Thank you for providing the opportunity to submit some concerns. See Summary at end of Submission. I have no issues with Food Certification other than Halal Certification.

A. EXTENT OF HALAL CERTIFICATION IN AUSTRALIA.

A1. Extends to support the duty of Muslims to create an Islamic GLOBAL caliphate.

At the Global Halal Congress 2010, The grand mufti of Herzegovina, Dr Mustafa Ceric (Muslim Brotherhood leader in Europe), claimed that ‘halal can enable Muslims to dominate global economy and conquer the world’.

It follows then that products halal certified in Australia support this Islamic agenda

In the caliphate ‘everything is 100% halal’.

According to the 45-page book: “A Brief Guide to the Islamic State, 2015” emmigrants will not be leaving favorite snacks behind: “Snickers, kit kat, Bounty, Twix, Kinder Surprise, Cadburys … “another great perk about food in the Caliphate is that everything is 100% halal. No squinting at the back of food packets looking for those dreaded ‘E’ numbers…..”

Halal food is viewed, by many Muslims and non Muslims as another way Sharia law is creeping in and being imposed on Western societies.

Many Imams call for various forms of jihad on the West . Yusuf Qaradawi, the Muslim Brotherhood spiritual guide, declared ‘We will conquer Europe! We will conquer America!”.

We must listen to what is said, take heed and learn from what is now happening in Europe and overseas.

Dr Taj Hargey, a practicing Muslim, says in the Daily Mail in 2014: ’[T]he meat in many supermarkets is halal - though there is no recognizable label to indicate this fact This is covert religious extremism and creeping Islamic fundamentalism making its way into Britain by the back door. Muslims - who amount to just 4.8 per cent of the population – should not take precedence over the other 95 per cent. Halal meat should never be forced on customers without their knowing. It’s unfair to everyone, non-Muslims and Muslims alike. It’s deception on a grand scale.” Extends beyond religious requirement

Halal certification is not a religious imperative and not part of recorded Islamic law. Muslims are free to eat anything not haram. Halal certification is not required.

Australian produce (except meat) was sold 'as is', naturally halal. Everything on the earth is halal, except for what Allah and His Messenger say is haram.

Today halal certification seems to operate on the opposite principle, that everything is Haram unless it is certified Halal.

What appears to have occurred is by determining what is Halal, each certifier takes it upon HIM self to reinterpret dietary laws and put himself beyond Islamic doctrines.

Islamic doctrine does not limit Muslims to eating only halal certified products, with permission to eat food of Jews and Christians.

‘Kosher certifiers can simultaneously provide halal certification Kosher Australia has a memorandum of understanding with the Australian Halal Food Services Trust, a major Halal certifier in Australia. This allows Kosher Australia to release other certification due to the [ostensible] synergies between the markets. Similarly with vegan and vegetarian certification’

Halal certifiers cannot provide any Kosher certification.

Halal Certifications are recent business constructs, which started in the 1980s.

Today there are close to two dozen Halal certification organizations in Australia, (Nov.2014.) Given that there are not 24 different religious Halal schools of thought with respect to halal certification, suggests that certification serves other agendas.

In most Muslim states /countries, halal certification does not even exist,

Extends BEYOND FOOD

HALAL applies to all facets of life, not only food products. Halal certifying authorities are and will increasingly impose other Halal certifications far beyond food. Eg halal neighbourhoods (Sydney), halal holidays etc. Halal certified products that are not necessarily Islamic are becoming more common e.g. Easter eggs, cat food and baby oil.

.Extends BEYOND the ISLAMIC COMMUNITY and is IMPOSED on non Muslims.

Supermarkets, restaurants schools, councils, hospitals etc provide Halal with and without informing clientele.

This is a problem as many ethnic and religious groups will not eat Halal products. Eg. Sikhs.

EXTENDS TO IGNORE AUSTRALIAN CONSUMER IN PREFERENCE TO OVERSEAS MARKET

In Australia, 97% of the market contributes to an lslamic charity even if unsuspecting consumers don’t require or choose halal.( See Zakat) Industry insiders estimate that not more than 10% of poultry production is for export, while 80% of chicken meat produced in Australia now comes from Halal certified abattoirs Most staples eg. milk and bread are halal certified even though a miniscule amount is exported. Our government displays a preference for halal exports while ignoring the requirements of most Australian consumers. Where’s the governments’ loyalty factor? This lack of concern for the majority of the Australian Domestic consumer needs to be addressed,

Extends to discrimination in the work force

Many in the Halal certification process, employ (male) Muslims only as drivers, as slaughterers, as packers ,etc.

B. CURRENT LABELLING REQUIREMENTS

Food companies pay to be certified so that Muslim consumers will buy their product. However there is No standardized labeling.

