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UK: Halal meat removed from Luton school menus

The behalal team — Fri, 10 May 2013 07:59:18 +0000

10/5/13 www.meatinfo.co.uk

Luton Borough Council has suspended halal meat and poultry from the menus of 18 schools as a precautionary measure, after questions raised by the Luton Council of Mosques and the Sunni Council of Mosques Luton.

The Association of Non-Stun Abattoirs (ANSA) claimed the concerns were related to pork contamination in the supply chain. “If there wasn’t any pork in the system, there wouldn’t have been a ban on halal food in the schools,” said ANSA policy director Mohammed Saleem. MTJ was unable to reach the Luton Council of Mosques and the Sunni Council of Mosques Luton for comment.

A spokesperson for the council denied pork had been found in school meals and said: “The issue focuses on the interpretation of how halal meat is certified. We are therefore seeking clarification from the certification body. This is not an issue relating to the source, safety of the food or whether it has been contaminated in any way – we have close links with all our suppliers and regular testing occurs.”

The council said its catering service had been successfully serving halal meat for 15 years to several local schools and that suppliers had provided it with certificates to show that the meat complied with requirements to be designated as halal.

Luton Borough Council said it would update the schools once its enquiries were complete. In the meantime, all schools are continuing to serve vegetarian options.

In February this year McColgan’s Quality Food Limited, which is based in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland and certified by the Halal Food Authority, was identified as the supplier of halal food products contaminated with pork DNA supplied to the Prison Service.

Last month, leading members of the Muslim community, halal meat industry and the Jewish community met at the House of Lords to discuss the recent contamination of halal products. The meeting was attended by House of Lords member, Lord Ahmed Nazir, one of only four Muslim peers in the UK.

Speaking after the meeting he called for the government to take more control of the issue. “We are putting most of our responsibility in the hands of the FSA. We have no issue with people who have a wish to eat pork – it’s a personal choice – but people cannot say that it’s halal if there’s pork in it,” he said.

“People were concerned that this was going on and we are tax-payers and the government is responsible for making sure the FSA and trading standards ensure the meat being sold is correctly labelled and not being mis-sold.”

UK: Leicester schools halal lamb burger contained pork

The behalal team — Fri, 10 May 2013 07:56:11 +0000

10/5/13 www.bbc.co.uk

The burgers had been supplied to 19 schools in Leicester

Halal lamb burgers have been removed from schools in Leicester after tests on a sample burger found traces of pork.

The city council said DNA tests were carried out on the burgers because of the horsemeat scandal.

The sample burger was one of a batch made by Doncaster-based Paragon Quality Foods Limited in January.

In a statement, the company said its site was “pork free” and it had never knowingly bought or handled pork.

Halal products are used in 24 schools in Leicester but the burgers have only been supplied to 19 schools.

Assistant city mayor Vi Dempster said: “I am appalled by this situation. It is disgraceful that none of us can have confidence in the food we eat.”

‘Sensitive matter’

The council is taking “urgent legal advice” about its next steps.

Ms Dempster said letters had been sent to 6,000 families that could have been affected.

Dietary laws: Halal

Halal means “lawful” or “permitted” and indicates foods that conform to Islamic dietary laws
On the other hand, haram indicates foods and drinks that are not permitted by the laws
Haram foods include animals not deliberately slaughtered for consumption, pork and its by-products, blood and alcoholic beverages
The Islamic ritual slaughter is called dhabihah, or zibah, and has a clear set of procedures that must be followed

Source: BBC Religion and Ethics

“We need to ensure that the appropriate action is taken against whoever is responsible for this,” she said.

“We should all be able to have confidence in the food we are eating and clearly this is a particularly sensitive matter for the Muslim community and we recognise that.”

Trevor Pringle, the city council’s director of young people’s services, said all burgers supplied by the company had been removed from its stock as a precautionary measure while further investigation is carried out.

“We will not be purchasing any further products from this supplier,” he said.

“We have made it clear to our suppliers that this is totally unacceptable, and we are taking urgent legal advice about the next steps.”

‘Satisfied with procedures’

All other halal products used in the council’s production kitchens are supplied by a different company.

Metin Pekin, managing director of Paragon Quality Foods, said: “We have carried out a full traceability of the product in question and have provided this information to the relevant enforcement authorities..

“We are working with Doncaster Borough Council on a daily basis to provide all information requested. They are fully satisfied with our practices and procedures.”

The company said it would not comment further until it received the results of further tests.

Saudi to host biggest food, hotel and hospitality event

The behalal team — Thu, 09 May 2013 08:14:03 +0000

9/5/13 arabiangazette.com

Saudi to host biggest food, hotel and hospitality event with over 400 companies from 22 countries.

Saudi Arabia’s 18th International event for food, beverages and catering, hotel equipment, supplies and services is to be held from May 19-22, 2013, under the patronage of the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture.

The event will be hosting over 400 companies from 22 countries with national pavillions from China, Egypt, Indonesia, Taiwan, Turkey, USA; individual companies from Turkey, Algeria, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, India, Italy, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, USA and Saudi companies representing international brand

The exhibition includes the Top Chef & Art de Table contests, jointly organized by ACE and Saudi Arabian Chef Association, where culinary skills of chefs from the finest hotels and restaurants will be put to a test.

Zahoor Siddique, Vice President for Exhibitions, ACE, said, “This is the leading event in the Kingdom’s food, hotel, and hospitality industries, with a successful track record of more than seventeen years.”

With a growing population of 23 million, estimated to reach 50 million over the next decade, Saudi Arabia accounts for 63% of all the region’s food imports. The Saudi Halal food market alone accounts for $6 billion annually. Saudi Arabia’s fast food market is expected to reach a value of US$ 4.5 billion in the next three years, driven by high demand among young, affluent citizens. The packaged food market is expected to grow to US$ 21.7 billion by 2014 and sales rising by around 5% annually. The health and dietary foods and beverage market is growing at nearly 12% a year.

An expatriate population of nearly 7 million and the annual pilgrim crowd of more than 5 million also provides for the growth of the food, hotel and hospitality industry.

Zahoor added, “This show is organized in light of the exciting developments in Saudi Arabia’s hotel industry and consistent with our continued efforts to make our events truly relevant to the needs of our clients.”

He pointed out, “The Saudi food, hotel and hospitality Arabia Food & Hotel comes at a time when the Kingdom’s food and hospitality industries are experiencing rapid growth as more prestigious properties and new hotels are built for the rising number of tourists who are visiting every year.”

As Saudi Arabia’s tourism market exceeds $15bn annually and is expected to reach $60bn by 2019, the Kingdom is witnessing a boom in the hotel and hospitality sector. The direct contribution of the travel and tourism market to the Saudi GDP is expected to be around $14.9 billion.

Further plans have been chalked out to increase the number of hotel rooms, furnished apartments, leisure resorts, restaurants and food outlets in the country. Mega tourism projects on the Red Sea coast, will provide a wave of opportunities for local and international suppliers alike. The creation of the colossal King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh, near Jeddah, and other new economic cities will have state-of-the-art hotels and hospitality facilities.

Going high-tech to keep the world’s Muslims halal

The behalal team — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:54:26 +0000

8/5/13 www.newscientist.com

Hamzah Mohd Salleh‘s lab is trying to ensure the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims can stick to their religion’s strict halal rules

Can you explain the concept of halal?
In Islamic law, there are things that are allowed, known as halal, and things that are forbidden. In terms of Islamic dietary laws, things that are forbidden include pork, products derived from pork, and alcohol. But many products are in a grey area. Muslims are advised to only consume things which are clearly halal.

