Behalal.org Charity Beyond Ramadan E- Magazine 2015

Contents 08 PAY, PURIFY, PROSPER AND PROTECT

17 RAMADAN IS TOTES AMAZE

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HALAL EVENT OF THE YEAR 2015

RAMADAN AND BEYOND

22 CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME

27 HALAL COSMETICS COMPANY

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CAN GMO PRODUCTS BE HALAL CERTIFIED?

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HALAL NUTRITION

PROCESSING AIDS

MOEEN ALI INTERVIEW

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35 FUSION THERAPY

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DEMENTIA

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

38 EGG ON YOUR FACE

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DONATE CONSUMER ORGANISATIONS

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VOLUNTEER YOUR SKILLS TO CHARITY

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41 WASIM KHAN INTERVIEW

HEALTHY KITCHEN

46 HALAL. GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT.

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STATISTICS, STATISTICS AND DAMN LIES

56 GB ACTS PDQ TO THE BVA

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LAMB CASSEROLE WITH VEGETABLES

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SLOW COOKED SPICED LAMB

55 HOW HALAL IS YOUR MEAT? GET YOUR FREEKEH ON!

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Copyright Notice: You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Bismillahir rahmanir rahim.

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful.

Welcome to our third magazine, this year we have a free android app for you to download on the go.

Behalal.org is a charity platform with the primary focus to raise awareness, educate and protect the halal diet/lifestyle. We have had tremendous input from experts within their field from around the globe offering their personal time, on a voluntary basis including four sisters from behalal.org, to help you. We also managed to have input from two high profile Muslims that have reached the top of their profession and importantly are proud to be Muslim. We were very touched by the humbleness and sincerity of both Wasim Khan and Moeen Ali, both in cricket; one manages whilst the other one plays cricket. Moeen certainly made Yusuf Rehman’s day, a 15 year-old boy on work experience who had an opportunity to interview Moeen about gadgets, click here to see the interview.

Striving to change.

Behalal.org activities are to educate, to inspire change not just for a month but also beyond so that’s why the release of the magazine has come later on into Ramadan. As a community we are facing many challenges but to break the cycle in any activity it has to start within each person.

Behalal.org Charity E-Magazine 2015 This year’s E-magazine has embedded links and captures the use of technology and we will use social media to spread the word. Our primarily goal is to educate and money should not act as barrier to accessing information however, Behalal.org is your platform and we need your support. Whilst it is free to access the magazine please do donate what you can to help us to continue the good work.

The magazine would have not been possible this year if it hadn’t been for a large proportion of free support given by myping.co.uk, for their creative and production input. The costs towards the android app and proportion for the designer of the magazine has been paid using my personal money and time in the form of sadaaqah/voluntary charity, lead by example.

A big Jazak Allahu Khayran to all, especially the person who donated to set the virtual platform, I ask Allah ta’ala to bless everyone, who has contributed openly and behind the scenes, in this life and the next, to increase your reward manifold and to make it heavy in your scales. May Allah accept all the combined efforts. Ameen.

May Allah swt accept all our combined efforts of fasting, ibaadat, supplications, zakat, sadaaqah etc., Ameen.

To change, the Quran speaks clearly and very powerfully:

Eid Mubarak from us all!!!

Verily, ALLAH does not change the condition of people until they change what is within themselves. Sura ar-Ra`d 13:11

Ruksana Shain Founder and CEO behalal.org

Behalal.org is a non-profit voluntary organisation. Behalal Limited is the operating name of Behalal.org, a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales No: 7395698 4

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Ramadan and beyond Tehseen Hasan: State Registered Dietician, member of British Dietetic Association (BDA) BSc Hons dietetics. Works in NHS general dietetics, in acute and community settings.

Advisor to NHS produced Ramadan Health and Spirituality Guide 2006

Like everything in life, balance is key. Our great prophet Mohammed pbuh always preferred the middle path in everything in life. When he was offered the choice between water, milk and honey before the journey to the Mairaj, he demonstrated to us to choose the middle path by choosing milk. Now with this in mind if you take in the information it would be greatly effective.

Good Food Choices You must have heard about the advice on cutting down on sugar, salt and fat in your diet and this information appears in different magazines and media repeatedly. Generally we are bombarded with this phrase in our daily life.

At behalal, our aim is to guide you through this information and give you practical alternatives. The dietetic advice here is specifically tailored for Ramadan on the guideline and background of balance (aitidal).

