halalfocus.net » Shariah Issues

UAE Olympic team exempted from Ramadan fast

salama — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:42:51 +0000

Ramadan coinciding with London Olympics heightens challenge for Muslim sportspersons

By: Allaam Ousman with Agencies

UAE Olympic football team coach Mahdi Ali outlining his preparations for the London Games. (PATRICK CASTILLO)

The UAE Olympic football team has been exempted from fasting during Ramadan as the holy month coincides with the upcoming London Olympic Games.

“There will be no pressure on the players to fast since the Grand Mufti of Dubai Sheikh Ahmed Al Haddad had said players who do not fast can make up by fasting in the period following the games,” UAE’s Olympic football coach Mahdi Ali, told this website.

“The ball is in the players’ court.

“We will not force any player to break his fast, but I think they know what to do, the responsibility is on them and they will take the right decision,” he said.

However, Ali criticised the timing of the games in London as being “unfair” to Muslim athletes across the world, because it coincided with Ramadan.

“It is unfair to all Muslim athletes and they (International Olympic Committee) should have thought about the fact that the Games will be held during the holy month of Ramadan, because around 3,000 athletes at the Games will be Muslim,” said Ali whose team created history by qualifying for the first time for Olympics.

The UAE football team has been drawn in Group A alongside, Great Britain, Senegal and Uruguay.

Ali maintained it was not fair for Muslim athletes by drawing a comparison to one car running on a full tank and the other competing on a half tank.

Fasting is expected to begin on July 21.

The UAE football team will start their campaign against the South Americans on July 26 at Manchester United’s Old Trafford.

UAE will also be represented in athletics, weightlifting and shooting at the London Games.

MUSCLE POWER, SPIRITUAL STRENGTH

Medical experts say that, theoretically at least, a reduction of food intake during Ramadan could deplete an athlete’s liver and muscle glycogen stores.

This is likely to lead to a drop in performance, particularly in sports requiring muscle strength.

Foreseeing potential problems and working far ahead of time, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) nutrition working group convened a meeting in 2009 to review the evidence.

They came to the conclusion that Ramadan fasting could be problematic for some athletes in some sports, but the likely overall impact of Ramadan on London 2012 is far from clear.

Ronald Maughan, a sports scientist from Britain’s Loughborough University who chaired the IOC working group, agrees some physical changes are likely.

However, he also noted that observing the Muslim holy month involves mental and spiritual discipline, the effects of which should not be underestimated.

“Some individual Muslim athletes say they perform better during Ramadan even if they are fasting because they’re more intensely focused and because it’s a very spiritual time for them,” he told Reuters.

“Their faith gives them strength and Ramadan is an integral part of that faith.”

Maughan led a team of scientists who reviewed more than 400 research articles on Ramadan and selected those relevant to sporting performance.

They found that “actual responses vary quite widely, depending on culture and the individual’s level and type of athletic involvement”.

“There are often small decreases of performance, particularly in activities requiring vigorous and/or repetitive muscular contraction,” the team wrote in the review, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) this month.

But they concluded that in most situations “Ramadan observance has had only limited adverse consequences for either training or competitive performance”.

ENDURANCE

Still, experts say Azizul and Fatehah’s concerns, that fasting could dim their chances of standing on the podium at the end of their competition, are well-founded.

Jim Waterhouse, a sport and exercise science professor at Liverpool John Moores University in Britain, laments that so few studies have been done that give direct insight into how Ramadan-observing athletes may fare during the Olympics.

Het suggests looking at other similar research on fasting, such as in soccer players, or in people who are sporty but non-athletes.

A study in the BJSM in 2007 which looked at two Algerian professional soccer teams found that players’ performance declined significantly for speed, agility, dribbling speed and endurance during the Ramadan fast.

Nearly 70 per cent of the players thought their training and performance were adversely affected.

Another study published in the BJSM in 2010 concluded that “Ramadan fasting had an adverse effect on performance, albeit small in magnitude, during 60 minutes of endurance treadmill running” by moderately trained Muslim men.

“It depends on the sport,” says Azizul. “If you come from skilled sport it doesn’t matter, but we (cyclists) require quite a lot of energy. I did try fasting last year during training.

“For the first one or two days it’s not really a huge decrease of performance, but after that I felt really flat.”

GETTING THE TIMING RIGHT

Some experts have wondered whether changing the timing of some events might be a way forward.

