“Halal” as a marketing tool – A FIGMENT OF IMAGINATION

There was an implication on a comment in my previous blog entry on the Halal issue that it is a marketing tool of benefit to Companies who wish to certify and are therefore not forced or coerced but do so willingly and  actually want to get it and put the logo! My entry which was trying not to take sides, but to be reasonable in issue was clearly questioning the intentions and merits of the whole process. 

We must go back to basics here. If I want to sell a product I must get the confidence of the consumer. In that respect I advertise, I prepare a credible package and give information. I now resort to advertorials to also give false looking content in media to try and give the impression that it is unbiased and so on to increase my sales, and hopefully my overall profit.

Then comes government in the country the product is sold, who have to protect its citizens from misinformation and require certain basic information on packs, some reasonable some unreasonable and some downright prohibitive as it creates a loss to the producer! These regulations change from time to time to upgrade information as knowledge and requirements such as new additives and flavorings are used in food manufacture.

As a marketing tool if some companies feel they need to get accreditation for Organic and Fair Trade and Sri Lankan sourced etc. they pay and get the certification. With regards to Halal and Kosher products, the respective religions require the followers of those religions to adhere to certain food requirements and with new technology and processes coming on stream have required not just meat but many more items to Halal or Kosher certified for ONLY those people NOT the general public. So if the people amount to say 10% of the population, then if the producer wishes to sell to that 10% they have no option but to put the label! They have NO choice IF THEY WISH TO SELL TO THAT RELIGIOUS SEGMENT.

To say it is a marketing tool is a way out of this lie. Now the international Halal Certification Authority are using this as a marketing tool to slide over the criticism of the need for Halal on so many items of food, just to be on the safe side. When you put halal on even inconsequential items such as tea as is now the case, you get people used to the label, mainly Muslims assuring the Muslim consumer of its status even though technically not needed. This is HIGHLY irregular practice bordering on deceptive, as you are also, for getting more products in this labeling game, increasing the captive product range and if one manufacturer is persuaded under the marketing doctrine to issue the label then those who do not use it somehow feel naked and are indirectly pressured into it when none is required on the bottle of water.

It is this sinister misuse of the true religious rationale that I am against as it is INSIDIOUS and wrong and that is why I say it is for money and power of certification. I have enough experience of certification bodies and their motives to know that it has nothing to do with religion, it is all to do with personal gain. I am sure the Prophet will turn in his grave if he knew what was happening in his name as I am sure a good Godly person such as him would never wish his rules being misused by SOME misguided followers. It must be remembered that in every religion there are people who misuse it for their gain, and I believe the extension of Halal to this degree is defaming and demeaning the Great and Noble religion.

SO I beg readers to be mindful of these interests as I can put no words on the commenter of the previous blog poster. Read the comment in full, and ingest what is said and read my retort and then make up your mind as to the probability of what is more believable. Let you be the JUDGE.