CLOSING STATEMENT OF THE SPECIAL MEETING AGAINST NON-MUSLIM INTERFERENCE TO HALAAL ISSUES
June 13-14, 2015
Whereas:
- Halal is a divine obligation based on Qur’an and Prophetic teachings.
- The distinctive identity and characteristics of a Muslim outlined in Prophetic tradition is adherence to the precepts of Halal
- The interpretation, standardization, regulation, governance and application of Halal is regarded as an act of worship.
- All acts of worship are predicated on faith and belief
- Freedom of thought, conscience and freedom of religion are moral norms granted by human rights principles.
- Standardization Authorities of some countries and Unions have embarked on developing standards for Halal without regard to the Islamic Religious Sanctity of the entire Halal certification processes.
- They have established technical committees for the development of the said standard in total disregard to the religious concerns being safeguarded by Recognized Halal certification and accreditation authorities worldwide.
Now therefore:
We, as concerned Muslims representing Halal Certification Bodies, Muslim Consumers and Religious Non-Governmental Organizations,
Declare that:
- The religious affairs of a faith group vests exclusively with the adherents of that particular faith community
- The crafting of Halal standards requires inter alia the skills of qualified Muslim theologians who possess in-depth knowledge of Islamic Law, which is based on Qur’an, Sunnah, Ijma and Qiyas
- Halal (Lawful) and Haram (Unlawful) are Islamic precepts that govern the entire life of a Muslim and are accordingly regulated by a deeply spiritual commitment
- The verification and administration of Halal cannot be isolated from the notion of worship and therefore should not be reduced to a matter of mere technical compliance.
- Halal Certification by non-Muslim entities is deemed null and void in terms of Islamic Law
- Intervention by organs of a Secular or Non-Muslim State in the religious affairs of the Muslim community is an infringement of its religious liberties, freedom and consumer rights
- Initiatives by Muslim governments to drag non-Muslim entities into Halal for any reason is unacceptable.
- We will not accept the legitimacy and validity of any certification or citation aimed at the regulation of Halal by non-Muslims
- We remind that Halal is a pure Islamic term and since we will never accept praying behind a non-Muslim, we will not accept Non-Muslims’ audits, inspections, testimonies, accreditations and certification pertaining to Halal and such certification documents that might be issued by non- Muslim entities will be rejected.
- We will establish a committee with representatives from Islamic NGOs, HCBs and Muslim Consumer Organizations. This committee will address the Islamic organizations and Halal Certification Bodies which have not attended the conference with the aim of reviewing and reconsidering their position in order to speak with one voice against the interference of non-Muslims in Islamic affairs and to avoid discrepancies between Muslim Stakeholders.
- We will embark on a mass awareness program alerting Muslim communities to the gross violation of their religious observances.
- With the support of all Muslim Halal organizations, we will use all the legal ways to protect and defend our religious freedom and rights.
Thus done and endorsed by the following participated Muslim organizations on the 14th June 2015 in Istanbul:
Adelaide Mosque Islamic Society South AustraliaAustralia
AsidcomFrance
Association Halal VerifFrance
A Votre Service, AvsFrance
Azka HalalKuwait
Be HalalUK
Department Of Halal Certification IrelandIreland
European Supreme Halal CouncilLuxemburg
European Centre Of Halal Certification-GrGreece
French Union Of Muslim ConsumersFrance
Gimdes, Association For The Inspection And Certification Of Food And SuppliesTurkey
Halal Assure IpUK
Halal Certification AuthorityAustralia
Halal Certification CenterRussia
Halal Certification InstituteMacedonia
Halal Comitee – PortugalPortugal
Halal Development Foundation JapanJapan
Halal Food & Quality Of Islamic Center Of La VallSpain
Halal Institute Of PortugalPortugal
Halal ItaliaItaly
Halal Police FoundationNetherland
Halal Standardization Committee Of Centralized Religious OrganisationTatarstan
Hayrat AssociationTurkey
Het- Institute Of Halal Quality ControlDenmark
Institute For Standards Of Bosnia And HerzegovinaBosnia & Herzegovina
International Center For Halal Standardization And Certification Of Russia Mufties CouncilRussia
International Union Of Muslim Scholars (Iums)Libya
Islamic Council Of South AfricaSouth Africa
Islamic Da’wah Council Of The PhilippinesPhilippine
Islamic Society Of Washington AreaUSA
Islamic Council Of Norway, Halal Certification CommitteeNorway
Islamic Information, Documentation And CertificationAustria
Ismail Aga Fiqh Committee, TurkeyTurkey
Kuwait Institute For Scientific ResearchKuwait
MemursenTurkey
MusiadTurkey
Muslim Association In DenmarkDenmark
Muslim World LeagueKingdom Of Saudi Arabia
Nippon Asia Halal AssociationJapan
Halal Food International & ChilehalalChile
Rabia PlatformTurkey
South African National Halal Authority, SANHASouth Africa
Supreme Islamic Council Of Halal Meat In Australia Inc, SichmaAustralia
The Halal Catering ArgentinaArgentina
World Halal CouncilTurkey
World Muslim Consumers OrganizationMalaysia