A Muslim 100 metres runner who is observing Ramadan and whose race is in the early part of the morning is unlikely to be particularly badly affected if he or she has been able to eat and drink up until sunrise, for example.

“But suppose you’re a decathlete and your competition starts first thing in the morning and ends at 8pm. With no food or drink in that time, that’s a long hard day, especially if it’s hot,” said Maughan.

Waterhouse notes that with many non-Muslim athlete also taking part in London 2102, and with peak television viewing times a key factor in scheduling events, changing timetables to accommodate Ramadan would be “fraught with difficulty”.

For now, his core advice would be to follow Azizul and Fatehah’s lead and postpone fasting until after the event.

“It’s very difficult to see that a person who is a strong adherent to Ramadan could maintain a proper programme of preparation for something as important as an Olympic event while fasting,” he said. “It just doesn’t fit in with the physiology.”

Opinion: Ramadan guide for non Muslims A short guide on the Do's and Don'ts during Ramadan...
US Embassy Joins the Ramadan Follies Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Islam, has become...
US Muslims tell Ramadan hardships under secular life Once again the blessed month of Ramadhan is here. This...
UAE: Get busy during Ramadan Dubai: Generating high workplace productivity while helping Muslim workers observe...
Opinion: The Ramadan Season is over – so what now for Muslim brands? In the UAE consumption shot up by 30 per cent...

Islam and Fairtrade

hamid — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:40:44 +0000

Although this report by Islamic Relief was written in 2008, it is worth re-reading. The Islamic perspectives on fair trade and sustainability, price control and market manipulation are comprehensive, and will no doubt become a part of the Halal market conversation in the near future.

Download the report by clicking here

Mainstream future food trends favourable to Halal sector Euromonitor's 2010 report on current and future trends in the...
Russia: Most consumers of Halal products in Moscow have no relation to Islam Halal products volume in Russia is growing 30-40 percent annually,...
France: State is not ‘Halal’: resentful immigrants turn to Islam in France Local communities in France’s immigrant suburbs increasingly organise themselves on...
Consuming Islam – the Rise of the Halal Economy “A vital characteristic of this flourishing capitalism is that is...
Malaysia: Muslim PR Practitioners Should Correct Misconception Of Islam The first global congress for Muslim PR practitioners was jointly...

Saudi Arabia: Shoura Council approves draft food system

salama — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:49:06 +0000

By RIYADH: MD RASOOLDEEN ARAB NEWS STAFF

The Shoura Council approved a set of draft rules and regulations for a comprehensive food system in the Kingdom.

The council’s 25th ordinary session was held under the chairmanship of its Vice Chairman Mohammed bin Amin Jaafri yesterday.

Assistant Secretary-General of the Council Abdulaziz Al-Yahya said the council approved the scheme comprising 46 articles which included the definition of food, food additives, its safety, hygienic practices, food handling, set standards for food, environmental and health requirements and packaging.

The proposals were forwarded for discussion by the council’s committee on health and environment.

During the session, the house empowered the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) to issue technical regulations and set standards for food and to approve the list of foodstuffs that are to be imported into the Kingdom in conformity with the country’s regulations.

The authority is also expected to identify establishments that handle food including their production facilities to ensure they are in accordance with the Kingdom’s regulations.

Accordingly, the SFDA would list the types of food that are prohibited in the Kingdom according to Islamic law, food that is harmful to health or unfit for consumption, food produced that contravene the regulations of the technical standards of food production and unsafe food or counterfeited goods.

Al-Yahya said the authority would also work out the registration procedures for food items that are to be marketed within the Kingdom.

The SFDA was established under a Council of Ministers resolution as an independent corporate body that directly reports to the head of the Council of Ministers. Its objective is to ensure the safety of food and drugs for man and animal and safety of biological and chemical substances as well as electronic products.

Its board of directors is headed by Crown Prince Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, and several other ministers connected to the food industry.

The main purpose of the SFDA is to regulate, oversee and control food, drug, medical devices as well as set mandatory standard specifications for them, whether they are imported or locally manufactured. The control and testing activities can be conducted in the SFDA or other agency’s laboratories. The SFDA is also in charge of consumer awareness programs on all matters related to food, drug and medical devices and all other products and supplies.

