TERKINI

Ekspo produk halal terbesar di Malaysia, MIHAS yang pastinya menjanjikan pameran yang sangat bermanfaat bagi industri halal. Jangan lepaskan peluang.

ACARA

WHF 2011 mengumpulkan sekian ramai mereka yang terlibat dengan industri halal bagi bertukar pandangan dan berbincang. Ayuh berforum.

PAKATAN

Peribahasa ada berbunyi "Bulat air kerana pembentung, bulat kata kerana muafakat" justeru usaha semua pihak diperlukan dalam mendepani isu halal.

MAKANAN

"You are what you eat" Sudah pastikan halal?.

PESANAN

Peringatan bersama buat kita yang sentiasa lupa dan alpa

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Sunday, February 27, 2011

JAKIM: 366 Hotel, Resort Disah Halal


PUTRAJAYA, 23 Feb — Sebanyak 366 hotel dan resort di seluruh negara telah menerima Sijil Pengesahan Halal Malaysia setakat ini, kata Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom.
Beliau berkata daripada jumlah itu, 77 sijil dikeluarkan Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim) manakala 289 lagi dikeluarkan Jabatan Agama Islam Negeri-Negeri (Jain).
“Daripada 366 hotel dan resort tersebut, 273 buah iaitu 74.59 peratus adalah hotel bertaraf tiga hingga lima bintang, 53 buah atau 14.48 peratus bertaraf satu hingga dua bintang, manakala 40 buah iaitu 10.93 peratus hotel bajet yang ada perkhidmatan sajian dan resort yang ada perkhidmatan sajian tanpa penginapan,” katanya kepada pemberita, di sini hari ini.
Jamil Khir sebelum itu menyampaikan Sijil Pengesahan Halal Malaysia kepada Hotel Pullman dan Hotel Thistle.
Berdasarkan rekod, terdapat 1,574 hotel dan resort di negara ini yang berdaftar dengan Kementerian Pelancongan, yang mana 412 adalah bertaraf tiga hingga lima bintang.
Jamil Khir berkata kesemua 412 hotel bertaraf tiga hingga lima bintang itu disasar memiliki sijil halal menjelang akhir tahun ini.
Jakim dan Jain kini menjalinkan kerjasama dengan Kementerian Pelancongan, Persatuan Hotel Malaysia (MAH) dan Persatuan Pemilik Hotel Malaysia (Maho) untuk mencapai sasaran tersebut, katanya.
“Sijil ini juga merupakan salah satu strategi pemasaran kerana ia dapat menambahkan keyakinan pelanggan termasuk pelancong terutama dari Timur Tengah.
“Ini kerana pakej halal ini bukan sahaja mengenai bahan yang digunakan dalam sesuatu makanan, tetapi juga proses penyediaan makanan tersebut dari mula sehingga akhir termasuk dari segi penyimpanan dan kebersihan,” katanya.
Jamil berkata semua hotel dan resort yang ingin mengadakan program berbuka puasa pada bulan Ramadan juga perlu mempunyai Sijil Pengesahan Halal Malaysia.
Maklumat lanjut berkenaan pensijilan halal Jakim serta senarai pemegang Sijil Halal Malaysia yang dikeluarkan oleh Jakim dan Jain boleh didapati di portal halal Malaysia di www.halal.gov.my, katanya. — Bernama

Hanya 2 Logo Halal Diiktiraf

Logo Halal JAKIM

Logo Halal Jabatan Agama Islam Negeri


SEREMBAN 17 Feb. - Hanya dua jenis tanda halal yang diiktiraf oleh kerajaan negeri iaitu logo Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim) dan logo yang dikeluarkan oleh jabatan agama Islam negeri-negeri.

Jurucakap Jabatan Hal Ehwal Agama Islam Negeri Sembilan (JHEAINS) berkata, terdapat juga logo halal antarabangsa yang telah mendapat akreditasi Jakim dan boleh dijadikan panduan oleh umat Islam di negeri ini ketika membeli atau menggunakan sesuatu produk atau perkhidmatan.

Selain daripada logo-logo berkenaan, katanya, umat Islam boleh mengelak daripada membeli barangan yang mempunyai tanda halal yang dipertikaikan sebagai jalan terbaik ketika berdepan dengan masalah untuk menentukan kesahihan sesuatu produk atau perkhidmatan.

