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Daily Hadith

3/17/2013

MUSLIMS REGULARLY CONSUME HARAM PRODUCTS WITHOUT KNOWING

MUSLIMS REGULARLY CONSUMING HARAM PRODUCTS WITHOUT KNOWING

by Gillian Duncan
(Muslim Village)


      Christien Meindertsma, an artist based in the Netherlands, once set about tracing all of the products made using the parts of one animal.
      Three years later, in 2009, she published a book called Pig 05049 that proved pieces of one pig, the 05049 of the title, ended up in 185 separate products, from toothpaste to dough improver and desserts. The pig is an animal considered haram, or not to be consumed, by Muslims.
      Industry specialists say Meindertsma’s book offers a lesson for everyone about how the processing of products has changed in the globalised world – and why it is important to know what is in the food we eat and items we use.
      Halal, which means permissible, not only covers food and drink, but anything that can be used in daily life, including drugs and cosmetics.
      The size of the halal industry globally is enormous – worth an estimated US$2.1 trillion (Dh7.71tn) annually and growing.
      Yet the UAE’s industry is tiny in comparison, at just $550 million. However, it has a proportionally bigger share of halal trade, which was estimated to be $3.6 billion in 2010 and projected to grow to $8.4bn in 2020.
      Initially, halal referred to meat that had been slaughtered according to Islamic law, by a Muslim saying a prayer. It then expanded to cover ready-to-eat food containing meat and, finally, all other products.

Halal should cover everything

      However, awareness about what is halal is lacking in some parts, according to Asad Sajjad, the chief executive and secretary general of the Halal Development Council and the founder and director of the International Halal Federation.
      Mohammed Jinna, the chief executive of Halal India, says halal should cover everything.
     “Your toothpaste and your soap and your creams and your lipsticks – everything should be halal.” But even food one might expect to be halal by its nature is not necessarily permitted.
      Take sugar, for example, a plant-based product that is processed using bone char, charcoal made from animal bones – usually from cattle or pigs. If it is the latter, the end product will not be halal.
      And even meat that is permitted, such as chicken, is sometimes not halal. In some big industrial chicken plants, the birds are fed proteins and injected with water to make them gain weight.
      “The protein is used so that water retains in the body. Otherwise it will just drain out. The protein is made of pig,” says Mr Sajjad.
      In the Emirates, there are a handful of big halal food producers, such as Emirates Poultry and Al Islami. But the largest halal food producers are based in the West.

Nestle

      Take Nestlé, headquartered in Switzerland. It is not only the world’s biggest food company – it is also the world’s largest halal food maker.
       In fact, 85 per cent of the products in the $2.1tn halal market – which makes up 20 per cent of the total global food industry – are produced in Brazil, the United States, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, Holland and New Zealand, says Mr Sajjad.
      “These are the countries in the West. In the East, the biggest halal producer is Thailand,” which is not even a Muslim country, he points out. In fact, the only Muslim countries that produce halal food in any significant quantities are Indonesia and Malaysia.
      “I have been to Asia and the Middle East and I try to convince them to compete in the non-Muslim countries, and they say, ‘we can’t compete because the quality is not there,’” says Farhan Tufail, the chief executive of Halal Certification Services, based in Switzerland.
      But, he adds, some foreign companies, such as Nestlé, are investing heavily in halal production in Muslim countries and for a simple reason: the halal market is booming and the companies want to be prepared. They can buy the ingredients to produce halal food cheaper in the Middle East than in the West.
       But industry specialists say awareness about halal in the UAE and the region is not as widespread as some might expect.
      “Here, if you go to any store in the UAE and ask, ‘Do you have halal biscuits? Do you have halal confectionery?’ they don’t know. The people selling food have no awareness. The buyers have no awareness,” says Mr Sajjad.