According to Ibrahim Al-Mohizea, vice president of SFDA for the food sector, the food industry in the Kingdom produces goods worth some SR250 million a day.

Only halal food is consumed throughout the Kingdom. Around 1.8 billion people in the world consume halal food and its global market is valued at SR2.5 trillion.

The house also discussed ways and means of exercising government control over cooperative insurance companies in the Kingdom. The proposal was submitted by the council’s finance committee, which had already received representations from the Supreme Judicial Council.

Saudi Arabia: Scholars to analyze halal food standards at Riyadh conference RIYADH: The Kingdom will host the first ever international conference...
Saudi Arabia: SFDA to sponsor conference on halal food and drugs monitoring Muhammad Bin Ahmed Al-Kanhal, CEO of the Saudi Food and...
Saudi Arabia: Riyadh meeting to clarify the concept of halal food SFDA has brought scientific and religious scholars to a common...
Saudi Arabia: Scientists, scholars to redefine Halal The main sessions will focus on genetically modified food, lawfulness...
Saudi Arabia: SFDA to monitor food imports from May 25 JEDDAH: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) will take...

UK: Worldwide Halal certification standard created

salama — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:44:18 +0000

An eminent group of UK halal scholars have created a new Shariah-compliant halal certification scheme for the food industry, which they hope will be adopted as a worldwide standard.

http://www.globalmeatnews.com/Industry-Markets/Worldwide-halal-certification-standard-created

Indonesia: Halal Certification by MUI Gaining Increasing Appreciation Worldwide At least 22 countries with 48 Islamic institutions and international...
UK: British Group creates int’l Halal certification programme The Halal Authority Board (HAB) in the UK has designed...
Global Expansion Hope For Malaysia’s Halal Certification Standard The halal certification standard used by Malaysia will hopefully be...
UK: New Modern Halal Certification Scheme Launches Cert ID Europe has joined forces with the Hijaz Group...
UAE: “Halal market witnessing significant growth worldwide Al Islami, Chief Executive Deputy, Hamid Badawi, stressed on the...

Indonesia: PKS Rejects MUI’s Involvement in Halal Certification

salama — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:09:34 +0000

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has rejected the Indonesian Ulemas Council’s (MUI) proposal to be involved in halal product certification. PKS politician Ledia Hanifa said it was not appropriate for a halal product regulators to be involved in the certification process.

“We don’t want an institution to produce the rule and execute it as well,” Ledia told Tempo yesterday.

The MUI argues that is should be involved in guaranteeing the suitability of halal products in the Halal Product Guarantee Draft. According to MUI chief in charge of fatwas (religious edict) Ma’ruf Amin, halal labeling is a written fatwa. The MUI, he said, should be involved in the assessment process, from the initial audit stage until the fatwa issuance.

ANANDA BADUDU | RAFIKA AULIA

Indonesia: MUI Criticizes NU’s Plan to Draft Halal Certification The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) has criticized Nahdlatul Ulama's (NU)...
Indonesia: Halal Certification by MUI Gaining Increasing Appreciation Worldwide At least 22 countries with 48 Islamic institutions and international...
Can Indonesia serve as a World Halal Certification Centre? Indonesia, as the world's largest Muslim country with a population...
Indonesia to set up halal certification center The Indonesian government plans to set up an international-standard halal...
Indonesia: Most halal products lack official approval Just over a third of all the halal products offered...

UK: New Modern Halal Certification Scheme Launches

salama — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:13:56 +0000

Cert ID Europe, the leading certification business has joined forces with the Hijaz Group to form the Halal Authority Board (HAB) www.haboard.com, which will offer a new worldwide benchmark for Halal certification for the food industry.

The new HAB certification scheme is a realistic and practical programme designed to combine the requirements of the 1500 year old Halal belief with modern food processing requirements. To date there have been a number of different standards available causing confusion among Muslim consumers about the food they purchase. It is hoped that a worldwide uniform standard will make the process more streamlined for food businesses and clearer for consumers.

