A few years ago when you went to the supermarket and bought your groceries, all you were buying was food. Now when you buy food you are also buying religion – in many cases it is not even labelled. Quietly in the last few years, Halal certification organisations have been collecting large amounts of money from the food industry in return for certification needed to export to Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. Large abattoirs in Australia will pay up to $27,000 a month.
But it has now spread over almost all products in the domestic market, especially those stocked by the large supermarket chains. Most payments are subject to secrecy agreements. Muslims Australia, which certifies Vegemite publicly says on its website that it uses its funds to help pay for mosques to be built and to spread Islam.
Halal certification is not even needed for Muslims to consume food, according to British Imam and Muslim scholar Dr Taj Hergey.
According to Dr Hergey, Muslims are free to consume anything except blood and blood products, pork and carrion – as long as they say a prayer over food before eating, it is all Halal.
So the Halal certification racket is about raising money for Islam and imposing restrictive trade practices.
There is no reason why this religious donation should be forced on consumers without a label. That is a violation of your fundamental right to freedom of and from religion.
Halal ritual slaughter is conducted differently to non-Halal slaughter and is considered less humane as the animal is bled to death for up to 5 minutes after being given a conventional electric stun that lasts about 40 seconds on a cow (Academic study: The efficacy of pulsed ultrahigh current for the stunning of cattle prior to slaughter; A. Robins, H. Pleiter, M. Latter, C.J.C. Phillips).
Muslim men only are allowed to be employed in Halal slaughter.
Consumers who are not religious should be able to make an informed choice on whether they want to support this practice or not. That is our right to freedom of and from religion.
This is a big issue in Australia, and increasingly so in the UK. They are probably trying it on in the US too.
Australian voters can sign this petition to ask the House of Representatives to change the law to force correct labelling, and to require religious organisations to provide certification for free so the non-religious are not subsidising it.
This petition does NOT call for Halal certification to be banned, and it won’t harm exports. This petition SUPPORTS the freedom of Muslims to follow their religion and to eat Halal food.
This petition simply calls for religious certification groups to provide their certification services for free so that non-religious consumers are not subsidising them.
That is fair.
Also this petition calls for halal-containing products to be clearly labelled in all cases. That is so that consumers can decide whether they want to participate in supporting a religious practice when they buy food. That is their freedom of and from religion.
That is also fair.
It needs to be printed and signed then posted to fit the rules of the House of Representatives before January 31. Aussie voters only. But those around the world: check out what is happening in your country. You could be making a tiny donation to Islam every time you go shopping.