"Sebagai langkah proaktif, umat Islam boleh menyemak status halal sesuatu produk melalui laman web http://www.ns.gov.my/jabatan/jheains/ atau http://www.halal.gov.my/v2/ yang mempunyai direktori tanda halal dan produk halal," katanya ketika dihubungi hari ini.

Beliau diminta mengulas mengenai laporan Utusan Malaysia hari ini mengenai tinjauan di beberapa buah pasar raya di sekitar daerah Jempol yang mendapati hampir 30 peratus barang yang dijual mempunyai logo halal yang mengelirukan.
Ia termasuk logo yang berwarna berbentuk bintang yang mempunyai bucu, bulat dan tiga segi.

Laporan itu menggesa pihak berkuasa bertindak bagi mengelakkan umat Islam daripada terpedaya dengan logo halal palsu sesuatu barangan.

Jurucakap itu berkata, sehingga kini, pihaknya belum menerima aduan daripada pengguna di negeri ini yang mempertikaikan logo halal sesuatu produk.

Beliau berkata, pihaknya atau beberapa pihak berkuasa lain akan mengambil tindakan yang sewajarnya berdasarkan peruntukan undang-undang sekiranya terdapat aduan daripada orang ramai mengenai logo halal yang disyaki palsu.


Sumber: Utusan Online

Friday, February 25, 2011

World Halal Forum to Unveil Halal 2.0


The World Halal Forum (WHF) is now a Not For Profit entity, coming into its own, working hand in hand with the International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHI) who is the global Halal authority. WHF is now an organisation by the members for its members and the agenda to be set by the members. This change been effected after extensive consultation with all Halal Stakeholders. WHF will be institutionalised as a NGO taking on the role of a change agent, shifting the dynamics of the global Halal industry as it stands.
The World Halal Forum, now in its 6th year, is the world’s most sought after premier Halal industry event and has a proven track record as a crucial platform that plays a major role in determining the direction of the global Halal industry.
“World Halal Forum has been one of the main flagship brands for KasehDia and we are proud to see how in the course of 5 years, the World Halal Forum has tackled issues, identified opportunities and become the beacon of knowledge and a catalytic force of change in the global Halal industry. It is timely then that we elevate this platform into one that is non-profit, a move that will allow the brand to propagate change on a different level altogether, working within the support system and the strong international network of IHI Alliance”, said Jumaatun Azmi, Founder and Managing Director of KasehDia Sdn Bhd.
In recent years, the WHF has focused primarily on issues related to certification and standards development, and this important work continues to be developed by the International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHI) in collaboration with the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry under the Organisation of Islamic Conference.
“Taking ownership of World Halal Forum and steering it in its new direction of offering solutions and executing an action plan is definitely within our area of expertise and we hope to give this event a leg up with our international network and resources. It is indeed an honour to be handed the baton and with that the onus to start a new chapter in the direction of the Halal industry”, said Darhim Hashim, CEO of International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHI Alliance).
This year, the World Halal Forum is being held from 4 - 5 April, at KL Convention Centre, with the theme “Towards a Halal Economy: The Power of Values in Global Markets”.
In the words of the Malaysian Prime Minister, YAB Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak, “We need to think beyond industries and move into the larger realm of a Halal Economy…a value-based economy rooted in trust, integrity and fairness.”
The twin pillars of this Halal Economy are the Halal products sector and the Islamic Financial services sector. The convergence of these two Shariah-based industries forms a strong economic platform that is built on a shared set of values – values that will play an increasingly strategic role in shaping global markets in the coming decade.
“This is a first step in what we term as Halal 2.0 where one of the biggest shifts that we are going to see over the coming decade will be the interaction between the Halal sector and Islamic finance. This is inevitable – they are the two great Shariah-compliant business sectors, and yet there is currently little or no interaction between them. The merging of these two sectors will give rise to areas of new growth and wealth creation”, said Abdalhamid Evans, Director of World Halal Forum.
“In addition, we will be focusing on consumer needs and business opportunities, and looking at the way new ‘value-driven’ markets are emerging all over the world that have a strong synergy with the Islamic values in the Halal sector”, he added.
Under the theme “Towards a Halal Economy: The Power of Values in Global Markets” the WHF 2011 will be highlighting thought-leaders from around the world in various sectors of the broader Halal market arena. Sessions for WHF 2011 will focus on:
·         The inevitable convergence of the Halal and Islamic Finance sectors, and the impact this will have on both sides over the coming decade.
·         Case studies examining how to position products that reflect Halal values in the mainstream marketplace.
·         Dealing with diversity: regional Halal-related trends and issues in a global marketplace.
·         Halal values in print, on TV and online. The role of conventional, digital and social media in shaping consumer perceptions as well as providing access to 1.7 billion potential customers.
·         How the rise of Halal-friendly travel is revolutionising the hospitality, tourism and MICE industries.
·         Progress reports and new directions for the World Halal Forum’s global network, including updates on WHF London and IHI Alliance projects.
 Over 900 delegates made up of business leaders, industry players, thought leaders, scholars and government officials are expected to attend the World Halal Forum which is part of the week-long ‘Halal Malaysia Week’ initiative which is a private-public sector collaboration between the World Halal Forum Secretariat (World Halal Forum, 4 ­ 5 April 2011), MATRADE (International Halal Showcase or MIHAS, 6 -­ 9 April) and HDC (World Halal Research Summit, 6-7 April 2011).
World Halal Forum Secretariat - www.halaljournal.com