HAB’s product certification has the backing of 950 of the UK’s 1400 Mosques making it the most representative and influential Halal Certification Body with Muslim consumers in the UK and overseas. Halal Authority Board has a Shariah Board comprising 13 of the UK’s best known and respected Islamic Scholars who represent a wide cross section of the Muslim Community.
Jerry Houseago, Business Development Director at Cert ID Europe, which has many years’ experience of auditing to Halal Standards said:

“Finding a Halal certification scheme that is a realistic and practical benchmark has proved challenging to auditors, standard owners and food manufacturers alike. We believe that the new HAB Worldwide Halal Standard is a workable Shariah compliant standard which will make it significantly easier for the global food industry to reach Halal certification. Halal Authority Board’s connection with Muslim consumers adds value to the certification scheme too and provides the element that has been missing from other certification programmes”.

Shaykh Siddiqi, Founder of the Hijaz Group said: “It was essential to create a worldwide Halal standard to gain the confidence of the Muslim communities both in the UK and worldwide.

“This new proposition offers businesses the opportunity to capitalise on the Halal market via a consistent quality standard which will allow the highest quality Halal products, which are also competitively priced, to Muslim consumers.”

For more information Contact on HAB www.haboard.com

About HAB

The Halal Authority Board (HAB) is a Halal Standards organisation which regulates the production of Halal products in accordance with Islamic law, from the rearing of livestock and the production of drinks, right through to serving the customer in the retail sector.
The Halal sector has failed to fulfil its maximum potential due to the lack of a uniform standard applicable to Halal production in all countries around the world. This is problematic, particularly for the 1.6 billion Muslim consumers who are becoming increasingly more conscious of their religion in a globalised world.
HAB has produced a transparent all-encompassing Worldwide Halal Standard and a full integrated Certification process with leading experts in Islamic law and Halal meat production industry. It brings together different Halal Standards from around the world, giving full assurance to the Muslim consumer that the products are Halal, wherever he is in the world.
Our auditing is undertaken by a third party organisations, such as Cert ID, to ensure that all inspections are independent, fair and fully transparent. Inspectors receive comprehensive training in all aspects of Halal production, including the principles of Halal, legal and technical aspects and the importance and methods of cleanliness and purification.

The Worldwide Standard

The Halal Authority Board’s Worldwide Standard is a comprehensive set of guidelines for the production of Halal meat, food and drink. The Standard sets out guidelines on all aspects of production to ensure the Halal integrity of products, including food health and safety regulations, storage, delivery and cleaning and cleansing which takes into account scientific developments to prevent contamination from pork and other unacceptable derivatives.
Currently, there are five modules which cover:

Primary Production of Livestock;
Primary Processing of Livestock, which includes guidelines on cleaning and cleansing; slaughter of livestock and packaging and labelling.
Further Processing;
Logistics;
Food Service, which covers preparation of Halal food for the consumer.
The Standard has been developed in conjunction with other Halal Standards and is therefore applicable to meat production all around the world. Overtime, the Standard will develop and evolve in order to take into account any changes and new advances in technology.

Article 2 – FoodNavigator.com

Global halal certification scheme aims to end ‘confusion’ across market

A new collaborative global halal certification scheme is set to streamline the ‘confusing’ industry area and provide a realistic, clear benchmark for food producers to work and adhere to.

http://www.foodnavigator.com/Financial-Industry/Global-halal-certification-scheme-aims-to-end-confusion-across-market

UK: Worldwide Halal certification standard created An eminent group of UK Halal scholars have created a...
Pakistan: Government launches Halal Food Accredititation scheme The government has launched the first-ever Halal Food Accreditation scheme,...
UK: British Group creates int’l Halal certification programme The Halal Authority Board (HAB) in the UK has designed...
UK Halal meat step closer to assurance scheme UK Halal meat took a step closer to gaining...
Halal Industry Research Centre (HIRC) launches Pakistan’s first Halal certification and assurance program Halal Industry Research Centre (HIRC) has launched Pakistan’s first Halal...

Malaysia: MACS Becomes The First GLC To Receive Sirims QMS From Islamic Perspective

salama — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:22:02 +0000

SEPANG, March 26 (Bernama) — Malaysia Airport Consultancy Service (MACS), a Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad subsidiary, has become the first government-linked company (GLC) to receive the MS1900:2005 certified by QAS International based on Quality Management System from the Islamic Perspective.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad chief operating officer, Datuk Abd Hamid Mohd Ali said the certification endorsed MACS for having complied with the halal requirements in accordance with the Islamic Shariah.

“Malaysia Airports is proud to be recognized as one of the certified organizations that provides comprehensive solutions to the clients guided by Islamic principles.