What type of research do you do?
My colleagues and I aim to find ways to detect non-halal materials in products that are to be certified halal. Our chemists check for porcine DNA or an unacceptable level of alcohol, for example. We also try to find alternatives to forbidden ingredients, such as gelatin made from fish skin instead of from pigs. Our research assists the halal industry – estimated to be worth trillions of US dollars per year globally – and the religious organisations that certify products as halal.

Does halal go beyond food?
Yes, it extends to cosmetics, personal care products and pharmaceuticals, to name but a few. Most capsules for medicines contain gelatin, for example. More and more pharmaceutical companies, at least those in the Muslim world, are trying to source gelatin from halal sources. And Muslims want to know whether the lipstick they wear or the lotion they put on their skin is acceptable. We are also looking at the food animals eat, so whether it is OK to use a pig’s body parts as animal feed, and whether pig hair is permissible for use in, for example, a pastry brush.

Are there other areas of active research?
We are working on making sure the processes used to make drugs are halal. To make vaccines and other proteins, you need to culture cells in a bioreactor. To increase the density of the cells you can use microcarriers – insoluble particles that the cells congregate around – usually made of porcine gelatin. I’m developing a microcarrier that works in the same way but is made of halal materials. The next step will be ensuring that nutrients given to the cells to make them grow are also permissible.

Halal slaughter involves cutting the animal’s throat with a sharp knife, before draining the blood. Does your work inform this area?
The Malaysian halal regulatory body doesn’t encourage stunning before slaughter, but since the country imports meat from countries such as Australia and New Zealand, where stunning is required, guidelines have been drawn up. These detail the current to be used and how long it should be applied, based on an animal’s weight. We want to detect if guidelines are violated. So we are trying to find biomarkers – increased levels of hormones or enzymes – that are produced if an animal is overstunned, to make sure that the electricity is only used to stun rather than kill.

Do you think the growth of halal science is because halal certification is big business?
That’s one reason. There are great opportunities for companies to address the needs of Muslims around the world. If you fulfil the requirements and accommodate those needs, that is OK, even if the driving force behind this is profit.

This article appeared in print under the headline “One minute with… Hamzah Mohd Salleh”

Profile

Hamzah Mohd Salleh is an associate professor at the International Institute for Halal Research and Training at the International Islamic University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

UK: Halal meat withdrawn from schools

The behalal team — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:52:04 +0000

8/5/13 www.lutontoday.co.uk

Concerns from Muslim groups have seen halal meat withdrawn from 18 schools in Luton.

Luton Borough Council said it had taken the “precautionary” measure of suspending halal meat and poultry from schools over an issue with certification, after being contacted by the Luton Council of Mosques and Sunni Council of Mosques.

A spokesman for the council said: “The council’s catering service has been successfully serving Halal meat for 15 years to several local schools.

“Our suppliers have provided us with certificates to show that the meat complies with requirements to be designated as halal.

“The issue focuses on the interpretation of how halal meat is certified. We are therefore seeking clarification from the certification body. This is not an issue relating to the source, safety of the food or whether it has been contaminated in any way.”

Affected children are being served vegetarian meals until meat is reinstated.

Luton Sixth Form College announced yesterday that it was also withdrawing halal meat from its menu for the same reasons, and that there was no issue with contamination.

A spokesman said: “We will monitor the situation closely and we are in negotiations with suppliers that meet the approval of the Council of Mosques.”

The Changing World of Food Traceability

The behalal team — Mon, 06 May 2013 07:55:19 +0000

6/5/13 www.foodsafetynews.com

You, the consumer, are at the end of a long line of stops food makes before reaching your plate. Being able to trace this food back to its origins can be crucial to government and industry during a food-related recall or outbreak. But you may also want to know whether what you are about to consume is organic, whether it’s vegetarian, or maybe because of your beliefs you are looking for food that’s kosher or halal.

So while food companies might benefit from traceability and government may eventually demand it, food chain traceability is in large part about building relationships with consumers and giving them what they really want – the ability to trust that they know what they are eating.

Knowing what’s in your food and where it comes from sounds simple enough, but food chain traceability is a complex worldwide issue. It requires consistent standards and adequate technology in an ever changing world.

The Food Safety News traceability series is sponsored by Infor.

Take the role of imports for example. Today 15 percent of the food consumed in the U.S. comes from foreign sources, and that percentage is much higher in some sectors like seafood, of which 80 percent is imported.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a voluntary organization that since 1947 has developed standards for technology and business.

ISO has developed about 1,000 standards specifically for food to deal with subjects ranging from agricultural machinery, logistics, transportation, manufacturing, labeling, packaging and storage.

“Today more than ever, food products regularly cross national boundaries at every stage of the supply chain,” ISO says.

International standards help others develop systems for supply chain management.

The best-known developer of these standards is Global Standards One (GS1), an international non-profit association dating back to an ad hoc group that came together to develop the Uniform Grocery Product Code. GS1 is a big player in the ISO, with members in more than 100 counties.

Bar codes, electronic business standards, global data synchronization and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are all in the GS1 tool bag, It also maintains all those Uniform Product Codes (UPCs) in the United States.

Selecting the technology and system to manage the supply chain for food and food ingredients is an important decision. When there is a problem with a food product and it must be recalled, a food chain traceability system can truly show its stuff.

Food companies need to be able to quickly identify the product, which lots are involved, where they were shipped and where they are now.

While food traceback continues to evolve to meet the private sector’s needs, it can also be boosted (or hampered) by public policy. Over the past 12 years in the U.S., these “boosts” have included:

- The 2001 Bioterrorism Act: As of Dec. 11, 2006, food processors are required be able to identify the origin of all food received by lot, code or other identifier and provide the same information when releasing products. The Act applies to both foreign and domestic food, including all ingredients. Civil and criminal actions can be taken if information is not provided upon request to FDA within 24 hours.

- The 2011 Food Modernization and Safety Act: FSMA Empowers FDA to order mandatory recalls and establish a food product tracing system. The Act requires FDA to use pilot studies and stakeholder recommendations to develop the food product tracing system.

FDA has commissioned IFT to do much of the traceability work called for in the FMSA.

IFT has conducted two pilot projects, one on tomatoes and the other on processed foods including chicken, peanut butter and spices. The goal of the pilot project is to see how rapidly these foods can be traced to each prior step, and ultimately to their origins.

IFT produced a 300-page document for comment in March that suggest FDA needs a technology platform that would allow “efficient aggregation and analysis” of data submitted to FDA upon request.

Foods selected for the pilot project had been associated with outbreaks between 2005 and 2010. Key findings from IFT’s analysis of current product tracing practices indicate the following challenges associated with outbreak investigations:

• It can be tedious and difficult to sort through hundreds of pages of documents
• Confusion can arise when data definition is lacking
• Products often carry inconsistent item descriptions
• Wrong or incomplete information causes delays
• Companies operating under multiple names are difficult to identify as sources

IFT said that although FSMA limits FDA to enacting additional recordkeeping requirements to “high-risk foods,” outbreaks during the last several years reinforce the fact that foods previously considered “low-risk” can quickly find themselves on the “high-risk” list. Therefore, IFT suggested that FDA take the opportunity to advise the entire food industry on “best practices” for recordkeeping through the use of guidance documents.