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According to a study by Harvard University, wholegrains such as oats may be the key to living longer – so there’s no better time to perfect your sohoor with a bowl of porridge Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Ramadan shopping - Buy local, seasonal, natural and wholesome foods (Halal/tayyib)

Clever Shoppers Guide Our clever shopper’s guide is designed to arm you with the information to help yourselves and your families benefit from the Ramadan deals. Here I would like to remind our readers that all food products in the deals are not for taking and some are best left alone.

Grab them • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Wholemeal flour, plain whole nuts (not salted) salt free crisps small packet unsalted popcorn no sugar added squash, and cordial fresh fruit juice no sugar added* fruit smoothies no sugar added* olive oil/ rapeseed oil or vegetable oil plain biscuits like rich tea/ morning coffee unprocessed dates cream crackers cottage cheese Humus Apple cider vinegar Honey All fruits and vegetables, dairy products semi skimmed milk (green top) , yogurts all different types of beans, including chick peas, kidney beans, black eyed beans etc lean red meat/chicken, fish all varieties lentils all varieties rolled oats

In Ramadan, make sure to do as much as possible before hand. This would include menu planning and any food preparatory practice that can be conducted with daily/weekly menu.

Some handy advice on choosing cooked foods for the month of Ramadan.

Dates are more than just a happy alternative to refined sugar – it’s a nutrient powerhouse too!

Let them go • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • •

white flour, ready made paratha ready made samosas salted nuts, salty crisps Bombay mixes, all kinds Pre made lassies Sugar drinks all varieties Butter or ghee Vegetable fat, hydrogenated fats High sugar cream biscuits (all varieties) Dates dipped in sugar syrup (avoid buying these, they are usually glossy in finish and are available in all big supermarkets Ramadan deals) Full fat cheeses full fat cream cakes and pastries all varieties processed halal meats like halal sausages/burgers etc

Portion sizes should be considered before consuming these products.

Drinks are 150- 200mls per portion.

Remember balance of portions is necessary. Our Holy Quran says “Eat of the good things we have provided for your sustenance but commit no excess therein” Surat Taha 20: verse 81.

So we have shopped wholesome and healthy ingredients, it’s time now to plan what to do with these: 6

The aim is to give you practical everyday choices. Here at Be Halal we believe in giving the right practical advice and choices for our readers to make informed decisions.

Food to avoid • Avoid foods that are pre prepared in shops as they are high in salt and fat e.g. pre made parathas • In bread and cereal varieties avoid all products made of white flour • Convenience foods e.g. pakoras and samosas bought from the shop • Pre made lassis (very high in sugar and calories and preservatives)

Right alternatives • Choose home cooked rotis, chapattis or pita bread • Choose the wholemeal varieties of all breads including pita bread, normal loaf of bread. rotis made from wholemeal flour • Samosas sprayed with cooking oil and baked in the oven at home • Prepare lean meat dishes with all excess fat trimmed • Lentil soups with rolled oats • Home made smoothies, no sugar added, can add semi skim milk and low fat yogurt for much needed calcium in diet

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Hydration Tips to achieve the optimum hydration in Ramadan: • • • • •

Some Suhoor Ideas • Porridge oats with mixed plain nuts and dates* • Boiled/poached egg with wholemeal/granary bread • Vermicelli cooked with milk, similar to porridge oats as above • Wholemeal/granary bread with low fat cheese/peanut butter • avocados and tomatoes sprinkled with mixed seeds on bread • Dates 3-5 unprocessed variety • Whole nuts handful • Oat based or wholemeal based cereal (oatabix, weetabix etc) avoid high sugar cereals (always read the label for sugar content) • Pasta chicken salad with chicken (prepare in advance) can be made with left over chicken from iftar • Remember to hydrate, invest in a pint size glass for Ramadan, drink at least 1 glass in suhoor *Porridge can be cooked with milk and water for about 10 mins, add in the mixed nuts and dates for extra texture and flavour. All this can be done in advance and kept in fridge, just to be reheated at suhoor time.

Pasta provides energy, as well as essential nutrients in the form of fiber, vitamins and minerals 7

Some Iftar Ideas Let’s stray away from the traditional iftar style of having snacks at iftar and then going for a meal, but in fact sometimes skipping a meal altogether in favour of high calories deep fried snacks.