“The certification is a testimonial of our commitment in providing the highest quality, best practices and consistency in our diversified service on an international level,” said Abd Hamid after receiving the accreditation from Acting President and Chief Executive of SIRIM Dr Zainal Abidin Mohd Yusof, here Monday.

He said the recognition was a continuation of a series of excellence that had been achieved by MACS after the accreditation of its previous ISO9001:2008 certification in 2010.

– BERNAMA

Malaysia Among Top Islamic Tourist Destinations In relation to this, Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) director-general...
Hong Kong: First Hotel in Hong Kong to Receive Halal Food Certification Although Hong Kong is a culturally diversified community, the number...
Bringing fresh perspective to global Halal market A two-day International Halal Market Conference, with the visionary...
Malaysia: OSK-UOB Islamic Fund Management launches Global Food Islamic Equity Fund The fund, which will tap into the massive potential...
Malaysia: UAE business women look at opportunities in Islamic Finance and Halal food President of the Abu Dhabi Business Women Council and chief...

Malaysia: Halal Scientific Programme

salama — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:47:31 +0000

Malaysian Academy of SME of Enterpreneurship Development (“MASMED”)-UiTM in collaboration with Malaysian Biotechnology Corp Sdn. Bhd (“Biotechcorp”) and TPM Biotech Sdn Bhd (“TPMB”) will be conducting a human capital programme known as Certified Halal Scientific Executive. This programme is an eight months intensive training programme which will start from 19^th February 2012 to 12^th October 2012. The participant of the programme is the final year student of UiTM where the selections were made via an interview and screening by UiTM. The programme is funded by Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and Biotechcorp.

It was reported that the interest and demand for Halal certified products and services has increased to about a RM2.3 trillion across the global market. Due to this, MASMED-UiTM has taken the initiative to provide this pioneer halal scientific programme and hope to produce the Halal Scientific Process experts. The Halal Scientific programme is emphasizing on the development of human capital to cater for the demand of Halal Management and to support Malaysia’s aspiration to become the world’s Halal Hub.The Halal Scientific programme is a comprehensive programme which includes the four important elements; Shariah, Law and Standard, Auditing and augmented by elements of scientific approach in Halal Analysis. The scientific approach will be conducted by TPMB for twelve weeks.

With an ISO 17025 accredited for laboratory testing specifically in the scope of Halal testing, TPMB was entrusted by MASMED-UiTM and Biotechcorp to conduct the scientific training to the participants. At TPMB, participants will be exposed to a thorough and comprehensive training that involves the latest development of the current technology and method in Halal Analysis. The training will include the concept of Halalan and Toyibban, in which, participants will learn on porcine and alcohol detection as well as toyibban (safety) testing of food products. This includes heavy metal analysis and adulterant testing. In addition, participants will also acquire knowledge about Laboratory Management as well as commercialization aspects of halal testing via development of new kits or services. Through the training with TPMB and to be trained by the skilled personnel, participants will be exposed to the experience

Malaysia: HDC Enter Into Strategic Partnership To Formulate Halal Laboratory Standards TPM Biotech Sdn Bhd (TPMB), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Technology...
Malaysia: HDC to provide halal programme for int’l universities Halal Development Council (HDC) will be collaborating with international universities,...
Malaysia: HDC’s Halal Executive Programme Sees 65 New Competent Halal Executives The Halal Executive Programme (HEP) involved fulltime three-month theory classes,...
Malaysia: World Halal Research 2012 conference to see packed two-day programme This year, the event has attracted delegates from 24 countries...
Malaysia: Halal Internal Auditors Programme for hotels Bachok, Kelantan--The Minister of International Trade & Industry, Dato' Seri...

Saudi Arabia: Scientists, scholars to redefine Halal

salama — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:18:17 +0000

Riyadh Gov. Prince Sattam opens an exhibition at the international conference on halal food in Riyadh on Sunday. (AN photo Iqbal Hossain)

By MD RASOOLDEEN | ARAB NEWS

RIYADH: Riyadh Gov. Prince Sattam inaugurated the first international conference on halal food and a related exhibition in the Saudi capital on Sunday.

The program held under the aegis of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah is being organized by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA).

On arrival at the Prince Faisal Conference Hall, the prince was received by SFDA Chairman Mohammed Al-Kanhal and other senior officials of his organization.

