Exploiting fears of Malays

You have heard of Shell gasoline and Super-Shell. In Oz we have fuel of RON 91 and RON 95 as well as RON 98, and  a couple more.

Well, have you heard of Halal and Super-Halal? What is the difference?

Does one go to heaven under Halal record and receive 72 virgins, or does it have to be one with Super-Halal?

Yesterday, FMT reported in its Additional halal logo just a ‘gimmick’ (extracts):

Prominent lawyer-activist, Azhar Harun has questioned the need for a separate halal logo for Muslim-made products, dismissing it as a gimmick that preys upon unsuspecting Malay Muslims in the country.

Speaking to FMT, Azhar, popularly known as Art Harun, asked whether the idea for a separate halal logo was another way of helping small Malay cottage industries or another way of jumping onto the bandwagon of Islamist trade.

“After all we are already milking the religion for business profit to the hilt. Just look at the shariah-compliant chickens, health products, dresses and even water!”

“We also had a shariah-compliant airline and our train services are now shariah-compliant, so halal stuff made by Muslims is a natural extension,” he said.

He lamented that now, there would be a halal certificate for non-Muslims businesses and a halal certificate for Muslim businesses.

He questioned whether halal products made by Muslims were of a higher grade of “halal” than products made by non-Muslims.

“The halal certs were established to help Muslim consumers to ensure the products that they used were halal. It was well intentioned.”

However, over the years, he said the issue of halal certs had become commercialised to the point of being divisive.

“It feeds on the fear of the Malays. So much so we now have halal lifts, halal hotels, halal buffets and the likes,” he said, adding that as an example, this year, hotels were not allowed to have Ramadan buffets without first obtaining halal certification.

Art also cautioned that this move, if followed through, would eventually result in all Malay or Muslim entrepreneurs being forced or compelled to obtain this halal certification for fear that if they did not, their products would be perceived as not halal.

Former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim also tweeted on the issue, saying: “Yes some Muslims are more Muslim than others; some Malays are more Malay than others; so some halal are more halal than others.”