oracle Financial Services, the IFSB “has stricter capital requirements than those proposed in Basel III, with tier 1 and total capital requirements currently standing at 8% and 12% respectively. The minimum common equity requirements for Basel III are set at 4.5% and total capital requirements have been set at 8% with a 2.5% buffer,” Verma writes in an article published in New Horizon (Issue October – December 2012). Although Basel III does not distinguish between conventional and Islamic banks, the rules are primarily set for the conventional world, as the Shariah finance universe stands for 1% of the global economy.

“Focus on a few things, not many things,” is a favourite piece of advice from legendary investor Warren Buffet. Maybe it is time for Islamic finance to focus on its strengths, namely to provide a non-conventional, non-interest ethical way of banking and investing rather than trying to put the whole industry under one hat, labelled “standardization”, a task which seems to be “Mission: Impossible” as more participants enter the scene.

Malaysia: New book ‘Marketing Halal’ to help entrepreneurs in the Halal industry

salama — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:46:34 +0000

LIOW REN JAN’S new book, “MARKETING HALAL”, OUT NOW TO HELP ENTREPRENEURS IN THE HALAL INDUSTRY

KUALA LUMPUR, The global halal market will once again look to Malaysia as a key mover of the halal industry with the publication of Marketing Halal: Creating New Economy, New Wealth, an informative book by Liow Ren Jan, which is fully endorsed by the Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC). The book which is a publication of MPH Group Publishing was launched by the CEO of HDC, Dato’ Seri Jamil Bidin at the MPH Carnival 2011 in Mid Valley Exhibition Centre.

In his foreword, Dato’ Seri Jamil Bidin said that the book will once again serve to position Malaysia as a thought leader in the global halal arena. This would be an excellent read for entrepreneurs or academics who are interested in halal marketing. It was noted in the book that halal authorities such as the HDC are more than encouraging for entrepreneurs venturing into the halal business.

The author, Liow has always envisioned writing a book of international interest that would form as a reference point for companies and individuals around the world to understand the essence of Halal, and ways to marketing halal products and services in order to generate wealth for countries and individuals.

Marketing Halal documents what the author has learned through real-world, practical experiences and his journey in starting up, running and marketing a halal food business. The author hopes this book will inspire others to write as well, creating literature that will assist the development of the halal industry into a driving force that creates new wealth and a new economy.

“I truly believe in the promise of Halal and I want to bring this forward to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It is the promise of quality, food safety, hygiene and fair trade in Halal that I believe will help the industry cut across a wider spectrum of consumers of various ethnicities globally. This book will help the entrepreneur navigate through this complex industry, and aims to inspire through its various case studies and success stories” said Liow.

In his speech, the author Liow said when he first started, he often wondered whether a non-Muslim going into the halal business would be accepted. Venturing into a complex industry driven by a religious need was an eye-opener and he has learned much from his peers in the industry as well as through his own experience in marketing a Halal ready-to-eat meal brand, Sri Kulai.

Liow Ren Jan, is the founder and CEO of AYS Sdn Bhd, the manufacturer of Sri Kulai ready-to-eat meals, which are available in major supermarkets throughout the country as well as in airlines, private hospitals, restaurant chains and tourist destination operators. Since the company was founded in 2008, it has won numerous awards, including “Industry Excellence Awards 2010: Product Excellence” from the Malaysian government and “Best Halal Product Award” presented at the World Halal Forum in 2009. Liow himself was awarded “Outstanding Chinese Business Leader” at a ceremony held in Beijing in 2010 to honour top Chinese business leaders from all over the world.

You can purchase the book from any where in the world by going online to: http://www.mphonline.com/

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Marketing Halal: Creating New Economy, New Wealth
Author: Liow Ren Jan
Publisher: MPH Group Publishing
ISBN: 978-967-415-002-0
Malaysia Price: RM32.90

Book highlights:
a. fundamental rules to marketing Halal successfully
b. The bigger concept of “Halal Toyyibban” – permissible & wholesome
c. Global market size for Halal products & services

d. The “Do’s” and “Don’t” by successful industry players