Here are some of the ideas for iftar meals: 1. Boiled Chick peas with spices 2. Mixed fruit salad (government health slogan 5 fruit and vegetable) remember to include fruit and vegetable in your Ramadan diet, this would not only provided you with essential nutrients but also helps us to feel full with less calories, thanks to all the fibre 3. Mixed seeds, roasted in oven or in a pan, can be spiced (they are crunchy and can be sprinkled on top of the salad or can be eaten as a snack) 4. Chicken oven baked with grilled vegetables 5. Fish baked/grilled with steamed/stir fried vegetables 6. Mixed lentil soup with rolled oats 7. Lean Meat + lentil and rolled oat soup (like Haleem but no added fat) can add spices for flavouring, cook in a non stick pan which does not need any extra fat/oil etc (remember we can have lean meat 2-3 times /week) a portion of lean meat is about the size of palm of your hand excluding the fingers) 8. Pasta with tomato sauce and lean protein (can be quorn, chicken etc) 9. Rice basmati with lentils and mixed vegetables 10. Pasta made in tomato sauce with lean chicken/quorn/lean mince or fish

Firstly you would need a pint size glass for measure Identify at least 3 different times when you can have water (I suggest one glass in suhoor, one at iftar, and one during or after taraweeh) Any additional drinks you consume would be a bonus once you have adopted this technique And there you are, its done, you would have achieved optimum hydration!

Role of fruits and vegetables in Ramadan Fruits and vegetables not only gives us essential vitamins and minerals but also provides us with much needed fibre during Ramadan. They are high in water content and thus can also help with hydration. Last but not least along with the hydration technique described above they can prevent any bloating/ constipation during Ramadan. All these reasons to include them in our general diet and especially during Ramadan.

So grab any bargains or deals you find on fruit and vegetables. And remember you can always chop and store the vegetables in freezer to use later. They remain fresh and save you money.

Some advice and tips: • Avoid eating deep fried snacks at iftar time, as it can increase thirst and increase body’s fluid requirements for the next 24 hrs • You can enjoy some sweets in Ramadan. Remember milk based puddings and sweets are better as they are usually not deep fried and take less sugar some e.g. small portion of barfi after the meal, not on an empty stomach • Rice puddings: you can choose the low fat variety if ready packed but can also prepare at home with semi skimmed milk • low fat custard can be made at home with semi skimmed milk • Semolina pudding, • summer fruit pudding

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

PAY, PURIFY, PROSPER AND PROTECT Zakat is a pillar of Islam, its regular payment being the single most important act in the life of a Muslim after the five daily prayers.

It is symbolic that the word “Zakat” comes from an Arabic root word that has connotations both of purification as well as growth. We all know the famous saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that, “Charity does not decrease wealth.” Furthermore God says, “…and that which you give in Zakat, seeking the Countenance of God, (will increase): those are the ones who will have their recompense multiplied.” (Chapter 30, ar-Rum, Verse 39).

So if and when you pay your Zakat this Ramadan, remember that you are not only completing the most important pillar in Islam after the five daily prayers; you are also engaging in a beautiful act of purification.

Moreover, you should take the opportunity to fulfil the rights of the poor and needy in the streets and neighbourhoods around you, right here in the UK. Poverty here may have a completely different look and feel to what we are used to seeing on charity adverts and on TV screens, but it is increasingly prevalent and is eating away at the fabric that binds our community.

Articles across the mainstream press in recent times inform us that the demand for foodbanks is increasing at an alarming rate with over three million households expected to experience food poverty in the next few years.

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Who will take responsibility to house the homeless Muslim women on the streets of London, Birmingham and Manchester? Who will protect those who end up here abandoned or without any contacts and with no recourse to public funds? Who is looking after new Muslims who are disowned by their own families?

The majority of the scholars of Islam agree that when one intends to pay Zakat, then priority should be given to one’s own neighbourhood. This is based largely on the Prophetic tradition, narrated by Ibn Abbas as follows, ‘When the Prophet sent Mu’adh to Yemen, he said to him, “You are going to a nation from the people of the Scripture…tell them that Allah has enjoined on them Zakat of their properties and it is to be taken from the rich among them and given to the poor among them…”’

The Prophet specifically instructed his companion Mu’adh to distribute the Zakat of Yemen within Yemen, not to send it anywhere else.

For too long we have neglected Muslims who are struggling to make ends meet in the very country in which we live.

Let us not forget them this Ramadan!

Pay your Zakat Purify your wealth Prosper in all your affairs Protect those who are in need on your doorstep

To learn more about how you can put your Zakat into action on your doorstep visit www.nzf.org.uk, or call 020 8902 1180 to donate today.

Wishing you all a blessed Ramadan

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Halal Nutrition.

The only way forward.