Additional IFT recommendations to the FDA include:

• Clearly identify the types of data that industry needs to provide during an outbreak investigations
• Require each member of the food supply chain to develop, document and implement a product tracing plan
• Pursue the adoption of a technology platform to allow the FDA to efficiently aggregate and analyze data reported in response to regulatory requests
• Coordinate trace back investigations and develop response protocols between and among state and local health and regulatory agencies
• Offer extensive outreach and education around future regulations and expectations

“IFT expects that these recommendations will not only help protect consumers, but also help develop a better framework for industry and government to focus on food system improvements in the coming years,” said IFT President John Ruff in a statement on the document.

The FDA is soliciting input on the IFT report and will issue its own recommendations in a report to Congress.

The new food safety law also directs FDA to make its own recommendations on traceability in a report to Congress.

Pakistan: Halal market has $1.3tr export potential

The behalal team — Mon, 06 May 2013 07:49:59 +0000

6/5/13 www.nation.com.pk

Karachi - Halal export market offers $ 1.3 billion potential and EPZA should submit a detailed proposal, on priority basis for establishment of halal export processing zones in Pakistan.

It is ironic to note that most of halal product demand is fulfilled by Non –Muslim countries, whereas Muslim countries have a meager share in this very fast growing market. The demand of halal products in the western countries is mainly fulfilled by USA, Brazil, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and France.

As far as the eastern countries are concerned, Thailand is the biggest supplier of halal certified products followed by Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and India. This was stated by Shahzada Ahsan Ashraf Shaikh, Federal Minister, Industries & Production during his meeting with Chairman Export Processing Zones Authority, Mr. Saadat S. Cheema in Ministry of Industries and Production in Islamabad.

On this occasion Federal Minister Industries & Production assured complete support to EPZA from the ministry for setting up Halal Export Processing Zones in different cities of Pakistan.

In his presentation Chairman EPZA, Mr. Saadat S. Cheema, said that a large number of Non-Muslim consumers world over also prefer halal products due to reasons of cleanliness, hygiene and purity as quality assurance is considered a prime issue in those societies. Pakistan’s biggest competitive advantage in the region is the availability of an entire Halal production base coming from a Muslim country which has a direct access to a large base of halal consumers in Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Middle East.

Investors in Pakistan also need to recognize the fact that Halal market is not only constrained to food items. This segment includes products like Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals, Leather Goods and Islamic Financial Services. Food only forms 2% of the Halal market. Mr. Cheema added.

Australia: Claims of supplying non Halal chicken denied

The behalal team — Mon, 06 May 2013 07:46:47 +0000

6/5/13 muslimvillage.com

By: Ahmed Kilani & Ali Cabban

SYDNEY – Fresh Poultry, Australia’s only Muslim owned Halal Hand slaughtered poultry producer, has rubbished claims that they have been supplying non Halal chicken. Sydney’s Muslim community was inundated on the weekend with sms and social media posts alleging that Fresh Poultry was deceptively supplying non Halal food.

The claims where made by a group calling themselves “Taqwa Halal Certification” and endorsed by Sheikh Abo Adnan & Sheikh Omar El Banna.

TAQWA HALAL CERTIFICATION UPDATE

(Regarding Fresh Poultry)

Assalam alikom, brothers and sisters in Islam the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) said: “Whoever amongst you sees an evil, he must change it with his hand; if he is unable to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is unable to do so, then with his heart; and that is the weakest form of Faith”.

Over the past month the Managment (sic) at Taqwa Halal Certification (Sheikh Abo Adnan and Sheikh Omar El Banna) had Fresh Poultry chicken under investigation, and conducted numerous meetings with their management.

Unfortunately despite oaths and promises that Fresh Poultry Chicken has completely stopped buying machine slaughtered chicken from other chicken slaughter houses and that all chicken supplied by Fresh Poultry are (hand slaughtered), it has been proven beyond doubt that Fresh Poultry is still buying machine slaughtered chicken and supplying it to their customers!

In our last meeting, fresh poultry promised that starting 7/4/2103 this will completely stop but over the past few weeks they were caught by our inspectors again and again!

Thus, we advise our brothers and sisters to completely avoid eating fresh poultry chicken and warn others from eating their products.

Our families and children deserve to be eating 100% halal food. This will never be achieved unless Australian Muslims become strict about their food and refuse to be disadvantaged and deceived.

We announce this as an Amanah and responsibility and Allah knows our intention.

Spread the word please

TAQWA HALAL CERTIFICATION

Sheikh Abo Adnan / Sheikh Omar El Banna

admin@taqwahalal.com.au

MuslimVillage.com has investigated these claims and found them to be completely false and without basis.

Our investigation has found that the chicken’s being supplied to Fresh Poultry that Taqwa Halal Certification have an issue with are supplied by Red Lea Chicken, an AFIC and Export Halal Approved processor of chicken.

Although the Red Lea Chickens may not be deemed suitable for those that only eat hand slaughtered meat (such as those following the Hanafi school of thought), it is still Halal and permissible in the Shafi school of thought.

The Shafi ruling, which is followed by a large proportion of Muslims including those of our biggest export markets of Malaysia and Indonesia, has been agreed upon by many scholars in Australia and globally.

The second issue is that even if the Red Lea chicken was indeed not Halal, which is not the case, Fresh Poultry have always been open about the fact that they use Red Lea produce to supply their non Muslim clients.

Management from Fresh Poultry have stated that the products they buy in from Red Lea only represent 10% of their sales and are stocked to supply the demands of many of their non Muslim clients that don’t specify they require hand slaughtered Halal, or even Halal at all. These products are also mostly for products that Fresh Poultry don’t have the facilities to produce.

Fresh Poultry strictly controls these products and it is packed on a separated premises to the Halal slaughtered produice to avoid any chance of contamination.

Fresh Poultry has always been fully transparent with regards to this issue and have not hidden this fact that they use Red Lea Halal products. The justification for this is that they can not commercially survive as the only remaing fully licenced Halal hand slaughtered producer in Australia if they don’t service their non Muslim clients.

The announcement from Taqwa is effecting not only Fresh Poultry, but many other Muslim owned businesses that are supplied by Fresh Poultry. It is also having an effect on other Halal suppliers and besides creating confusion amongst the Muslim community, it is damaging the reputation of the Halal brand in Australia.

At this stage it is not known if any legal action will be taken by Fresh Poultry or other effected parties.

MuslimVillage.com will be following up with a more in-depth story on this issue that will bring to light further details.

Disclaimer: Fresh Poultry is a commercial client of MuslimVillage.com. We report without fear or favour, but make this disclosure in the interests of full transparency.

Pak-Brazil two-way trade needs to be expanded

The behalal team — Sun, 05 May 2013 11:26:12 +0000

5/5/13 www.nation.com.pk

Brazil is the largest trade partner of Pakistan in Latin America. This was stated by President Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry while meeting with Alfredo Leoni, Ambassador of Brazil to Pakistan.