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

HDC: Overview


Halal Industry Development Corporation

Halal is not merely a way of life - it is a global industry. With a stake in commercial sectors worldwide, Halal Development has become a significant contributor to all facets of economic growth. 

Established on 18 September 2006, Halal Industry Development Corporation coordinates the overall development of the Halal industry in Malaysia. Focusing on development of Halal standards, audit and certification, plus capacity building for Halal products and services, HDC promotes participation and facilitates growth of Malaysian companies in the global Halal market. 

Intent on building a global Halal community, HDC brings the Malaysian Halal industry in unison toward a common goal. By nurturing growth and participation of local businesses into the global Halal market, HDC sets the bar for Halal best practices in Malaysia to enrich the development of Halal standards globally. 

Through unsurpassed knowledge and experience, HDC is the gateway towards a better understanding of Halal for all.

 Vision:     Position Malaysia as the global support centre for all Halal standard products and services                                               
  
 Mission:    Create value for businesses in the Global Halal Industry to benefit Malaysia's economy
 
Roles and Responsibilities
HDC is Malaysia's response to the momentum now building up worldwide, for better quality products and services as consumers gain confidence in the Halal process. It will provide manufacturers, distributors, retailers, entrepreneurs, researchers and investors all the necessary assistance to penetrate the global Halal market through the adoption of the Malaysian experience and expertise in food and non-food sectors. 

The roles and responsibilities of HDC are thus:

  • To lead the development of Halal standards, audit and certification procedures in order to protect the integrity of Halal
  • To direct and coordinate the development of Malaysia's Halal industry amongst all stake holders - both public and private
  • To manage capacity building for Halal producers and related service providers
  • To support investment into Malaysia's Halal industry
  • To facilitate the growth and participation of Malaysian companies in the global Halal market
  • To develop, promote and market the Malaysian Halal brand
  • To promote the concept of Halal and related goods and services

Mengapa Halal Malaysia?

Kita mungkin tertanya-tanya mengapa logo halal yang dikeluarkan di negara ini digandingkan dengan perkataan Malaysia, iaitu Halal Malaysia. Pada perspektif syarak, perkataan halal sudah cukup sebagai penunjuk aras bahawa sesuatu barangan itu dibenarkan atau harus digunakan sama ada dari segi hukum, keselamatan dan mutu. Sudah memadai dengan satu perkataan halal yang boleh berdiri sendiri.

 

Inilah suatu keunikan di Malaysia. Sebelum penandaan halal menjadi faktor penting dalam dunia perniagaan hari ini, ia telah tertanam kukuh dalam kebudayaan masyarakat Melayu Islam yang amat sensitif terutamanya bagi sumber makanan dan produk barangan gunaan harian. Namun demikian penggunaan bahan dan barangan yang ringkas lebih-lebih lagi dalam produk makanan pada masa-masa yang lalu menyebabkan perlebelan ini tidak dipandang begitu penting berbanding pada hari ini.

Masyarakat Malaysia yang terbina di atas pelbagai bangsa, agama dan budaya merupakan aset penting dalam membentuk pensijilan halal Malaysia. Pada umumnya melihat penggunaan logo dan sistem pensijilan ini semata-mata untuk kelompok pengguna Melayu Muslim di negara ini bagi memudahkan mereka membuat pilihan barangan tanpa ragu-ragu di pasaran. Sebaliknya setelah diperkenalkan hampir sepuluh tahun, sambutan kehadirannya amat mengejutkan. Perkataan halal hari ini bukan lagi menjadi milik mutlak etnik Melayu Muslim.