Assoc Prof. Hajjah Mariam binti Abdul Latif Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Universiti Malaysia Sabah

Food is essential for human survival as it provides the basic energy and nutrients for all cells in the body for proper growth and body development. The life cycle of a human being begins with birth, growth, development, reproduction and eventually death. Sack, D. (2000) suggested that food is ephemeral in nature and it reflects human dependence on the divine, is transitory and yet essential.

Kim, K.H.C. et al (2008) further emphasized the basic element of religion as an important aspect of many people’s lives, especially for older adults in the United States. When food is associated with religion, it reflects the culture and the unique identity of the person, in short summarizing the quote: “You are what you eat� (Kaplan, D. M. 2012).

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

in 2012, up from 1.0 million (2.0%) deaths in 2000. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were responsible for 68% (36 million) of all deaths globally in 2012, up from 60% (31 million) in 2000.

Cardiovascular diseases alone killed nearly 2.6 million more people in 2012 than in the year 2000. The four main NCDs were cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and chronic lung diseases. Cardiovascular diseases killed 17.5 million people in 2012, that is 3 in every 10 deaths. Of these, 7.4 million people died of ischaemic heart disease and 6.7 million from stroke.

Chronic diseases are largely preventable diseases involving diet and nutrition, which is important, factors in the promotion and maintenance of good health throughout a person’s life.

Besides prescribing the appropriate medical treatment for those already affected, the public health approach of primary prevention is considered to be the most cost-effective, affordable and sustainable course of action to cope with the chronic disease epidemic worldwide. The adoption of a basic diet such as Halal diet to prevent chronic diseases would be highly welcomed to curb modern dietary patterns which are high risks affecting the disease patterns globally.

Geissler, C. et al (2011) pointed that food serves as a constant reminder of what we believe and in contrary to ethical considerations, which operate primarily on an individual, religious food rules serve not only to enhance the spiritual life of the individual but also to enhance allegiance to a community of believers.

But are these foods nutritious enough for a person to be healthy throughout his life? From the religious context, besides the importance of wholesomeness of a food, Islam stresses the primary requirement on its halal status.

How healthy is your child?

The fact that the increasing trend of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes, which are the leading causes of mortality in the world today warrants urgent address of what went wrong with our diet in the past? Records from the World Health Organization in Figure 1 shows that lung cancers (along with trachea and bronchus cancers) caused 1.6 million (2.9%) deaths in 2012, up from 1.2 million (2.2%) deaths in 2000. Similarly, diabetes caused 1.5 million (2.7%) deaths

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In 2012, 6.6 million children died before reaching their fifth birthday; almost all (99%) of these deaths occurred in lowand middle-income countries. The major killers of children aged less than five years were prematurity, pneumonia, birth asphyxia, birth trauma, and diarrhoeal diseases. Malaria was still a major killer in sub-Saharan Africa, causing about 15% of under-five deaths in the region.

About 44% of deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2012 occurred within 28 days of birth – the neonatal period.

The most important cause of death was prematurity, which was responsible for 35% of all deaths during this period (WHO, 2014).

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

While age, sex and genetic susceptibility are non-modifiable; many of the risks associated with age and sex are modifiable. Such risks include behavioural factors such as diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and alcohol consumption; biological factors (e.g. dyslipidemia, hypertension, overweight, hyperinsulinaemia); and finally societal factors, which include a complex mixture of interacting socioeconomic, cultural and other environmental parameters.

Halal Food.

A Way of Life.

The Islamic way of life is a system of Divine principles and code of ethics to be applied in the daily life of every person. Every deed is a form of worship and eating is one of them and it has to be based on the Islamic laws. In perspective, Muslims should eat sufficient amount of food and select the best quality food, as stated in the Quran (7:31) and (18:19), respectively.

Diet, is it really the key to health?

Diet has been known for many years to play a key role as a risk factor for chronic diseases. What is apparent at the global level is that great changes have swept the entire world since the second half of the twentieth century, inducing major modifications in diet, first in industrial regions and more recently in developing countries. Traditional, largely plant-based diets have been swiftly replaced by highfat, energy-dense diets with a substantial content of animal-based foods. But diet, while critical to prevention, is just one risk factor. Physical inactivity, now recognized as an increasingly important determinant of health, is the result of a progressive shift of lifestyle towards more sedentary patterns, in developing countries as much as in industrialized ones (WHO, 2008).

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The preservation of future generation and the protection of consumer health is a priority in view of the incremental negative phenomena existing in societies at large. It is also necessary to re-examine seriously the basics of life itself whereby every human needs food to survive and how does this affect his health and wellbeing. Is it not the quotation “You are what you eat” means more?

“O children of Adam, take your adornment at every mosque, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.”