He said that current volume of bilateral trade which is just $102 million is not reflective of our relations and potential available in the two countries. He also emphasised to enhance both export and import from Pakistan and vise versa. Zubair Ahmed Malik informed that diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Brazil were established in 1952 since then both countries are enjoying cordial relations.
The meeting between President FPCCI and Brazilian Ambassador discussed various issues and emphasised to promote market economy. They also discussed possibility of joint ventures in various feasible sectors including Halal food, information technology; poultry etc. at present trade between the two countries is carried out via third country from Au Dhabi or Istanbul due to no direct flight from Pakistan. Both countries should also rationalize trade rules and tariff to promote trade.
Alfredo Leoni informed that Brazilian Businessmen are reluctant to visit Pakistan due to bad impression created by Media but he believes that ground reality is quite different. He emphasised that both countries should make joint efforts to over come extremism and terrorism. He informed that Brazil imports football from Sialkot, Pakistan. He also informed that Brazil will host 2014 Football World Cup.
He also said that Brazil is the largest beef and meat exporter to South America. The commercial section of Brazilian Embassy which also includes Pakistani attended the meting and Zubair Ahmed Malik; President FPCCI suggested them to cooperate to enhance bilateral relation between Pakistan and Brazil. Zubair Ahmed Malik also proposed to form Pak-Brazil Joint Business Council.
The meeting also attended by Irfan Kayani a leading Businessmen dealing with Brazil, Malik Suhail Hussain, Chairman Diplomatic Affairs, Media and Public relation FPCCI Capital Office.

Brunei Darussalam: A new era for farming and food production

The behalal team — Sun, 05 May 2013 11:23:35 +0000

5/5/13 www.theborneopost.com

A drive to improve food security under way in Brunei Darussalam will see the government release land for livestock production, develop irrigation systems and step up cooperation with other countries. The move forms part of a broader bid to galvanise the agriculture sector into helping the Sultanate achieve food self-sufficiency in the longer term.

In March, the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources (MIPR) revealed plans to commit 1000 ha of land to livestock farming. Pehin Dato Paduka Bakar said the move would help reduce Brunei’s reliance on livestock imports from Australia, which was limiting domestic production. The land is expected to be used for concentrated animal feeding operations.

In the same month, the ministry said it would release details this year of an irrigation project earmarked for rice-farming sites in Belait. It added that Sengkuang, which spans 300 hectares (ha) and houses the best paddy plantations in the Belait District, had been identified as a location for large-scale rice production. Infrastructure for the padi fields is now set to be upgraded.

Belait is also serving as a training hub for farming techniques and innovations, such as hybrid rice strains which form a vital part of self-sufficiency efforts, while the Rice Farmers Field School (RFFS) located there is playing a key role in providing farmers with management skills. The site produced a total of 232 tonnes of rice from 328ha of padi during the 2011 to 2012 period, according to the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood (DAA).

This is all in addition to the MIPR’s plans, announced in 2011, to increase padi farm hectarage by 285 per cent to more than 5000 ha from the current 1300. Belait is earmarked to play a central role in plans to achieve 60 per cent rice self-sufficiency by 2015. The Sultanate is already self-sufficient in the supply of poultry and eggs, and rice production rose to 2,140 tonnes in 2011, up from 1,649 tonnes the previous year.

Overall, Brunei Darussalam’s agricultural efforts are bearing fruit, with the value of gross production for agriculture and agrifood reaching a market price of US$240.96 million in 2011, up from US$228.43 million recorded the previous year.

Aside from training initiatives, the country has also developed its own rice strain, named Beras Titih, which could potentially yield eight to 10 tonnes per ha, significantly higher than its current levels of 1.74 tonnes per ha.

The head of the Brunei-Muara branch of the DAA’s Agricultural Development Unit, Sanah Burut, highlighted the progress farmers had made in production output since a large-scale padi planting initiative was launched in April 2009. “It is hoped that the rise in yields will continue and contribute towards achieving the targets set,” she said in February.

Mohd Shahlan Hidup, the chairman of Koperasi Setia Kawan Bhd, or Koseka, said training courses were important for passing on ‘critical’ know-how.

Topics covered included preparing the fields for planting, correct use of fertilisers, pest and disease management, and post-harvest management. Farmers also received training in the planting of rice seedlings, managing and identifying crop problems, and agronomy.

As a joint venture between the DAA and the Philippines Rice Research Institute, the RFFS represents one of several collaborative efforts the country has embarked upon with other Asian countries.

In April, Thai Ambassador Apichart Phetcharatana said he expected his country to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Sultanate this year on agriculture, covering areas such as rice production, fisheries, livestock, land development and water management. Under the agreement, Thailand, which is the world’s largest rice exporter, is expected to share its expertise in the field of rice production, while Brunei could advise Bangkok on the emerging halal food industry, having taken a global lead in the segment.

Cooperation with Vietnam could also be on the horizon after the country’s deputy minister of agriculture and rural development, Ngyuen Thi Xuan Thu, highlighted the potential she saw for collaboration in the field.

The deputy minister told local media that Vietnam could help Brunei in its efforts to develop sustainable cattle farming and conduct research on local soil quality which would help improve agricultural production.

The DAA said in March that alongside its rice-based innovations, work was under way to identify fruits that could be improved through new technology such as tissue culture and cross-breeding. The country is also in the middle of a fruit and seed distribution campaign.

The broad range of initiatives augurs well for the development of the agricultural sector.

However, if investor interest is to be boosted further, more details will need to be made available of government plans for irrigation and land release.

Malaysia: Forays into niche tourism subsectors

The behalal team — Sun, 05 May 2013 11:19:09 +0000

5/5/13 www.theborneopost.com

As the tourism sector gets more specific in its needs, so too has the industry itself carved out specific niches to fulfill the various wants and needs of tourists on a global scale. Certain sectors have blossomed from these wants, such as medical tourism, halal tourism, agri-tourism as well as MICE tourism.

BizHive Weekly takes an in-depth look at these growing sectors showing promise in taking the country to a whole new level of growth.

Tourism: Branching out from the conventional

Tourism has always been an important economic contributor in the country approximately luring 25 million tourists or RM60.6 billion in 2012 with expectations to further increase in tandem with the country’s ambitions.

Taking into account the lucrative nature of the industry, the tourism sector is rapidly evolving with niche markets taking the forefront.

The country is now no longer dependant on conventional tourism pulls but rather branching out into specific niches or tourism sub-sectors that target specific audiences to lure in tourist as well as potential investors.

The emerging new economic forces from India and China are expected to push the region’s tourism sector to new heights, as well as east asian countries such as South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong on the back of the rising middle class.

Industry sources opined that the tourism industry’s challenge now would be to add more value to existing and upcoming services and products. Industry upgrades were slated to be of highest priority instead of companies trying to undercut each other on prices.

Among these tourism sub-sectors, the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry will be a benefactor as all MICE value chain players such as hotels, food and beverage outlets, crafts, gifts and related services will benefit.

On the other hand medical tourism in Malaysia has emerged as one of the fastest growing tourism sub-segments over the last few years despite the global economic downturn with approximately 400,000 health tourist generating over RM380 million in revenue for 2010 alone, according to business intelligence firm Inside Investor.

Over the past few years the government has been supporting the development of the tourism sub-sectors and had been taking a proactive step by placing in the key framework.

The Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) stated that, “the Malaysian government is optimistic about the healthcare travel industry in the country, targetting ten per cent per annum revenue growth for the period 2011 to 2015.”

Apart from medical tourism, the lesser known niche in the booming tourism industry – agro-tourism is in the limelight.

“Talking about agro-tourism, it has a great potential to generate lucrative income and continuous efforts are being undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry to further enhance agro-tourism, which would benefit the tourism sector in general,” said Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) director Burhanuddin Saidin.

He believed the corporation had managed to change the people’s perception that agriculture was no longer a sector for the poor or uneducated, but open to all with the promise of lucrative profits.