Many companies pay for certification but don't always label food as halal right to the end user. Government regulation applies only to meat for export. While much of this meat ends up in the Australian domestic market, such certifications do not come under any government regulation and are not labeled as such. Other companies place a halal label inside the packaging, to be seen only after it’s been opened.

If food is not labeled correctly this may contravene the Under labeling guidelines Act 2010.

Lack of transparency and appropriate labeling from Halal certifiers, creates a sense of uncertainty,imposition, exploitation for many in Western society.

Mandatory Standardized Labeling is urgently required.

Clear labeling with Government approved certifier symbol, on a user pay basis, would allow consumers to make a conscious choice

D.WHETHER CURRENT SCHEMES PROVIDE ENOUGH INFORMATION FOR AUSTRALIAN CONSUMERS TO MAKE INFORMED PURCHASING DECISIONS

There’s insufficient information.

Non-transparency, bribery, lawsuits, support of various forms of jihad, seem to have surrounded halal certification, since its inception.

E. DETAILS REGARDING CERTIFICATION FEES.

The halal certification process varies .Certifiers and manufacturers do not disclose amounts paid. Some nevertheless claim fees /profits are –used to cover costs , or negligible, or even to pay for wife’s shoes!

Certification fees need to be checked and monitored by an Independent government Audit and not solely within the certifying organization.

This is where uncertainty creeps in. Muslim consumers are largely unable to find out exactly what process has been followed in the certification process and what standards have been set by the certification provider. For non-Muslim Australian consumers, halal food is unnecessary Explainer: what is halal, and how does certification work? James Wong&Julian Millie, Monash University Feb 2015

As there is no consistency nor transparency re fees, costs paid it is impossible to assess impact on prices for consumer. However it is clear from the public outcry that there is a huge emotional impact on consumer. These emotions, anger, sense of being deceived and betrayed by certifiers and our government representatives, are certainly not condusive to creating a peaceful harmonious society. G. Extent and adequacy of INFORMATION AVAILABLE. Varying strong opinions based mainly on emotions and wishful thinking contribute to misinformation and public tension.

There is a huge lack of balanced information educating the public about the Halal Certification Processes and its related matters. Information dispersed tends to vary greatly There is disagreement within the Muslim community as to what is Halal or Haram. There is confusion over halal standards. Some certifiers are not even registered with Government Departments eg.Agriculture. Certifiers’ information on websites tends to be biased. There’s a lack of multi leveled transparency. For example, conferences are held in secret. The “Halal certification charter signed in secret in Mecca” (published 25 May 2015 in The Australian) we can gather: ‘Australian Muslim leaders agreed to conquer and divide the multi-million-dollar halal certification market’.

Indonesian writers suggest that to get authorization one needs to bribe MUI (the halal certification body) officials:“The MUI must explain where funds from issuing halal certification have gone’, 25 Feb 2014. Going the Whole Hog TEMPO.CO, Jakarta. The Indonesian Consumers Association proposed that halal labels be replaced with non-halal certificates. Feb 2014.Going the WholeHog. Tempo.co, Jakarta

Ethical people practice ethical business. Certifiers need to be Government registered and approved. Checks on criminal backgrounds, prior business practices, business plan, similar to entering a commercial tenancy contract. Government regulatory body needs to be made up of people from diverse backgrounds and not in the certification business.

EDUCATE Re Associated ISLAMIC concepts and Laws

I carry the hope that this senate inquiry will activate changes and implement parliamentary action to ensure that halal certified products are not imposed on consumers and that certification is transparent and regulatedAll round unbiased transparent Education is the key. On July 20th 2015 the Minister for Multicultural Interests W.A .Mike Nahan said an education program would have a simple goal. "[To] make sure that the wider public know Islam, know Islamic leaders, get to know the community and its importance and character." Such educational programs need to include non- Muslim Islamic educators and scholars. Australians for example, need to know that -Certifiers are obliged by Islamic law to give Zakat ( a tax which amounts to 2.5% of a Muslim’s wealth per year)to Islamic causes, which is to be distributed among 8 categories. One of the most important of the categories is to those fighting for Allah, ie people engaged in Islamic military operations for whom no salary is allotted i.e. volunteers for jihad. There is scholarly consensus (ijma) that non-Muslims are not among those who are to benefit from Zakat

It has been shown that overseas proceeds from halal sales go to groups tied to terrorism. In France 60% of Halal food is controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood MB, in America ISNA & Hamas 2007,and in Canada 2011 the Muslim Assoc. Canada, a M B.org gave to Hamas

Some claim that Australia is indirectly supporting acts of terror. For example Australian animal hides in the Middle east are collected by militant groups linked with organizations like Al-Qaeda, operating under the guise of welfare organizations. http://laaltain.com/ibtidah/2013/10/16/the-untraceable-funding- from-animal-hides-business/ https://globalecco.org/pakistan-money-for-terror

Though Austrak and other government bodies claim they ‘don’t have information’ where halal certification proceeds go, others suggest that this is ‘the way the money trail has been designed…to obfuscate’. (Pickering June 2015).

