ISNA halal certification program (HCP) petition
Published by Haseeb April 4th, 2006 in Islam, Science/MedicineI got this from the Natural Healing in the Islamic Tradition Yahoo Group:
ISNA is embarking on a halal certification program (HCP), they have already proposed the standards for the state of Illinois, and now plan to implement them as the national halal standard.
We are proposing that ISNA postpone the ratification of these Halal Standards until duty-bound, recognized Muslim scholars have properly addressed the issues of Shari’ah in an exhaustive way within the context of the current globalized and industrialized food system so that comprehensive and germane Shari’ah rulings can be researched, derived, and debated.
WHY:
These standards are highly problematic; they will allow the same very lowquality meat that is now being offered in the Muslim community to be certified as halal.
Although certification is a very lucrative business, we are selling ourselves short; for the sake of a share in this market, we are selling our health, our children’s health, and any dignity we have as Muslims in the eyes of the world when they see what we consider as ‘halal’: tortured, disease-infested animals raised on farms that employ modern-day slave laborers - all so that we can have access to a lucrative market and cheap food.
What is even worse than that is the Baraka of Allah 
most High that we will forfeit as a community because of the completely unwholesome food we are consuming; food raised in the most corrupt and pernicious ways.
WHAT CAN YOU DO:
Please read through the letter campaign notes and
MAIL LETTERS BY APRIL 10th.
Don’t forget to sign and print your name, put your city, state and your occupation
Halal Certification Program
c/o Shireen Pishdadi
2649 N Francisco
Chicago IL 60647
I want quality zabiha meat too so I signed it.
ak baby ak
Assalamu Alaikum.
According to the ISNA website, they have “hired professionals” to certify that it’s halal, and reading what they say is halal, I don’t really see any problems with it :
u akbar).
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The animals/birds belong to Halal species.
The animals/birds are raised on Halal approved feed.
The animals/birds had no anti-biotic residual at the time of slaughter.
The animals/birds are slaughtered by a Muslim slaughter man pronouncing Tasmiyah (Bismillah) and Takbir (Allah
The animals/birds are slaughtered by a sharp instrument from the front of the neck. The throat (Mirree), windpipe Halkoom), and the two jugular veins (Wadijain) are cut in the neck causing the animal’s/bird’s death by bleeding without cutting the spinal cord.
All the ingredients and materials used in the process of production of a product must be Halal.
The products/ingredients are handled, manufactured and packaged under the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene.
Contamination and cross contamination with any non-halal material, product/ingredient must be strictly avoided at every step of the production and distribution.
The production, processing, storage, packaging, transportation, and distribution are carried out according to the Halal production protocol set forth by ISNA.
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Everything looks “above board” to me, this is pretty much what Muslims worldwide go by as halal.
As for halal organic, that definitely be nice, but it isn’t necessary for food to be organic, to be halal. Also, it would also be great if the animal was treated correctly prior to the slaughter, but the mistreatment of the animal doesn’t make the meat haram, per se. Allah
knows best.
If we applied this standard to kosher meat too, I doubt most kosher meat would pass the test either.
I’m not saying that this isn’t the direction we should be seeking to go (humane treatment of the animal), but all ISNA is trying to do is establish very basic guidelines for what is halal and what isn’t. And everything above that will be a bonus.
Saif.
If you would like to learn more about the problems with the Halal Certification Programs, read the article on one of the following websites (which was also published in Al Jumuah magazine volume 18 issue 6.
http://www.muslimsweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2234&Itemid=324
or
http://www.cairchicago.org/thescoop.php?file=sc_ecofoods