Chennai: From Halal calendar and foods to launching the World Halal Forum (WHF), Hajjah Jumaatun Azmi, founder and Managing Director of KasehDia, Malaysia speaks in details about one of the fastest growing Halal Market in the world. Following is the excerpts of the interview she gave to Abdul Vaseem of Halal India on the occasion of 7th World Halal Forum 2012.

What is the objective of the World Halal Forum?
We started this forum seven years ago, in the year 2006. The idea and concept for the World Halal Forum was born from our direct involvement and interaction with the players in the Halal market – the producers, processors, manufacturers, logistics providers, retailers, restaurants, food service providers and others. We saw that no one was really looking at the Halal industry as a whole, which was a new kind of industry in its own right; a diverse yet integrated business with a global reach.

It became evident that there was a need for a dedicated Halal industry forum that would enable the stakeholders in the Halal market to gather on a regular basis.

We conceptualized with the forum idea as a business forum and started World Halal Forum by inviting government leaders, Islamic bodies, business men, scientists and Halal standard bodies. Response from all quarters – government, industry players both large and small, certification agencies, academics – and from all corners of the world continues to confirm our assessment.

In Malaysia, the government takes care of the Halal market. However, the World Halal Forum made people everywhere look differently at the Halal concept and it’s potential.
 

Islam is a way of life and Islamic values are universal. We cannot put Halal, Haram, Quran and Sunnah in different boxes. What the World Halal forum has achieved is changing mindsets and the way people looked at Halal.

People around the world come to the World Halal Forum, and then go back and make changes in their industries. Today, they are Halal certification bodies even in non-Muslim countries.

The World Halal Forum is for Muslims as well as non-Muslims involved in the Halal market or those who hope to enhance their Halal aspects of their businesses by offering Halal products and services.

The World Halal Forum was first held in 2006, and saw over 400 delegates from 27 countries, including attendance by various multinational companies. Over the years, it has grown to over 3500 delegates from over 50 countries.

India is a big player in global Halal market. Do you have any kind of support for Halal India or the Halal bodies to create Halal awareness among its population?
In order to enhance Halal awareness around the globe, we do organize smaller Halal forums around the world. We recently had the World Halal Forum Europe specific for the European market.

We have not conducted a Halal forum in India. We would definitely be happy as well as look forward to be able to work with a Halal-interested organization or body in India to make real the vision of World Halal Forum India someday.

We view the Halal market as a multimillion dollar industry but in order to shape and strengthen the Halal industry, there is a need for a system in place which is internationally accepted. Added to this system is a list of what is acceptable culturally for each country (i.e. Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, India etc.) so that people can easily communicate about Halal.

What motivates you to conduct World Halal Forum?
The first seeds of KasehDia began when I was just 23. I had come to realise that there were no Islamic products that appealed to me, or that were contemporary. And while I was on holiday with my family in Australia, I was surprised and a little bit irked by the fact that there were no definitive halal food guides for Muslim travelers.

So in 1999, I created my first product, a calendar with Quranic verses. It didn't launch my career or anything (laughs) but my first and biggest success was the Halal Guide series, which was launched in 2003. Since then, KasehDia has gone from strength to strength. KasehDia can claim fame to the creation of the largest halal forum in the world, The World Halal Forum, as well as the creation of the Halal Guides and the internationally recognized Halal Journal.

The World Halal Forum was first held in 2006, and saw over 400 delegates from 27 countries, including attendance by various multinational companies. Over the years, it has grown to over 3700 delegates from over 50 countries. Our expertise is combining communication, commerce and Islamic philosophy - we are communicators. We invite experts and provide a platform that is conducive to what we want to achieve.

Islam is a religion of peace and the Halal concept benefits not only people but also for the animals we slaughter. Halal also means taking good care of the animals and when they are slaughtered (for food), they must die well – the Halal way.

Do you think that World Halal Forum is a platform to unify all the Halal bodies around the world?

All Halal organizations and certification bodies are welcome at the World Halal Forum. Those that don’t attend may have their own reasons. For us, the World Halal Forum is a start towards uniting the Halal standard internationally. Even though it’s been seven years since our first Forum, we still have a long way to go.

Can India expect its own World Halal Forum within the next five years from now?
Yes, we would like to have one but we will need to find the right partner for this. We don’t want to conduct a Halal Forum just for the sake of having a forum. Firstly, we want a partner that truly understands the vision and issues of the global Halal industry before proceeding towards a good and beneficial forum.

By conducting World Halal Forum in India, in what way India is going to benefit?
We can bring the world’s attention to India’s Halal market, which is huge.
Because of the World Halal Forum, countries like China, Korea and Taiwan started having their Halal packaged tours for Muslim tourists. If the Halal tourism and hospitality in India is untouched, perhaps this will be another gain.

Do your bring scholars from all the countries around the world and discuss problems they are facing?
We do have scholar sessions in the World Halal Forum with its questions and answers sessions.

However, we try to focus the talks and presentations at the World Halal Forum towards business while keeping in mind the Islamic principles and values. This is for the benefit of businessmen and industry players, both Muslims and non-Muslims alike, to understand the concept of Halal and to move forward in its application.
 

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