Speaking on the occasion, Prince Sattam said it is fitting to note that the king had given his support to this conference, which had attracted global as well as local leaders in the halal food industry.

“The conference will provide an effective platform for Islamic scholars and dieticians and others involved in the food industry to exchange their experiences and viewpoints on the production of halal food in the world,” the prince said.

He hoped the recommendations of the conference would reassure Muslims the world over on the quality of halal food consumed by them. “Islam gives us the guidelines as to what we consume in our daily life,” the prince said.

In his speech, Al-Kanhal said the Kingdom feels happy and elated in organizing the first ever such event under the aegis of the king. “People look upon Saudi Arabia as the cradle of Islam and we have to show the world the type of halal food that can be consumed for their own good health,” he added.

“There are around 1.8 billion people in the world who consume halal food and its global market is valued at SR2 trillion,” he added. The Kingdom imports food from 150 countries. He estimated the food industry in the Kingdom produces goods worth an average of SR250 million a day.

“The conference aims to elucidate the concept of halal food and its requirements from an Islamic perspective and to present the technical and economic aspects of halal food in the light of its increased global demand,” Al-Kanhal said.

“Besides boosting public and private sector cooperation in the relevant food industry at national, regional and global levels, it would also serve as an ideal platform for exchange of experience between countries in the field of supervision and control of halal food.”

“The SFDA has brought scientific and religious scholars to a common platform to explore new ways of improving the global halal food industry and to chalk out a mechanism to maintain a uniform check on the quality as well as the regulations adopted by the local authorities to ensure that the food consumed is halal,” Al-Kanhal noted, adding that the Kingdom has a responsibility toward the cause.

A total of 60 technical papers will be presented during the scientific session of the conference. “They will be distributed across eight sessions and delegates will be able to exchange their ideas on various topics regarding halal food.”

The main sessions will focus on genetically modified food, lawfulness of food additives, analysis methods of halal food, control of halal food, its standards, certification and countries’ experiences in halal food control.

There will be two panel discussions on stunning and automated mechanical slaughter and the lawfulness of food produced using biotechnology and nanotechnology, among others.

He said the mission of the SFDA is to ensure the safety of food, quality and efficacy of drugs, and the safety and effectiveness of medical devices by developing and enforcing an appropriate regulatory system.

Supreme Judicial Council Chairman Saleh bin Humaid said Islam clearly lays out the principles involved in the production of halal food. However, he said halal food is no longer limited to matters such as the methods of slaughter, whether it is free of pork, other dairy products and alcohol.

“Now the issue is more complicated, especially with respect to imported food by virtue of the tremendous development in production technology, manufacturing and trading of food, such as the use of biotechnology, nanotechnology, food additives and many others.”

Therefore, he said the situation makes it imperative for Islamic countries to agree on maintaining uniform standards and specifications to better facilitate the food trade.

“The conference reflects a holistic view of this topic and we hope to come out with directions and recommendations in such a way that wherever a Muslim comes from, he would be assured of pure halal food,” Al-Humeid stressed.

Sheikh Saleh Kamel, president of the Federation of Islamic Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said the food industry was estimated at $640 billion in 2010, when the world Muslim population was 1.6 billion. “Muslims form a significant part of the consumers,” he said, pointing out that a vast majority of halal products are imported from non-Muslim countries.

Kamel hoped the conference would discuss the challenges faced by the halal food industry and that delegates would resolve some of the issues faced by the industry. He requested international organizations and private institutions to discuss this vital subject and request them to come up with recommendations that can enhance global trade and harmonize halal food requirements, conditions and control methods.

On Monday, the first scientific session on halal food monitoring was chaired by Ibrahim Al-Mohizea, vice president of SFDA for the food sector.

During the second session, Ibrahim Al-Sheddy and Mohammed Al-Debessi from the SFDA presented a paper on halal food certification.

Describing halal food as a global concept, they said it is being adopted by non-Muslim countries too since the Kingdom imports the majority of food items from these nations.

There is strong need to ensure the quality, safety and compliance of imported foods with the provisions of Islamic law, they added.

Saudi Arabia: Scholars to analyze halal food standards at Riyadh conference RIYADH: The Kingdom will host the first ever international conference...
Saudi Arabia: Sattam inaugurates halal food event in Riyadh Riyadh Governor Prince Sattam opened an international conference on halal...
Saudi Arabia: Food exporting countries urged to heed Halal norms The First International Conference on Halal Food in Riyadh concluded...
Saudi Arabia: Need for halal standards for food additives underlined Mian Nadeem Riaz from Texas said that for the food...
Saudi Arabia: Shoura Council approves draft food system The council approved the scheme comprising 46 articles which included...

