Kyrgyzstan should develop a law on halal-standards

24.kg news agency , by Irina PAVLOVA

Kyrgyzstan should develop a law on halal-standards. Kamchybek azhy Omurzakov, chairman of the Technical Committee for Halal Products Standardization, stated at today’s press conference.

According to him, the National Institute for Standardization and Metrology of Kyrgyzstan together with the Islamic Centre for Religious, Scientific and Medical Research created Technical Committee on Halal Standardization No. 30. “This is the first CIS document that was developed taking into account the demand of a definite country. However, the Ministry of Economy and Antitrust Policy in the person of Department’s head Beken Adanbaev impedes with the activities of the Islamic Center. The former Halal-Industry Department, which put bureaucratic obstacles in our way, was closed after our appeal to the Government of Kyrgyzstan. But a halal-sector was created again after recent reorganization of the agency. The Ministry’s Secretary of State sent a letter to the Center of Standardization and Metrology with a proposal not to accept the following standard “Halal products and services. Rules and procedures for voluntary certification” designed by our Committee thereby grossly interfering with the rights of Muslims,” Kamchybek azhy Omurzakov said.

“At the same time non-compliant products are sold under the Halal brand name. Such stores violate the rights of believers. We must create the legal framework in order to put things right. For example, the U.S. has the Law on Halal,” Kamchybek azhy Omurzakov explained.