But that is changing

      The UAE has in recent months sought to boost its influence in the halal food industry and was appointed late last year to chair the Halal Food Technical committee designed to set standards for the industry worldwide.
      The Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology is now working on guidelines to unify standards for halal food and cosmetics, which are expected to be applied in 57 Islamic countries in the next three years.
      Despite the current furore over horse meat labelled as beef in Europe, a certification system is key to boosting consumer confidence in halal products, say the experts.
      “You can find a lot of sugar being certified in Singapore and Malaysia. There is a lot of awareness in these countries,” says Mr Jinna.
      Regulations for halal certification bodies in the UAE are being drawn up and are expected to be issued in the next six months. They will be compulsory for any organisation wanting to become a halal certification body.
       If they comply with the rules they will be accredited. Only with the implementation of a comprehensive certification system will people be sure about whether the products they are using and consuming are halal.

MV Editors note:

      Please share this extremely important article with all your Muslim family + friends to help increase knowledge and awareness. May Allah reward you for your efforts in helping other Muslims avoid that which is haram. (HSH)

Source: http://muslimvillage.com/2013/02/20/35739/muslims-regularly-consuming-haram-without-knowing-expert/?

ISLAMOPHOBIA AND AFROPHOBIA IN SWEDEN



ISLAMOPHOBIA AND AFROPHOBIA IN SWEDEN

by Islamstory.com (Supervised by Dr. Ragheb Elsergany)

        With immigrants afraid to send their children to schools to avoid verbal and physical abuses, Swedish Muslims are criticizing their government for failing to stop discrimination against the religious minority.
        "Forserum really showed what proportions Islamophobia as well as Afrophobia can take when an entire town looks on as people have their human rights violated," Kitimbwa Sabuni, the editor of a recent report on anti-Muslim discrimination, told The Local newspaper.
        Forserum, in south-central Sweden, has seen several attacks on Somali immigrants in the city. The attacks have left many Somalis fearful of sending their children to school to avoid further abuses.
       A report, by the Network of Swedish Muslims, called on the government to order an investigation into how local authorities failed to help Somali migrants.
"Not everyone partook in the abuse, but many silently witnessed it and the authorities were passive," Sabuni said.
      The report, which came to light in cooperation between several associations, was submitted to the UN's Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
       It warned that Sweden was failing to tackle discrimination against Muslims, citing prejudices facing ethnic Swedes who convert to Islam, especially from their families.

Threats and Violence

       "We're talking not only about excommunication, but also threats and violence that many converts tell us about," Sabuni said.   
       For instance, one father, based in the US, reported his daughter who reverted to Islam to the FBI, which led to her being questioned by the Swedish intelligence service Sapo.
       The report also highlighted the housing segregation facing Muslims in Sweden.
       It suggested that the problem could in part be solved by allowing Islamic banking, which forbids interest rates, which could unlock flat and house ownership for many Swedish Muslims.
      The report asked the government to give funds to Muslim congregations to secure their safe operations, citing statistics that showed Muslims receive less funding through community associations than other groups.

Race Law
       The report also accused Swedish security agencies of targeting Muslims by their anti-terror laws.  
      "As it is only Muslims who are detained on these flimsy grounds, the question of whether the terror law is a 'race law' must be asked," said the report.
It also proposed the formation of a "Truth Commission" that would have the power to look into specific cases.
       The report cited that out of 26 known arrests by anti-terror laws, Muslims were targeted in all cases. Only two people were subsequently charged.                                    
        The report also complained from media coverage of Swedish Muslims.
Sabuni cited a debate program on Sverges Television (SVT) on repression of women among Muslims.
      "What kind of headline is that? And it's on public service television," he said.
       "As though women's lack of access to education and not being able to support themselves wasn't a problem in Sweden and other western European countries only 50 years ago, and that economic and social development weren't the keys, rather than religion, to their emancipation."
      The report called for fostering a more diverse recruitment for journalists working for the public broadcasting, suggesting that SVT remove the discriminatory ban on newscasters wearing headscarves.
      Hostility against Muslims in Sweden has been on the rise in recent years.
In August, far-right groups held an international meeting in Sweden to condemn what they say “Islamization” of Europe. 
      Earlier last year, the neo-Nazi Swedish Resistance Movement organized a march in the central Swedish town of Bollnäs to denounce Islam.
      Muslims make up between 450,000 and 500,000 of Sweden’s nine million people, according to the US State Department report in 2011. (HSH)

The World Needs Soldiers Of Mercy. The World Needs You!