As Islam encourages the practice of taqiyya:-the deception of non- muslims to portray Islam in a positive light, such claims of obfusication need to be further explored. This is an unacceptable practice in our multi ethnic open democratic society. It creates much suspicion of Halal practices.

Worldwide there appear to be patterns of Offence ,Violence , Appeasement and Lawfare in relation to halal. These patterns do not occur with other food certifications.

In Australia the Q Society of Australia Inc are defending a claim of defamation currently before the NSW Supreme Court, initiated by Mr Mohamed El- Mouehly, director of Halal Certification Authority. His company is a privately- owned 'for profit' company. He alleges Q Society and members were defaming him by publishing videos on Youtube, in which Kirralie Smith presents her research into halal certification globally and in Australia.http://www.qsociety.org.au/involved.htm Australians must learn from others.

In 2013 The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said that manufacturers agreed to drop the halal logo from all food. The monks argue that Buddhists should not be forced to consume food that is prepared according to Islamic rites. Sri Lanka is 70% Buddhist, while Muslims comprise less than 10 %of the population of 20 million.

See Sheik Habib Bewley Halal Certification Fiasco 2012 &2015

Dr Taj Hargey, a practicing Muslim, says in the Daily Mail in 2014

Halal is a Rort ‘It will be hard but not impossible to reverse the current trend for halal (meat,). ..everyone right along the food chain is exploiting the ignorance of the customer, both Muslim and non Muslim. It is high time people woke up. There is a fundamentalist Trojan horse in our midst, and we must take corrective action.’

I’m proudly Australian and universal and actively support peace and harmony. As a realist my concerns are based on facts/knowledge and experience.

I carry the hope that this senate inquiry will activate changes and implement parliamentary action to ensure that halal certified products are not imposed on consumers and that certification is transparent and regulated.

SUMMARY; I have no issues with Food Certification other than Halal Certification, as it is non transparent and is imposed on all consumers A. EXTENT OF HALAL CERTIFICATION IN AUSTRALIA Extends to support the duty of Muslims to create an Islamic GLOBAL caliphate. In the caliphate ‘everything is 100% halal’. Extends beyond- religious requirement, beyond food. beyond the ISLAMIC COMMUNITY and is IMPOSED on non Muslims.

EXTENDS TO IGNORE AUSTRALIAN CONSUMER IN PREFERENCE TO OVERSEAS MARKET .Extends to discrimination in the work force. D.WHETHER CURRENT SCHEMES PROVIDE ENOUGH INFORMATION FOR AUSTRALIAN CONSUMERS TO MAKE INFORMED PURCHASING DECISIONS There’s insufficient information. Cont’d

E. DETAILS REGARDING CERTIFICATION FEES. The halal certification process varies. Certifiers and manufacturers do not disclose amounts paid. Certification fees need to be checked and monitored by an Independent government Audit and not solely within the certifying organization As there is no consistency nor transparency re fees, costs paid it is impossible to assess impact on prices for consumer. However it is clear from the public outcry that there is a huge emotional impact on consumer. These emotions of frustration anger, sense of being deceived and betrayed by certifiers and our government representatives, are certainly not condusive to creating a peaceful harmonious society. Worldwide there appear to be patterns of offence, violence, appeasement and law fare in relation to Halal certification. These patterns do not occur with other food certifications.

G. Extent and adequacy of INFORMATION AVAILABLE. Varying strong opinions based mainly on emotions and wishful thinking contribute to misinformation and public tension. There is a lack of balanced information educating the public about the Halal Certification Processes and its related matters. A multifaceted, unbiased, factual information program is essential. All Australians can then make informed decisions about Halal Certification.

Ethical people practice ethical business. Certifiers need to be Government registered and approved. This would entail checks on criminal backgrounds, prior business practices, business plan, somewhat similar to checks before entering a commercial tenancy contract. The government regulatory body needs to be informed/trained and made up of people from diverse backgrounds.

I appreciate that you, our government representatives, are open to hear our deep concerns and not silence us, nor label us as bigots, or anti diversity.

Regrettably silencing and being labeled are becoming increasingly common.

I have experienced intimidation and harassment. It is for this reason that I don’t want my name & private details on this submission.