With such high expectations from these niche tourism segments, a robust economic foundation laid out by the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) as well as a booming asian economy, BizHive Weekly takes a look at these tourism sub-sectors that are slated to elevate the nation as a desired tourism destination favoured by global travellers.

Making advancements in Malaysia’s medical tourism

KUCHING: One cannot deny that Malaysia is fast becoming a major medical tourism destination as private healthcare players up the ante on variety, quality and delivery.

It is perhaps a testament to Malaysia’s credibility in this light, being in the top three global choices for medical tourism, coming in third after Panama and Brazil – according to statistics from Nuwire Investors, an online source for real estate investment and other investment opportunities.

These markets were selected based on quality and affordability of medical care as well as receptiveness to foreign investment. Based on these criteria, Malaysia was ranked third.

“Malaysia offers a wide array of medical services and procedures including dental, cosmetic and cardiac surgeries at significantly lower costs compared with the US,” highlighted Nuwire Investors, adding that foreign medical tourists and investors were attracted to Malaysia’s favourable exchange rate, political and economic stability as well as high rate of literacy.

RHB Research Institute Sdn Bhd (RHB Research) analyst Lester Chin added that Malaysia’s medical tourism market remained relatively small in comparison to its neighbours, Thailand and Singapore, despite registering strong growth of 22 per cent per annum over the last five years.

“As such, the Malaysian government had, under the Entry Point Project 4 (EPP 4) of the Healthcare National Key Economic Areas (NKEA), targeted an additional 1,900 beds to achieve its target of attracting two million healthcare travellers by 2020,”Chin said.

“We understand that this initiative also serves to encourage private healthcare players to broaden their patient base beyond the Indonesian market and to position themselves as a provider of higher-end medical treatments.”

More recent statistics from the Ministry of Health Malaysia showed that within the first five months of 2012, some 236,836 foreign patients travelled into the country for medical care, spending RM200.4 million in total.

Based on these preliminary figures, the sector was expected to attract over 600,000 foreign patients and generate more than RM600 million in revenues by the end of 2012, highlighted Oxford Business Group (OBG) in its Malaysia Report 2012.

Government backing via council

One of the many moves made by the government to boost medical tourism is the establishment of the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) with the objective of promoting Malaysia as the preferred healthcare travel destination in the Asian region.

As an initiative under the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH), its ultimate purpose is to promote and position Malaysia as a unique destination for world-class healthcare services.

“In 2005, the MOH had established a small unit to promote medical tourism. From then onwards, the phenomenon of medical tourism started to catch on,” MHTC revealed.

“To step up the promotional campaign, the MOH then took the initiative to brand Malaysian medical tourism. This led to the launching of the Malaysia Healthcare logo and tagline ‘Quality Care for Your Peace of Mind’ in June 2009.

“Building on this momentum, the government decided to form MHTC, which was established under the MOH on July 3, 2009 upon the approval of the Malaysian Cabinet.”

MHTC noted that it was also responsible for advising on policy issues and setting directions for the healthcare travel industry.

“We are proud to be amongst one of the only countries within the region where medical tourism is promoted by the government. This thus provides medical tourists the assurance on quality care, regulation, safety standards and the governing laws within this industry.”

Cheaper choices, quality undeterred

Malaysia’s healthcare sector offers specialties in various medical disciplines and performs some of the most complicated treatments in the world. Today, the medical practices in Malaysia are on par with the some of the best in the world, incorporating both sophistication as well as international expertise.

In comparison with players, Malaysia’s favourable exchange rate and the costs of healthcare services are at an extensively lower cost than that of other countries within the region.

Some surgeries, in particular, are cheaper by half as compared with Singapore or Indonesia.

“Our team of renowned medical specialists have been trained in some of the most esteemed medical institutions in the world from countries such as Australia, UK, and US.

“Medical treatments are carried out in state-of-the-art facilities that have been furnished to meet international standards. Hence, the high quality in medical treatments is thus maintained at the technology as well as at the professional levels,” MHTC noted.

“A typical current scenario of the international medicine world sees cost of medical treatment skyrocketing in western countries such as the US and Europe. Malaysia’s healthcare service comes as a relief to patients from all over the globe. Malaysia certainly and confidently boasts of a medical care that supercedes in quality and affordability.

“The disparity is proof of the cost-effective nature of Malaysian medical treatment. This leaves scope for combining a holiday along with the medical treatment for many holiday seekers. You still spend only lesser than what you would have, in order to undergo the same medical treatment in some of the western countries.”

Private players ramp up their game

The government is currently working to boost private sector participation in the industry, with the goal of expanding health care options for Malaysians and attracting a large share of the medical tourism market.

“The medical tourism segment is almost entirely served by private sector health care providers,” OBG noted.

“In 2011, facilities in Penang attracted around 49 per cent of total foreign medical revenues, while institutions in KL and the greater Klang Valley attracted 21 per cent of total spending and those in Melaka took in about 10 per cent,” it added.

In recent years, the country has also worked to boost private sector participation in the industry, with the goal of expanding healthcare options for Malaysians and attracting a larger share of the medical tourism market.

“Incentives aimed at encouraging private participation in the sector include tax exemption for firms that build hospitals or expand existing hospitals with the goal of attracting medical tourists, and other tax incentives for companies that obtain accreditations from either Joint Commission International (JCI) or the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH), the national medical standards organisation,” OBG noted.

As of mid-2012, OBG said Malaysia was home to eight hospitals with JCI accreditation, including Gleneagles Hospital, the National Heart Institute, the Penang Adventist Hospital and the Sime Darby Medical Centre Subang Jaya.

Additionally, 85 hospitals – 32 of which are private facilities, hold accreditations from the MSQH.

Malaysia: Religious tourism boost

With a global shift in the tourism arena where medical tourism is starting to score big, another type of tourism is fast making a presence.

Having been ranked the friendliest country for Muslim holidaymakers for the third year running, Malaysia has confirmed its position as a premier halal tourism destination.

However, its position – and the revenue that comes with it – could be challenged by regional rivals seeking to cash in on the lucrative market, according to Oxford Business Group (OBG) in its recent report.

The tourism sector was already a major contributor to the Malaysian economy, directly generating US$21.4 billion in 2012, the equivalent of seven per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), OBG cited the latest report on the global industry’s economic impact, issued by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

The council’s report for 2013, released at the end of February, said tourism provided direct employment to more than 800,000 Malaysians, some 6.5 per cent of the active workforce.

However, when indirect factors – such as state spending on tourism-related infrastructure and support, the supply and purchase of goods and services, transport, information technology and utilities – are taken into consideration, tourism’s total contribution to the economy came to US$48 billionn, or 15.6 per cent of GDP, and accounted for 1.7 million jobs, 13.6 per cent of the total.

The WTTC had also forecast Malaysia would continue to build on its achievements, with total tourism revenues expected to reach US$81.5 billion by 2023 on the back of a sharp increase in arrival numbers over the coming decade, as the number of visitors was projected to rise from 27 million in 2013 to 45 million in 10 years.

According to Datuk Seri Jamil Bidin, chief executive officer (CEO) of local firm Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC), Malaysia had made itself into a leading destination for visitors from the Middle East by making its halal brand what he called, ‘a seal of guarantee for consumers’.

“If you want to encourage Muslim tourists to come to your country, halal-certified products and services are required,” Bidin told reporters at a halal trade fair in Kuala Lumpur in early April.

