The benefits of halal registration
Nadia El-Mouelhy, chief executive of Halal Certification Australia, another of the registered halal certification organisations in Australia, told SmartCompany one fifth of the world’s export is halal and Australian businesses just want a piece of that market.
“The use of halal helps businesses get into overseas markets,” says El-Mouelhy. “All businesses are doing are trying to tap into a market in order to make money.
“All this is a storm in a tea cup, there’s no way these business want to lose their share in the niche market which halal certification helps to facilitate.”
El-Mouelhy says Halal Certification Australia is Federal Police checked and audited at the “will of the government”.
Khan argues the agenda behind the social media campaigns is to create a phobia against Muslim people.
“It has nothing to do with halal, it’s an excuse for phobia against the Muslim population,” he says.
He says it is the responsibility of the federal government to stop the campaigns, and if they do not, the Australian economy will suffer.
“It can have repercussions in the importing countries that Australia at large is anti-Muslim.”
“Businesses should not be bowing to this kind of pressure – it is only a handful of people. Most Australians are sensible and can make their own choice.”
The pressure on SMEs
But Holt claims those businesses that “stand up” to halal certification will see an increase in domestic business.
“When they stop certifying halal, their business will expand,” he says. “What I would say [to a company with halal certification] is first of all, you are pandering to 2.2% of the population. You need to work out, what sort of business do you want?”
Holt says small, local companies such as The Fleurieu Milk and Yoghurt Company have already had offers of business from interstate customers who support their decision to axe certification.
But Fleurieu sales and marketing manager Nick Hutchinson yesterday told SmartCompany the company’s move to let go of its certification was not because it supported the anti-halal movement.
“There’s people who think we’re making a stand against halal, and we are not, that’s not why we’ve done it,” says Hutchinson.
“We just hope people support us for the company we are. We are not supporting terrorism; we are not supporting racism… We are just trying to sell our products.”
Red Rooster and Cadbury were contacted for comment but SmartCompany did not receive a response prior to publication. Four’N Twenty parent company Patties was unable to comment.
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