Soldiers of Mercy

by Saud Inam*
SoldMer      You may be looking at the title of this article rather strangely. Soldiers. Mercy. Aren’t soldiers known for warfare and fighting? Mercy, isn’t that something that is a beautiful thing in life. Aren’t those two are incompatible?  It may not be making sense, but let us remember for a moment that a soldier in the very essence of the role is one who carries out orders to defend something from an external enemy. As for mercy it is also a noble characteristic and trait.
     Allah has made us all His soldiers. We are soldiers in the Army of Peace and we wage peace and mercy— not violence and destruction. We were created with the purpose of being caretakers of the world:
      In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. “It is He Who has made you (His) vicegerents, inheritors of the earth: He has raised you in ranks, some above others: that He may try you in the gifts He has given you: for your Lord is quick in punishment: yet He is indeed Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.”(Al Qur’an, 6:165)

     In this case, the soldiers of mercy, fight against the oppression of poverty, injustice, hunger, homelessness, and evil within the world which people are afraid to face or are powerless to face. Soldiers of mercy seek to alleviate the suffering of others less fortunate than themselves and serve others with selflessness, honor, and integrity.

     In a world that is bleeding and burning at every level the world is in great need of love, mercy, and compassion. There are wars, oppression, poverty, disease, homelessness, hunger, prostitution, drug abuse, domestic violence, and the list can go on and on. The question becomes: what are we doing about it? What is our contribution to the world? What is the effort we’re putting in to help stop the bleeding and stop the burning of the world?

     How will the poor, needy, defenseless, hungry and suffering remember us? Or will they remember us at all? Are our lives merely a drive-thru in which we eat, sleep, consume and enjoy our lives while those around us suffer in agony? Are our lives so ego-centric that we forget that our happiness is dependent on the happiness of others? We may switch on the TV or read the news of the atrocities, corruption, warfare, poverty, oppression, destruction and violence going on in the world and not even feel anything within our hearts. No sympathy, no empathy, no compassion. If it is so, then our hearts must be put into check, we must heal our hearts and learn to retrain our hearts love again and feel compassion again for those less fortunate than us.

      In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
1. Have you seen him who denies the Recompense? 2. That is he who repulses the orphan (harshly), 3. And urges not the feeding of AlMiskin (the poor),4. So woe unto those performers of Salat (prayers) (hypocrites), 5. Who delay their Salat (prayer) from their stated fixed times,6. Those who do good deeds only to be seen (of men),7. And refuse Al-Ma’un (small kindnesses e.g. salt, sugar, water, etc.). (Surah al-Maun)
     We are a people who limit our Islam to the five pillars of Islam, but remember that those are just a FOUNDATION upon which we must build. Yes, we all may have established the five pillars in our lives, but have we built a beautiful structure upon that foundation? Is the salah we perform transforming our lives to be better human beings? Our salah should transform us in such a way that every salah brings us closer to Allah and allows us to go out and face the world and serve the world.
     We speak of the beauty of Islam, but are we truly living Islam? When we act as soldiers of mercy, we reflect the mercy that the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) brought to the world. We must reflect the “mercy unto Mankind” and amplify that mercy within our lives.

     In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. And We have not sent you except as a mercy to mankind (Surah Al-Anbiyah 21:107)

     We believe that our leadership be it in the masjid or our own governments are the solution to all the social, political, and economic turmoil happening in our communities. We believe that simply voting is the solution to all the problems. We say “I did my civic duty by voting,” but have you done your HUMANITARIAN duty of serving the poor, the needy, the homeless, and those suffering in YOUR community?  Are we coming up with solutions to the problems within our own communities? Our communities are in need of so much improvement and are lacking individuals willing to step up to the plate to come up with viable solutions to the problems facing their communities.