The international halal tourism trade was estimated to be worth more than US$125 billion per year, some 12.3 per cent of the global outbound tourism market. This figure was set to rise by an estimated 4.8 per cent annually through to 2020 – well above the forecast 3.8 per cent global average – as disposable incomes in many Asian and Middle Eastern countries increase, OBG stated.

Malaysia has already positioned itself to take a significant slice of the existing and future trade, being ranked first for the past three years in an international survey for being halal tourism friendly.

The annual market assessment, based on a number of factors, including the availability of halal food, prayer facilities, and halal-friendly accommodation, was carried out by Singapore-based consultancy and research firm Crescentrating.

According to Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of the firm, the survey was conducted from the point of view of the traveller, meaning that it measured the ease of access by Muslim tourists rather than locals to halal food and services, with Malaysia scoring well across the board.

Malaysia’s continued strong showing was largely due to the fact that authorities had been focusing on the market for a number of years, he said. “Malaysia remains the top destination for Muslim holidaymakers,” said Fazal.

“It is still the best place to enjoy your holiday and at the same time be completely worry-free when it comes to finding halal food and prayer places almost everywhere.”

Malaysia also benefits from being within a single flight of much of the world’s 1.7 billion Muslims, as it has direct links to the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and Asia. While Malaysia may head the Crescentrating rankings, it is likely to face increasing competition from regional rivals in the years to come.

The survey found that Indonesia was lagging when it came to catering for halal tourism, though Jakarta had announced it would launch a multi-faceted programme in June that aimed to better Indonesia’s tourism sector to perform in the syariah-compliant segment of the global market. Singapore and Thailand also had strong market potential and hoped to begin competing with Malaysia, OGB noted.

Under the government’s Tourism Transformation Plan 2020, launched in 2010, Malaysia is aiming to attract 36 million overseas visitors by the end of the decade, a target it seems to be well on track to achieving, having seen arrivals hit a record 25 million in 2012, some 40 per cent up on the 2005 total.

Similar progress over the next seven years will put Kuala Lumpur’s goal well within reach and on the road to the 45 million the WTTC had forecast for 2023.

The Ministry of Tourism estimated that almost one-quarter of inbound visitors come from Muslim countries, which makes the need to maintain the flow of new services and facilities for this market essential to further growth and development of the sector, as well as to ensure it stays ahead of regional and international rivals.

Agro-tourism: Taking environment into consideration

Diana Jitam, horticulturist

The surrounding environment has become one of the most important criteria for today’s travellers.

“Whereas comforts and luxuries once played the major role in a traveller’s decision-making process in choosing a destination, things have very much evolved since then,” Diana Jitam, a horticulturist told BizHive Weekly in an interview recently.

“Today’s tourists are willing to pay for the preservation of the natural and social environments they seek to explore and I believe Sarawak has some of the world’s agro-tourism wonders that are certain to facinate everyone,” she added.

These include the largest amount of rainforest that any state in Malaysia has with a large variety of plants that can only be found in Sarawak such as Dabai (local olive) and Isau as well as flowers – the state is home to the largest flower in the world, the Rafflesia.

“Agro-tourism is more than just another tourist product. It goes well beyond a mere offer of services in a rural setting,” Diana pointed out. “Rather, it implies a novel way of understanding the importance of agriculture, important for the younger generation to know how their food is being produced, a new awareness, a positive attitude towards the environment and towards local people as well as their culture.”

The possibility of enjoying the rural environment and culture at an attractive price appeals to a large market, including families, couples and seniors.

On top of that, she further stressed that agro-tourism had also proved itself as a powerful tool in the reactivation of depressed areas in Sarawak.

“Besides the turnover derived from accommodation, catering and leisure activities as well as from the direct selling of local produce and crafts, agro-tourism will also bring about other beneficial effects, such as the restoration of the architectural and cultural heritage,” she highlighted.

“It has great potential to generate lucrative income to Sarawak, and this will also change people’s perception that agriculture is no longer a sector for the poor or uneducated, but open to all with the promise of lucrative profits,” she added.

In line with the changing expectations for Malaysia to be more innovative as well as creative, Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) has aligned itself to meet the challenging demands outlined in the New Economic Model, which is to accelerate the nation’s transformation in areas of productivity and innovation.

Last year, Parliament Agriculture Development Council identified four areas in the Santubong constituency with the potential for agro-tourism – Kampung Sungai Batu, Kampung Sungai Lumut, Kampung Sungai Bedaun and Kampung Buntal.

According to Pantai Damai assemblyman Dr Abdul Rahman, the four identified areas had been singled out as they were located along the central road heading towards the resorts, adding the villages also had the potential for large-scale agriculture.

“Therefore, we must work smart to carry out these agricultural projects to increase productivity,” he added, while calling for cooperation between residents and relevant agencies to identify the various types of agriculture that were suitable for operation.

Jitam further added that agro-tourism in the highlighted areas had huge potential to improve the community income as well as economic potential of small farms, rural communities and agro-based ventures throughout the country.

“It is a new tourism concept that has received a positive acceptance among the local and international tourists. There are approximately more than hungred tourists destinations in Malaysia that offer agro-tourism activities,” she said.

With that a number of countries in the world have transformed their economies through agro-tourism activities. In Thailand, it has been used as one of the main mediums to attract tourists from all over the world.

Since the advent of agro-tourism in the country in 2002, there have been constantly increasing numbers of private agricultural entrepreneurs participating in the ventures, thus opening a new destination for the tourism industry.

In the same year, a total of 98 farming communities joined the Thailand national scheme. The impact of this scheme is significant since half a million tourists have visited the farm areas.

MICE tourism: A preferred destination

Meetings, Incentives, Coventions, Exhibitions (MICE) – For the uninitiated, the word evokes images of a nocturnal, four-legged pest. But for most corporate travellers and those in the tourism business, the term conjures visions of business opportunities and events.

“Whether it is termed MICE, business tourism, meeting and incentives travel (M&IT), business events or any other of the myraid names that serve to further confuse the identity of the industry, the meeting industry is a distinct area of enterprise with its own unique markets,” said Rod Cameron, International Development director for International Association of Congress Centres.

“When you look at every single business that is scheduled, they choose the place for completely different reasons but at the same time, when they come, what’s the draw card? It is the destination…,” he added.

Over the years, Malaysia has emerged as one of the most preferred MICE destinations in Southeast Asia. With a host of significant conferences and conventions held here annually, there is no doubt about Malaysia’s supremacy in this area.

According to National Business Events Study, for every RM192,450 in economic value generated by business events, there was one full time equivalent job created.

An estimated 46 per cent of international delegates would extend their stay for pre and post travel, providing benefits to regional communities and an estimated 25 per cent had an accompanying partner with them whenever they attended conferences.

Industry statistics further pointed out that Malaysia had climbed three places to 28th place in the International Congress and Convention Association world rankings, while retaining its seventh placing among the top 10 meeting destinations in Asia Pacific.

In 2011, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) had supported 29 convention bids and 20 corporate incentive groups representing 35,750 delegates at an economic value of RM382 million (US$123 million).

It also assisted 130 meetings and conventions, six exhibitions and 62 corporate incentive groups, which contributed an estimated economic impact of RM1 billion to Malaysia.

It aimed to continuously lead the way in championing the country’s business tourism sector through its Networking Sessions and other innovative programmes.