Women in Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council, what next?

salama — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 07:42:42 +0000

By Samar Fatany

Global Arab Network - Saudi Arabia – The recent decision by Saudi King Abdullah to allow women to run and vote in municipal elections and become members of the Shura Council, a parliament that acts as an advisory council to the King but has no legislative powers, has huge implications for the status of women in Saudi Arabia and has provided them with hope for what they may accomplish with their new roles.

In his 26 September inaugural speech at the Shura Council, King Abdullah rejected the marginalisation of women in all sectors and encouraged their participation in political life. Citing examples of prominent women throughout Islamic history, his speech showed great determination to empower Saudi women and end attempts to undermine their role in the name of Islam. The King stressed the need to modernise society and attacked those who opposed the inclusion of women in decision-making processes.

King Abdullah’s decision has followed several statements in which he publically supported the integration of women into the workforce and welcomed the contributions of women to the economic prosperity of the country.

Legalised discrimination against women in Saudi Arabia has continued over several decades due to the influence of religious hardliners who misinterpret Islamic concepts. Some decision makers have used distorted Islamic rulings to support their conservative ideas, for example that women should not participate in nation-building, should remain inside their homes and should not have any role in the country’s future.

But the participation of women in the Shura and municipal councils will finally provide women with the opportunity to end the discrimination against them in the public and private sectors.

They will be able to exert pressure on the government through their lobbying within the Shura, and provide official recommendations addressing the challenges that have hindered their progress, such as the ban on women driving, the reluctance of the public to support women in leadership positions, the strict culture of segregation within society, the niqab (a face veil worn in addition to the headscarf) which can compromise the level of efficiency and professionalism of women’s careers, and discriminatory policies at some workplaces.

Women in the Shura can also serve the interests of women currently in the workforce by pushing for adequate maternity leave, reasonable working hours, onsite nurseries and equal pay.

Women council members could also promote the advancement of women’s status in society by the very fact that they will demonstrate that women can participate in and shape public life. Their newly recognised positions could promote a greater respect for women as they face the challenges of modern life.

Many Saudi women hope that women in the Shura will be able to challenge extreme religious rulings that are incompatible with Muslim women’s realities in today’s world. Among the issues that they could raise would be the need for a codified system to ensure a uniform application of Islamic laws. This would allow women to become familiar with their legal rights in Islam and not be at the mercy of the whims of family court judges, some of whom sanction domestic abuse or deliberately rule in favour of an abusive male guardian simply because he is a man.

As a first step, the women in the Shura will be expected to call for the elimination of laws governing legal guardianship, which give men rights over their wives, daughters, etc., and to address the injustices toward women in cases of unjust or disproportionate jail sentences, floggings, child marriages, domestic abuse, child custody or divorce.

The women in the Shura could also have a significant impact by advocating women’s participation in governmental and managerial positions. Together with other parts of civil society, such as the chamber of commerce or human rights organisations, the female council members could also inform male politicians and managers about the realities of women who suffer from discrimination and encourage them to work for change.

The challenges facing women are still overwhelming. And it may take another generation – or even two – to achieve the shift in the role of women in Saudi society that many of us have long desired. However, the inclusion of women in the Shura Council is a significant first step towards a society where women can assume leadership positions in public life and achieve proper justice.

Global Arab Network

* Samar Fatany is a chief broadcaster and journalist in the English service of Radio Jeddah and a social activist who has been involved in fighting extremism and enhancing the role of women and youth in Saudi society. She is also a columnist for Arab News and the author of three books. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Saudi Arabia: Shoura Council approves draft food system The council approved the scheme comprising 46 articles which included...
Saudi Arabia: Saudi delegation seeks food products from Pakistan The Saudi delegation's plan is also to visit the meat...
Saudi Arabia: Private Equity firms buy key stake in Saudi food group Levant Capital, an investment firm focused on regional private equity...
Contemporary art show in Saudi Arabia could herald a new movement Usually it is the job of an art historian to...
Saudi Arabia to probe delay of tests on imported food The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) plans to launch...