Golongan peniaga yang rata-ratanya dipegang oleh etnik China mula sedar kepentingan halal dan menuntut supaya produk barangan mereka diberikan pengesahan halal sedangkan mereka majoritinya bukan penganut Islam. Perubahan ini telah memecah tembok sempadan perbezaan agama dan merentasi sempadan perbezaan budaya yang mana selama ini kita salah menganggap piawaian halal hanyalah untuk penganut Islam sahaja. Begitu juga pemilik industri Barat dan Eropah seperti Amerika Syarikat, Jerman, Belanda dan New Zealand mereka membuat palaburan besar di Negara ini. Di Asia, Negara Jepun dan Thailand juga tidak kurang pentingnya dalam hal ini. Mereka menjadikan logo halal sebagai marketing tool untuk memenangi hati pengguna.

Golongan pengeluar telah meletakkan nilai label halal pada barangan mereka lebih mahal dan bernilai berbading produk yang dikeluarkan. Kadang-kala tanpa label halal rasmi yang dikeluarkan Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia atau Jabatan/Majlis Agama Islam mereka menganggap sukar memasarkan produk , malah dalam keadaan tertentu pengguna akan mempertikaikannya. Kini halal telah menjadi nilai komersial yang begitu penting dan tinggi mengatasi sempadan bangsa, agama dan antarabangsa.

Demi tujuan perniagaan, ada kalanya pihak pengeluar begitu melampau. Mereka seboleh mungkin cuba mengekplotasi para pengguna dan pembeli dengan memakai logo halal pada semua barangan tidak kira apa jenis produk yang dipasarkan. Hal ini menimbulkan kebimbangan menyebabkan lahir desakan supaya logo haram turut diperkenalkan. Dalam hal ini, Mantan Menteri di Jabatan Menteri, Datuk Abdul Hamid Zainal Abidin telah memberi jawapannya bahawa logo halal sudah memadai bagi umat Islam di negara ini membezakan sesuatu produk itu halal atau sebaliknya (Utusan Malaysia, 27 Sept. 2002).

Sebenarnya, di antara kepentingan peniaga dan jaminan kepada pengguna, JAKIM/JAIN mengawalnya berdasarkan tuntutan syarak. Oleh itu tidak semua permintaan pengusaha yang memohon penggunaan logo dan sijil halal dapat dipenuhi. Produk asli atau nature product yang tidak melalui proses produksi seperti rempah-ratus, air mutlak, buah-buahan dan ikan adalah tidak perlu kepada pensijilan halal. Ringkasnya kesemua bahan asli yang tidak melalui proses pengubahsuaian, penambahan dan pemeraman adalah bahan yang tidak tersenarai bagi permohonan halal. Selain itu ke semua obat-obatan atau keluaran farmaseutikal tidak termasuk dalam pensijilan halal ini kerana ia keperluan darurat kepada pesakit. Begitu juga sesuatu pengeluar jenama produk yang sudah dikenali tidak halal adalah tidak akan diproses permohonannya walaupun produk yang akan dikeluarkan tersebut masih tidak bertentangan dengan syarak. Tindakan ini untuk mengelakkan kekeliruan dan keraguan kepada masyarakat umum. Seterusnya makanan binatang khususnya yang tidak halal seperti kucing . Ini adalah kerana binatang tidak dikenakan sebarang taklif dosa-pahala seperti manusia. Sebagai jaminan keselamatan pengguna, logo halal tidak dibenarkan dicetak pada bahan gunaan yang berisiko seperti bahan cecair pencuci dan sijil halal hanya dikeluarkan kepada pemohon sahaja.

Secara ringkasnya antara beberapa katogeri produk yang tidak layak membuat permohonan halal ialah :
i. Bahan asli atau nature,
ii. Ubat-ubatan,
iii. Jenama produk yang terkenal tidak halal,
iv. Makanan binatang,
v. Pewarna rambut.