     Lastly, we must remove the apathy from our hearts when we see those less fortunate than us suffering. When we hear the deaths of innocent individuals in Syria, Palestine, Pakistan, Yemen, and even here in the US, we need to feel the prick of pain in our hearts and our prayers should go out for those suffering. We should never be unaffected by the suffering of others.
     In a world that seemingly is becoming more and merciless the world is in need of compassion and love….the world is in need of mercy.
    The world needs soldiers of mercy. The world needs you. (HSH)

The views expressed in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of alhajsharif.blogspot.com.

*Saud Inam is  a Muslim American activist, social entrepreneur, blogger, writer, and a community organizer amongst other things.
Source: http://sabrshukr.wordpress.com

AMRA BABIC: “I AM EUROPEAN, I AM MUSLIM. THIS IS MY IDENTITY”



AMRA BABIC: “I AM EUROPEAN, I AM MUSLIM. THIS IS MY IDENTITY”

 by Michael Birnbaum

   Rise of Bosnian mayor in hijab challenges assumptions about Islam   

  HijbosMyr      “'I am European, I am Muslim. This is my identity,' she said. The hijab 'is what you see on the outside. But the strength is what’s inside, not to do bad deeds. To live my life in honesty, and not to speak the language of hate.'"

      Babic, a trained economist, is quickly making waves in her country for her political acumen. In the short time since she took over the town hall in the middle of November, she has earned a reputation as a tough administrator.

      Even jaded observers of Bosnia’s deeply divided political system hold out hope that she could help overcome years of government turmoil that have put the country far behind its rivals, Serbia and Croatia, which are both on a path to joining the European Union.
       For years, Bosnian Muslims embraced a form of religion so moderate that many capped dinners during the holy month of Ramadan with an alcoholic drink.
       But the bloody war that pitted Muslims here against their Serbian Orthodox and Croatian Catholic neighbors tested the faith of one of the few European countries where Islam is the most common religion. It was once rare to see public expressions of faith on the street. Now, more women are donning head scarves — and one who does so just became mayor of this small town in the mountains of central Bosnia.
       Amra Babic’s election victory in Visoko late last year made her the first mayor in this war-scarred Balkan country, and perhaps all of Europe, to wear the hijab. Her rise in this river valley town of 46,000 is making inroads for others who have also taken up visible signs of their religion. And it is challenging assumptions across Europe as societies debate whether to reject as repressive the Islamic practice of women covering themselves or to embrace it in the spirit of moderation.
       France banned the niqab, or full-face covering, two years ago. Turkey, which has long put up barriers to observant women in public life, recently eased restrictions on wearing the hijab in public universities. Other countries are debating their policies.


Return to Islam

       In Bosnia, an inland, rolling country of 3.8 million, Islam was introduced in 1463 by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The hijab has long been a part of the country’s life, especially in rural areas such as Visoko, but it dropped away during more than 40 years of communism. Practicing religion openly in the officially atheist state meant jeopardizing opportunities and jobs.
      Many women cite their wartime experiences in their decisions to return to the moderate form of Islam that has defined religious practice for centuries. Some say they felt that Europe and the United States were slow to come to their aid during the war because of concerns over Islamic terrorism, and that their only recourse was God.
      The war drew jihadists from the Middle East, and there are still pockets of violent religious extremism here. But many Bosnian Muslims say that the resurgence of moderate religious practice is a counterbalance to the ultraconservative forms practiced at the periphery.
      Babic, a trained economist, is quickly making waves in her country for her political acumen. In the short time since she took over the town hall in the middle of November, she has earned a reputation as a tough administrator. Even jaded observers of Bosnia’s deeply divided political system hold out hope that she could help overcome years of government turmoil that have put the country far behind its rivals, Serbia and Croatia, which are both on a path to joining the European Union.
      “I am European, I am Muslim. This is my identity,” she said. The hijab “is what you see on the outside. But the strength is what’s inside, not to do bad deeds. To live my life in honesty, and not to speak the language of hate.” (HSH)

Source: washingtonpost.com