Halal Corruption Discussion

When the food we eat is a mockery of Islam

Of the two halal-related stories in the New York Times last week (this was the first), the bigger story was that a United States Senator was indicted in a bribery scandal involving the government of Egypt, which had a company owned by non-Muslims act as the exclusive certifier of halal food for exports to Egypt.  The story suggests that petty bribery in the United States resulted in higher prices for Egyptian consumers (they were being ripped off). 

This was about food for Egypt, a relatively poor country where the vast majority live on a daily budget of less than $6.85.  Halal food was turned into a weapon against poor people.  

This Senator example appears to involve explicit religious discrimination against Muslims in commerce, in a product designed so that Muslims can practice Islam.

Corruption in the halal industry is not new.  In 2015, “Islamic Services of America” (Midamar) and its owners admitted to a conspiracy to commit fraud.   Local Halal fraud cases have been coming up for years now. 

Muslims concerned about Halal food have been victims of threats of lawsuits by companies selling the products to the Muslim community.  I am told this has silenced Muslims who have seen problems in the industry with specific companies.  The practice of intimidating and silencing Muslims who don’t want to hire lawyers to defend their First Amendment rights harms us all.  

Ongoing Risks

• Islam is systematically being mocked with “halal” in often brazen ways, and Muslims are at risk of giving money to people who continually lie to us and rip us off.  

• Halal, in the eyes of American consumers, Muslims or not, may rapidly become a marker of grift and petty corruption without adding to the quality or denoting any meaningful standards anyone can intelligently articulate.  

• Halal carries a risk of affinity-marketing scams, along with Islamic Finance and Zakat.  Our community has done a horrible job identifying bad actors and rooting them out.  We are moving into a world where non-Muslim commercial interests will likely dominate all three areas (though Zakat to a lesser degree) and make up the rules.  Without sovereignty, the Muslim community is at serious risk of becoming a mockery of itself in every sphere where money changes hands.

My questions for you: (please comment)

1.  What problems have you seen in the halal industry our community has largely ignored? 

2. What can the Muslim community and leaders in the United States do about this?