JAKIM sebagai badan penyelaras pensijilan halal Malaysia telah memperkenalkan logo halal baru yang standard di seluruh Malaysia. Logo standard ini menjawab terhadap segala persoalan dan kekeliruan yang seringkali timbul oleh orang ramai memandang setiap jabatan agama Islam negeri-negeri mengeluarkan logo halal masing-masing yang mempunyai identiti tersendiri. Logo baru ini hanya mengandungi perkataan halal dalam tulisan Arab-Jawi dan perkataan Malaysia dalam tulisan Rumi. Yang membezakan di antara logo-logo halal yang dikeluarkan hanya dapat dikenali berdasarkan kod nombor mengikut kod nombor kad pengenalan berdasarkan negeri-negeri yang digunapakai di Malaysia. Sebagai panduan kepada pengguna, logo baru yang keluarkan secara rasmi kepada premis pemohon ialah bewarna hitam pekat. Bagi memudahkan pihak pengeluar, mereka dibenarkan menggunakan warna-warna yang lain mengikut produk dihasilkan asalkan tidak sedikitpun merubah speksifikasi logo asal.

Dengan memperkenalkan logo baru ini pada 2003 lepas, maka secara langsung logo-logo lama yang masih beredar di pasaran seperti yang tercatat perkataan Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia, Jabatan/Majlis Agama Islam Negeri-negeri dijangka akan dapat dihapuskan sehingga di penghujung tahun ini, 2004. Tujuan utama pengenalan logo ini ialah untuk penyelarasan, di samping itu strategi lain ialah untuk menghapuskan penggunaan logo halal palsu seperti BAHIES dan sebarang perlabelan halal yang tidak tidak disahkan oleh mana-mana pihak berautoriti Islam negara. Label halal yang banyak digunakan oleh pihak premis tanpa pengesahan rasmi JAKIM/JAIN tidak boleh dipertanggungjawabkan sungguhpun penggunaannya tiada sekatan dari perundangan. Kesemuanya ini dimulakan di Malaysia dan tidak negara Islam lain.

Pendekatan ini sangat berbeza jika dibandingkan dengan logo-logo yang dikeluarkan oleh badan-badan Islam seperti Indonesia, Amerika, Thailand dan Singapura. Indonesia hanya mengunakan perkataan Arab halal, Majlis Makanan dan Nutrasi Amerika (IFANCA) yang begitu dominan di A.S. menggunakan simbol ‘M’ yang merujuk kepada muslim dan Thailand menampilkan kalimah Syaikh al-Islam yang merujuk kepada badan Islam yang berautoriti di sana.

Di Malaysia, sungguhpun logo halal nampak begitu gah dan berpengaruh di kalangan pengguna dan pengusaha, tetapi pemakaiannya adalah tidak diwajibkan dari segi undang-undang. Kekuatannya ialah sebagai simbol jaminan kualiti berasaskan syarak yang menekankan aspek mutu produk, kesucian dan keselamatan. Ia merupakan suatu pilihan kepada pengeluar memohon untuk menggunakannya dan ia dikeluarkan secara pentadbiran oleh pihak JAKIM/JAIN. Sesetengah pihak menganggapnya sebagai tanggungjawab sosial. Namun demikian penggunaanya telah berubah secara mendadak menjadi keperluan pihak industri pengeluar produk makanan dan barangan gunaan untuk meyakinkan pengguna. Melalui elemen halal, pihak kerajaan telah berjaya membuka peluang persaiangan perniagaan antara pengeluar supaya barangan menjadi lebih berkualiti tinggi dan meyakinkan. Iklim perdagangan yang sihat ini telah berjaya dirintis di pasaran tempatan dan mula giat melebar di persada perdagangan antarabangsa.

Lokman Ab. Rahman,
Peg. Kajian Makanan & Barangan Gunaan Islam,
Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia.