This is in line with its mission under the Economic Transformation Programme which is to grow business tourism arrivals from five per cent to eight per cent of the overall tourist arrivals – which translates to an increase from 1.2 million (2009) to 2.9 million by year 2020, and positions the country as one of the top five destinations in Asia Pacific for international meetings.

“From an economic perspective, meetings as well as conventions will attract people who are much more likely to be decision makers and this can promote not only local business prospects but trade and investment potentials too,” said Cameron.

“Meanwhile, from a professional development perspective, events in any area of discipline particularly major national or international events, often attract literally the very best expertise in the world.

“For the community, this basically means access to this level of ‘knowledge and experience’ right at their doorsteps,” he added.

On the other hand, Cameron said a lot of things could also impact the MICE industry, “many of which are outside our control. Global economics, political turmoil, pandemics and security issues can all bring things to a grinding halt on an international scale. Other include tax policies, transportation issues or sudden changes in visa requirements which can also have the same effect on an individual country.

“We’ve seen both at work earlier this decade, where international events precipited many different impacts, creating both winners and losers as events sought a ‘safe haven’ and, in some cases, changed the way the entire industry works,” he concluded.

UAE: Unilever, Nestlé and Coca-Cola to increase local output

The behalal team — Sun, 05 May 2013 10:23:49 +0000

4/5/13 www.thenational.ae

Global consumer goods multinationals including Unilever, Nestlé and Coca-Cola as well as local producers such as Al Islami Foods, intend to raise production in the coming years.

The moves reflect a renewed recognition of the fast growth of the region’s young population and its increasing affluence at a time of flagging expansion in western markets. The region’s population is forecast to grow from 340 million now to more than 470 million by 2030, according to the United Nations. Disposable income is also expected to rise as economies mature.

“As the region becomes bigger it makes more sense to have production near the market,” said Abhik Gupta, the executive director for consumer packaged goods at the information and measurement company Nielsen in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan. “We see a lot of these companies investing in Egypt and in the GCC, and as these economies grow they are likely to consider opening output here.”

Unilever has nine factories across the region at the moment, including the world’s second-biggest tea factory in Jebel Ali. But significant numbers of products still come into the region such as Fair and Lovely, a skin cream made in India, and Rexona, a deodorant from the Philippines.

“At the moment we get 35 per cent of our products from outside the region, but as we grow and get critical mass more of those products will come onshore,” said Arijit Ghose, the managing director of Unilever Gulf.

He highlights tax advantages from basing manufacturing onshore.

The Greater Arab Free Trade Area allows for lower tariffs on the flow of goods in the region.

Nestlé will add to its 16 plants in seven regional countries, with the opening of a facility in Dubai next year for culinary and coffee goods. The Dh500 million investment will create up to 800 additional jobs in the region.

“Producing locally allows us to bring products faster and therefore fresher to consumers,” said Lynn Alkhatib, a media relations manager at Nestlé Middle East. “This is a clear advantage we have already experienced with our many manufacturing plants in the Middle East.”

Local companies are also planning to grow their presence.

Rani Refreshments, a fizzy drinks producer jointly owned between Coca-Cola and Aujan Industries, plans to open two new plants in the region by 2016.

Al Islami Foods, a UAE-based halal food producer, is building a processing plant in Dubai Investments Park, due to open in two-and- a-half years.

“The plant will be processing meat and poultry and will be three times what we are producing at the moment,” said Saleh Abdullah Lootah, the managing director of the company. “We want to meet growing demand in the region.”

Saudi Arabia: Terry Jones coming to Arab International Festival

The behalal team — Sun, 05 May 2013 10:20:34 +0000

4/5/13 www.pressandguide.com

Terry Jones, a vocal opponent of Islam, held a rally in front of Edsel Ford High School in Dearborn on Oct. 10, 2012. It was met with a strong police presence, and there were no problems. File photo by Dave Chapman

DEARBORN — When city officials convinced the American Arab Chamber of Commerce to move its Arab International Festival this year, the goal was to have a more secure area and try to avoid problems caused by anti-Muslim demonstrators.The latter issue looks like it could be a concern again.

Terry Jones — a pro-Christian, anti-Muslim pastor from Gainesville, Fla. — announced Friday morning that he and his group Stand Up America! will be at what he calls the “Arab Fest” on June 14.

The event is scheduled for June 14 to 17 at the city-owned Ford Woods Park, Ford at Greenfield roads. For many years, it had been along Warren Avenue between Schaefer and Wyoming.

Jones announced that he and Pastor Wayne Sapp will be joined by Ruben Israel of the Bible Believers, whose appearance at last year’s festival led to items being thrown at them and the video being posted on YouTube; Pastor David Grisham of Repent Amarillo; and Rabbi Nachum Shifren of the California Security Council.

Jones has been to Dearborn several times to denounce Islam.

Mayor Jack O’Reilly said if Jones wants to come to the festival, he will.

“He’s not getting any special protection,” O’Reilly said. “Either way, he’s on his own.

“If he wants to come, he’ll be like anyone else. He’s just another guest in town.”

O’Reilly said children attending the festival must be accompanied by an adult, which is a change from past years. In the YouTube video, children were throwing objects at the Bible Believers.

O’Reilly said the city will support the festival committee whether it plans to hold the event or not.

Telephone messages were left Friday afternoon for Fay Beydoun, American Arab Chamber of Commerce executive director; and Police Chief Ronald Haddad.

Jones bragged in March about being No. 2 on al-Qaida’s 11-member “Wanted: Dead or Alive” hit list “for crimes against Islam.” He also wrote that the FBI told him it is taking the threat “very seriously.” Jones is the only American on the list, which was published in Inspire Magazine in Yemen.

“Stand Up America! Now with Dr. Terry Jones will not be intimidated or go into hiding,” he wrote. “We will continue with our upcoming events.”

A “wanted list” posted not only has a headshot of Jones, but it also has another picture of him with a handgun pointed at the right side of his head and “brains” coming out of his left ear.

“Yes we can,” the poster says. “A bullet a day keeps the infidel away. Defend Prophet Muhammad. Peace be upon him.”

Jones’ last appearance in Dearborn, which Sapp also attended, was Oct. 10, 2012, in front of Edsel Ford High School to protest what he called “aggressive bullying by gangs of Muslim youths” in public places, including schools. He labeled it a “Stand Up, Walk Out” protest, but no students did.

The visit was without incident, though he was told by police to return his handgun to his rented car parked on Woodside Street, across Pelham Road from the school, which he did.

The city, the Police Department and Dearborn Public Schools coordinated a plan for Jones and Sapp’s visit. Students were not allowed to exit from the front of the school, where the demonstration was; Jones and Sapp were not allowed onto school property, including the rear parking lot, where students boarded buses; and there was a strong police presence led by the Dearborn department, but joined by others, as well. There was police presence on and off school grounds, including the Ford Motor Co. engineering campus across Rotunda Drive from the school.

Anti-Jones demonstrators were contained by barriers to an area about 25 yards away. A few people hurled insults from passing cars.

All of the action was on the sidewalk in front of the school, which isn’t school property.

In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, Jones called for an immediate stop for all Muslim immigration to the United States, and a ban on Shariah law in this country.

“We have proof from its 1,400-year history that Islam is not a religion which integrates into society,” he wrote. “It does not adhere to the values and principles that we in Western society hold dear. We deem these necessary to maintain a civilized society: Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, the freedom to speak your mind, the freedom to criticize the government or a particular religion.”

Jones also plans to burn 2,998 Qurans on Sept. 11, 2013, to match the number of people killed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Further details of Jones’ visit to the festival were not announced.

