Halal conspiracy theories
Part of a series on |
Islamophobia |
---|
Halal conspiracy theories revolve around a series of
Background
Halal, an
Claims
The sale of products with halal certification or the establishment of halal shops and businesses is perceived by anti-halal conspiracy theorists as a precursor to the Islamization of their countries or as an Islamist effort to force another religion on consumers,[2][3][9] and some claim that fees paid by companies for halal certification fund Islamic terrorism, the implementation of Sharia law or cause consumers to subsidize another religious belief; makers and endorsers of such claims include politicians such as Pauline Hanson[13] and George Christensen[14] in Australia and Jörg Meuthen in Germany,[15][16] counter-jihad organizations such as Sharia Watch UK,[17] the Q Society of Australia[18] and Britain First,[2] and Indian Hindutva supporters and figures.[8][9][19] A fact-check by ABC News of Australia concluded that while the proceeds of halal certification do occasionally fund Islamic organizations, there is no evidence that any of those funds have ever flowed to terrorist groups. The report also consulted several food companies that are halal-certified, including Nestlé, and they disclosed that the yearly fees for halal certification are negligible and do not influence the final price of their products.[20] A Cadbury spokesperson told the Herald Sun that the fees did not affect pricing and were more than offset by access to broader markets.[21]
Others claim that halal slaughter is cruel and inhumane,[1] an accusation also made towards kosher slaughter and mostly based on the assumption that animals are not stunned prior to religious slaughters. The Food Standards Agency in the United Kingdom asserts that 88% of halal-slaughtered animals in Britain are stunned first,[12] though there is debate among Islamic (as well as Jewish) scholars on what manners of stunning are more acceptable or whether stunning itself is humane at all.[22]
In India, claims made by right-wing Hindutva activists include that halal-certified goods contain meat extracts and are thus unlawful for Hindus to consume, that uttering the name of Allah during halal slaughter means that the meat is an offering to another deity, that halal-certified companies only employ Muslims, and that spitting on food is part of the halal process.[8][9][23] Indian fact-checking agencies have labeled these claims as "misleading," "ludicrous" and "certifiably false."[9][24]
Incidents
The spread of conspiracy theories and rumors regarding halal and halal certification has led to boycotts and harassment campaigns against companies and businesses.[1] In November 2014, South Australian dairy company Fleurieu Milk and Yoghurt was forced to drop a $50,000 contract with airline Emirates due to public pressure, as the contract required the products to be halal-certified.[25] In January 2015, a Malaysian-owned café in Western Australia was subject to online harassment and calls for boycott after the owners made a Facebook post explaining what halal means in response to a negative review.[4][26]
See also
- Kosher tax conspiracy theory
- Islamophobia in Australia
- Violence against Muslims in India
References
- ^ ISSN 2333-5904.
- ^ S2CID 142996610.
- ^ a b Hussein, Shakira (15 April 2015). "Why 'Halal Tax' Conspiracy Theories are So Hard to Stomach". ABC Religion & Ethics. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ SBS News. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ a b Ma, Wenlei (11 November 2014). "Halal conspiracy theorists bullying Australian businesses". News.com.au. Australian Associated Press. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- NT News. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ a b c d Syfret, Wendy (24 November 2014). "Trolls Are Boycotting Australian Companies Because They Don't Understand What Halal Is". Vice. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ a b c d Ganeshan, Balakrishna; John, Haritha (5 April 2022). "What exactly is halal certification for meat and non-meat products? Explained". The News Minute. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "Fact-check: Himalaya Drug Co targeted for misleading claims on Halal certification". Deccan Herald. Alt News. 6 April 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ISSN 2325-8381.
- ^ "Fact file: What is halal food?". ABC News. 13 April 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ a b Meikle, James (8 May 2014). "What exactly does the halal method of animal slaughter involve?". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ Zielinski, Caroline (5 April 2015). "Pauline Hanson links halal certification to terrorist organisations a day after nationwide, anti-Islam protests". News.com.au. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ Powell, Rose (20 November 2014). "George Christensen uses Vegemite to suggest halal products are funding terrorism and sharia". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ Picheta, Rob; John, Tara (19 December 2018). "Toblerone's halal certification outrages the far right". CNN. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- USA TODAY. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- ^ Aked, H.; Jones, M.; Miller, D. (2019). "Islamophobia in Europe: How governments are enabling the far-right 'counter-jihad' movement" (PDF). Public Interest Investigations: 24.
- ^ Johnston, Chris (23 December 2014). "Why halal certification is in turmoil". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ Kuntamalla, Vidheesha; Kumar, Ashwine (23 April 2022). "'To support halal is to contribute to terrorism': Meet Ravi Ranjan Singh, crusader for 'jhatka' meat". Newslaundry. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
- ^ "Fact check: Does halal certification fund terrorism?". ABC News. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
- ^ Masanauskas, John (18 July 2014). "Halal food outrage from anti-Islam critics". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Seeking ban on halal certification, Hindutva groups target IRCTC and Air India". Scroll.in. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
- ^ Varma, Aishwarya (16 December 2021). "Muslim Groups Didn't Say 'Halal Means Spitting on Food', Claim is Misleading". The Quint. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ "Call to resist anti-Islamic bullying after company drops halal certification". The Guardian. Australian Associated Press. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ "WA cafe's halal Facebook post prompts online backlash". ABC News. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
- ^ "Himalaya Group faces boycott on Twitter over Halal products". The Siasat Daily. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
- ^ Mehta, Archit (20 July 2021). "Fact-Check: Does Himalaya's neem, tulasi, lasuna supplements contain bovine extract?". Alt News. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
- ^ "Right Wing Groups Now Target Multiple Brands Including IRCTC & Air India for Halal Certification". News18. PTI. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.