Halal: The Most Humane Slaughter

The great festival of Eid-ul Adha, popularly known in this subcontinent as Bakrid, is celebrated by the Muslims all over the world on the tenth of Dhul-Hijja every year through sacrifices and prayers in memory of the glorious sacrifice of the prophets Ibrahim Khalilullah and Ismail Zabihullah (peace be upon them).
Millions of cattle are slaughtered on this auspicious day with a view to receiving the Divine Mercy through benevolence, Samaritanism, patience and constancy. This noble effort is, however, condemned by many ignorant non-Muslims, shrouded by total ignorance about the significance and sublime essence of Qurbani, as an act of wanton cruelty. What is more, the Islamic practice of slaughter or sacrifice by slitting the throat with a sharp knife has come under attack by some animal rights activists as being an inhuman form of cruelty to animals.
It is claimed that the slaughtering of an animal with a knife is the most painful and tortuous method of killing. Nothing can be farther from the truth. It has been established beyond any shadow of doubt, through impartial scientific experiments conducted in non-Muslim countries, that the Islamic method of slaughtering with a knife is the least painful and thus the most humane method of killing an animal.
An animal is being stunned in a slaughterhouse in BrazilIn most of the Western countries, it is required by law to stun the animals with a shot in the head before the slaughter. It is done with a view to rendering the animal unconscious and thereby preventing it from reviving before it is killed so as not to slow down the movement of the processing line. It is also used from a humanitarian point of view. It is presumed that this stunning prevents the animal from feeling pain before it dies. But research conducted in a non-Muslim country like Germany has come out with very surprising findings which nail to the counter the allegations against the Islamic method of slaughtering with a knife.
The intensive research conducted at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Hanover University in Germany was headed by Professor Wilhelm Schulze. He was assisted by Dr. Hazim. The study was named: "Attempts to objectify pain and consciousness in conventional (captive bolt pistol stunning) and ritual (Islamic method of cutting with knife) methods of slaughtering sheep and calves."
The results were most unexpected to the non-Muslim Westerners. The claim that the CBPS (Capital Bolt Pistol Stunning) method was least painful and most humane dashed to the ground. The findings testified to the fact that the slaughter of an animal with a sharp knife is the least painful and most humane of all methods of killing.
In the study several electrodes were surgically implanted at various points of the skulls of all animals under experiment, touching the surface of the brain. The animals were allowed to recover for several weeks.
Some animals were then slaughtered, according to the Islamic method, by making a swift, deep incision with a sharp knife on the neck cutting the jugular vein and the carotid arteries as well as the trachea and esophagus. Other animals were stunned with the aid of a 'Captive Bolt Pistol' (CBP).
During the experiment an electroencephalograph (EEG) and an electrocardiogram (ECG) recorded the condition of the brains and the hearts of all the animals during the course of slaughter and stunning.

The results were as follows:


Slaughtering with a knife (The Islamic Method)
1. The first 3 seconds from the time of the slaughter (in the Islamic Method) as recorded on the EEG did not show any change from the graph before slaughter, thus indicating that the animal did not feel any recognisable pain during or after the incision.
2. During the following 3 second, the EEG recorded a condition of deep sleep-unconsciousness. This is due to the large quantity of blood gushing out of the body. The sudden and profuse bleeding from the incision on the neck causes a shock resulting in a state of unconsciousness due to severe shortage of blood supply to the vital centers located in the brain.
3. After the above-mentioned 6 seconds, the EEG recorded zero level, showing no feeling of pain at all.
4. As the brain message (EEG) dropped to zero level, the heart was still pounding and the body convulsing vigorously (a reflex action of the spinal cord) driving out a maximum amount of blood from the body, thus resulting in hygienic meat for the consumers.
Captive Bolt Pistol (CBP) Stunning Method
1. The animals were apparently unconscious soon after stunning.
2. But EEG showed severe pain immediately after stunning.
3. The hearts of animals stunned by CBP stopped beating earlier as compared to those of the animals slaughtered according to the Islamic method, resulting in the retention of more blood in the meat. This in turn is unhygienic for the consumer.
CBP Method and mad cow disease (MCD)
The Western method of stunning animals with a shot in the head is not only severely painful, as shown by the above experiment, but it is also alarmingly unhygienic. There is rising concern (based on the findings of some researches) that the method may be a factor in the spread of Mad Cow disease (MCD) from cattle to human beings.
Two independent researches carried out recently at the Texas A & M University and by Canada's Food Inspection Agency discovered that a method called Pneumatic Stunning (in which a metal bolt is fired into the cow's brain and followed by a pulverising burst of 150 pounds of air pressure) delivered a force so explosive that it scattered brain tissue throughout the animal's body. The findings are really disturbing since brain tissue and spinal cord are the most infectious parts of an animal with Mad Cow Disease which causes Swiss cheese like holes in the brain of the infected animal. It is all the more alarming because 30 to 40 per cent of the American cattle are stunned by pneumatic guns before the slaughter.
As for the most modern method of electric stunning being practiced in many developed countries, the Meat Inspection Branch of the United States Department of Agriculture came to the following conclusion in 1953: "The use of electric stunning methods by plants which operate under federal meat inspection has not been permitted as a result of experiments which were conducted several years ago at the University of Chicago. These experiments indicated that electric stunning in hogs resulted in certain changes in the tissues which could not be differentiated by gross examination from similar changes produced by disease."
In 1955 the Danish Ministry of Justice issued a circular, which said, "Stunning with electricity causes extravasations in meat, sanguinary intestines and fracture in the spinal column, pelvis and the shoulder blades through shock. The blood in the meat makes it more susceptible to putrefaction and has a detrimental effect upon its taste. The properties of the meat which would co-operate with the salt in extracting the blood traces are interfered within the animal undergoing shock convulsions prior to slaughter."
In 1954 British regulations were amended and electric stunning was prohibited, "the reason being that stunning seriously affected the quality of British bacon."
It was also observed: "Electric stunning hastens the onset of putrefaction in meat. The explanation of the phenomenon lies in the high lactic acid level following electric shocks prior to bleeding. High lactic acid alters the bacterial resistance of meat."
If the head of the animal is severed by one sharp blow through guillotining or Bali at the sacrificial post, there will be sudden contraction of voluntary muscles, which will expel important nutrient fluids and, as in electric shock, some lactic acid will also form. What is more, since the heart will stop suddenly, there will not be sufficient bleeding which is needed for better and healthier meat.
It is evident from the above-mentioned studies that the Islamic slaughter of animals is a blessing to both the animal and the person who consumes it. It may, however, be mentioned in this connection that the Islamic method insists on several measures to make the slaughter lawful.
This is done to ensure maximum benefit to both the animal and the consumer.
The holy Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) emphatic declaration in this regard should be mentioned first. The holy Prophet (pbuh) said: "Allah calls for mercy in everything, so be merciful when you kill and when you slaughter: sharpen your blade to relieve its pain."
According to a tradition transmitted by Muslim, the Apostle of Allah (pbuh) ordered a horned ram with black legs, a black belly and black round the eyes, and it was brought to him to be sacrificed. He told Bibi Ayesha Siddiqua (RA) to get the knife, and then told her to sharpen it with a stone. When she had done so he took it, then taking the ram he placed it on the ground and cut its throat.
The Islamic method indeed demands that the knife to be used for slaughtering animals must be sharp and used swiftly. The swift cut of vessels of the neck disconnects the flow of blood to the nerves in the brain responsible for pain. Thus the slaughtered animal feels no pain.