The city and chamber are working out details of the festival’s move to Ford Woods Park, which the chamber will rent. There will be a to-be-determined admission fee to the grounds. There wasn’t an admission fee when it was on Warren Avenue.

Dearborn police had patrolled the festival before the chamber hired the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office for 2011 and ’12. Dearborn police will be back in charge this year.

The YouTube video from last year went viral. It showed the Bible Believers, a group of Christian evangelists, being pelted with items like bottles, rocks and other debris. The Bible Believers filed a lawsuit against Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon and two of his deputy chiefs, Mike Jaafar and Dennis Richardson, for allegedly not protecting them when they were being pelted. The evangelists said in the suit their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and free exercise of religion were violated, and they were not granted equal protection under the 14th Amendment.

The suit said the evangelists were permitted to “freely roam the perimeter of the Arab Festival” before 2009, giving out literature and discussing their faith. After that, Dearborn police and the American Arab Chamber of Commerce decided to not allow any groups to distribute literature, including businesses giving out coupons, on Warren Avenue sidewalks.

Four Christian missionaries were arrested during the 2010 festival and several Bible Believers initially were directed to a “free speech zone” in 2011, but the zone was taken away, the suit said.

O’Reilly said the festival wasn’t controversial before 2009.

Last year, the Bible Believers carried signs calling the Prophet Mohammed a “pedophile” and saying they were “proud to be an infidel.” A pig’s head mounted on a pike also was displayed.

Muslims do not eat pork.

Jones also was critical of the recent settlement of a $700,000 class action lawsuit alleging that an east Dearborn McDonald’s served non-halal chicken advertised as halal. “Halal” refers to meeting Islamic requirements for preparing food. God’s name must be invoked before an animal providing meat for consumption is slaughtered.

He wrote that “the only goal Islam has is to be a bully.”

“How ridiculous has the world become?” he wrote. “How ridiculous has our court system become? Why are we, as Americans, so eager to compromise, so willing to give in to the ridiculous threats and intimidating demands of Islam? …

“I would suggest to all Muslims if you do not like America, if you do not like the way that we do things, you should pack your bags and go back to Iran, or Iraq, or Afghanistan, or some other God-forsaken Middle Eastern desert.”

S Africa: Cadbury is halal

The behalal team — Sun, 05 May 2013 10:15:41 +0000

4/5/13 www.vocfm.co.za

Cadbury’s chocolates produced in South Africa will soon have a halal emblem on its packaging following the completion of its halal certification process by the South African National Halal Authority (Sanha). The confirmation comes after VOC News received queries from Muslim consumers questioning the halal status of Cadbury’s, one of the most-well known chocolate brands in the country.

One consumer, Nabawia Akemdien said she was disappointed that the company did not have any halal symbols displayed on the product packaging. After enquiries on the Cadbury website, she was contacted by a representative of the manufacturer Kraft Foods in East London, who informed her there was no intention to display a halal symbol.

“[I was told] the chocolates are halal and they have a halal certificate on their premises but since they are an international company, they have decided not to have any religious logos on their products. My concern however is that they should have a halal logo on the products. Otherwise, how else are Muslims to know which products are halal and which are not?”

Kraft Foods consumer relations manager Pat Grebe said the chocolate wrappers have never had a halal logo. Grebe said Sanha has however declared the products “halal suitable”. This information can be found on their website www.sanha.co.za. “Kraft Foods takes its customer feedback seriously and, to this end, have committed to formally progressing halal certification, through Sanha for its products.”

Grebe said Kraft Foods operates under strict guidelines regarding products, quality and safety. “We comply with national, as well as local, health regulations and conditions for the manufacturing of food products. Any additives in our products are safely tested and approved for use by relevant local food regulators and are listed on all products as per regulations,” she said.

Certifers

Sanha PRO Ebi Lockhart said the halal certification body were currently processing their application and the halal logo will appear once the application is concluded. “We presume that they are being prudent while this process is being undertaken. Based on the information at our disposal, the Cadbury products manufactured in South Africa are halal suitable”.

VOC News first approached the Muslim Judicial Council Halal Trust (MJCHT), who said it received queries from the public on the halal status of Cadbury’s “on a daily basis”. However, the halal authority does not certify any Cadbury’s products and does not have the product detail of the products. MJCHT senior halal consultant Sheik Moosa Titus said a few months ago, there was a major issue regarding shellac, an ingredient used in chocolates and other food products. Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug, on trees in the forests of India and Thailand.

It is processed and sold as dry flakes, which are dissolved in ethyl alcohol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and wood finish. “The MJC Fatwa Department in January 2010 completed and finalized its extensive research on the subject of Shellac. We have concluded that shellac is Taahir and halal and that it is permissible to be used in the preparation of halal foods and other halal products,” he explained.

Hajj needs fitness

The behalal team — Sun, 05 May 2013 09:57:26 +0000

4/5/13 www.vocfm.co.za

Hujjaj who are fit and healthy will ease their way through the physical demands of the sacred pilgrimage. So says Farouk Meyer, the founding member of the Lion of Africa Itheko Athletic Club, who now hopes to get prospective hujjaj active and fit in time for haj. Meyer said the haj will be more strenuous this year, due to the intense construction in the Saudi Kingdom.

A delegation from the South African Haj and Umrah Council (Sahuc) reported this week that due to the influx of visitors during the umrah this year, the Kingdom has become extremely crowded making the ritual prayers a bit more difficult. According to Meyer, the ‘Fit for Haj’ program will mean ordinary individuals of any age would be assessed and trained to make their haj easier and less taxing. The programme was designed with the expertise of Dr Nasier Jaffer and Dr Saliem Parker, who specialises in haj medical issues.

“We realised the need after looking at members of our community who hope to embark on the journey and are already spiritually and mentally prepared, but lack the physical fitness to actually enjoy their experience in the Kingdom,” he told VOC News. The aim was to keep the community reasonably fit through this programme with the result that pilgrims could complete the haj without any probable injuries.

“It is a scientific program and we therefore hope to get more than 100 involved so we would have a controlled group for our study. They will be screened by the two doctors who will also monitor their health and Dr Parker will also be monitoring them while on haj.” Meyer said the trained group would be compared to another group that has not done any physical preparation.

“We will then have scientific proof to show that if you decide to do any physical training before you complete the haj, there will be certain benefits for you.” When they took on their first ‘Fit for Haj’ group there were about 30 individuals aged between 35 and 70 and after two weeks, all of them are still sticking with the free program and enjoying each session.

“The program is rather easy as the main focus is to get people healthy, which we do through running. It is such a good sport because there is a social aspect to it as well.” The Itheko running club was initiated five years ago with just two members with the objective of creating a healthier and fitter community. “We started as the fastest growing running club in the Cape and we are now the biggest running club in the Cape and the fastest growing club in SA. All our members are people who never believed they could run one kilometre. They are now competing in half marathon races,” Meyer enthused.

He said fitness is of utmost importance especially when it comes to the haj as some community members save their entire lives to journey to the holy site. “We want them to at least have an enjoyable experience that will not drain them physically.” The Fit for Haj sessions takes place Mondays and Wednesday evenings at the Itheko Club premises in Willow Road Observatory. Hujaaj who are older than 45 will first be assessed by one of the two capable doctors.

For further information, contact the office on 021 762 8934 or Fatima Allie on 082 066 3353. VOC (Aqeelah Bawa)