It may be mentioned in this connection that the movements and withering of the different limbs of the animal after the incision is made are not due to pain, but due to the contraction and relaxation of the muscles deficient in blood. The convulsions are due to the contraction of the muscles in response to the lack of oxygen in the brain cells.
The muscles, by these contractions, squeeze out blood from the blood vessels in the tissues to pour it into the central circulation system to be sent to the brain, but this is lost on the way (due to cutting of big vessels in the neck) and the brain cells consequently keep on sending messages to the muscles to wring out blood, until the animal dies.
Convulsions thus occur when the animal becomes unconscious. And because the slaughtered animal becomes unconscious for massive hemorrhage, it does not feel pain while bleeding.
The holy Prophet's (pbuh) kindness to the animals extended to such an extent that he also instructed the Muslims neither to sharpen the blade of the knife in front of the animals nor to slaughter an animal in front of others of its own kind. It is unfortunate that very few Muslims today abide by this noble and unparalleled instruction of the last and greatest Prophet.
While offering Qurbani on Eid-ul-Azha most of the Muslims unfortunately, ignore the above-mentioned humane instruction of the Apostle of God (phub) and recklessly slaughter camels and cows and lambs right in front of other animals. We not only fight shy of the holy Prophet's unique instruction but also very easily forget that the animals feel and suffer in the same way as the humans do.
Lastly, the Islamic method also insists that the cut should involve the windpipe (trachea), gullet (esophagus), and the two jugular veins without cutting the spinal cord. This method results in rapid gush of blood draining most of it from the animal's body. If the spinal cord is cut, the nerve fibres to the heart might be damaged leading to cardiac arrest, thus resulting in stagnation of blood in the blood vessels. The blood must be drained completely before the head is removed from the body. As most of the blood, which acts as medium of microorganisms, is removed the meat becomes purified and also remains fresh for a longer period as compared to the meat obtained through other methods of slaughtering like gullotining or decapitation, CBPS and electric stunning.
The Islamic method of slaughter is, therefore, not only the most humane and least painful but also the most hygienic of all the methods of killing animal.

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