“And similarly, We awakened them that they might question one another. Said a speaker from among them, “How long have you remained [here]?” They said, “We have remained a day or part of a day.” They said, “Your Lord is most knowing of how long you remained.

So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the city and let him look to which is the best of food and bring you provision from it and let him be cautious.

And let no one be aware of you.”

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

In any environment, a human being is considered healthy if he is not sick, physically and mentally. What about his spiritual life, his inner self? Hence, Halal Nutrition is the answer, which will be highlighting two key elements: the halal food (Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. diet) and the Islamic eating practices of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. These two important elements form a strong foundation for “Shariah Maqasid� (objectives of the Islamic law) in protection and preservation of the five essential elements of a human being. These elements are life itself, intellect, religion, lineage and property. The motives behind the concept of consuming halal food and drinks, and therefore abstaining from haram products are very specific, namely: i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi.

To preserve the purity of religion; To safeguard the Islamic mentality; To preserve life; To safeguard property; To safeguard future generations; and To maintain self-respect and integrity.

Shariah (Islamic law) means the commands given by Allah to His servants, which has been brought by any of the prophets. It constructs human life on the basis of virtues (ma’rufat or good qualities/values) and to cleanse human life of vices (munkarat or sins/evils). The Shariah is generally aimed towards predicating on the interests (maslahah) of the individuals and the community (Kamali, H. 2000). Shariah laws are designed so as to protect these interests and facilitate improvement of human life on earth by preventing injustices, corruption and eliminating hardships, thereby promoting these benefits to mankind. This shows that the objective of Islamic law is not only contributing to the growth of Islamic civilization but also in the preservation of health or preventive medicine (Nurdeng, 2009).

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

A Balanced Diet in Moderation

There are other ethics or manners in eating which the Prohet Muhammad s.a.w. has taught us. This include washing hands before and after eating, to start eating with the praise of Allah, to eat using the right hand, not to eat until one feels hungry, not to eat and drink excessively and finally, praise and thank Allah for the food and drink we consume and for making it easy for us to swallow and for producing an exit for it.

The Qur’an, as the only guiding document to all Muslims has clearly mentioned the halal (permissible) and haram (impermissible) foods to be consumed by mankind. It has also provided us with useful tips regarding a balanced diet: a diet which contains most, if not all the useful ingredients required for the growth, strengthening and repairing of the human body. These ingredients include animal protein, fat, carbohydrate, minerals and vitamins in the form of meat, fish, fresh milk, grains, fruit and vegetable.

The Sunnah has also teaches us on the ethics of eating in Islam. We are advised to be moderate in eating and drinking as the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. has clarified the meaning and limit of moderation in eating in which he is reported to have said that one’s worst weakness is one’s stomach. If you must eat make sure you fill one third of your stomach with food, one third with water and leave one third for air. In short, we are advised to always take care of our stomachs and refrain from eating too much food that might contaminate the stomach with various pathogens which can results in diseases.

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The other very important habit of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. is to stop eating before the stomachs are completely full i.e. stop eating when the urge to eat more is still present. The emphasis here is the prohibition of over eating as stated in the following Hadith: “It is enough to eat few morsels of food to keep one’s back straight.”

“A Muslim eats in one intestine (stomach) whereas a non-believer eats in seven intestines.”

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Watch England Cricket Star Moeen Ali give an exclusive interview to Behalal.org here.

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Advertise with us today.

Behalal.org is not-for-profit organisation, this magazine, (the videos, the interviews, the travelling, the hours on the phone and on the keyboard) has been put together from my own dwindling pocket.

This magazine is also going to be printed as well (5,000 copies) and distributed at two major Muslim events this August. So you will have a targeted audience, no wastage and plenty of value for your money.

Rates? Please email info@behalal.org and I’m sure we can work out a behalal.org deal for you. I really do need your help and support to keep behalal.org going in order to preserve our Halal way of life. Even if you don’t have anything to advertise a small donation will work wonders. Please help.

Editor and friend.

Ms. R. Shain CEO and Founder of Behalal.org

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Ramadan is totes amaze.

Did you know that there is an Islamic Calendar?

• And like the Gregorian calendar, it also has 12 months.

• The difference is that the Islamic Calendar uses the moon to calculate the days in a year, while the Gregorian calendar uses the sun.

• The ninth month in the Gregorian calendar is September.

• Do you know what the name of the ninth month in the Islamic Calendar is?

• Have a guess before reading the next line!

Ramadan!

This year Ramadan falls in the year 1436 after Hijra, which is when the Islamic Calendar officially began. This means that (big number alert!) fourteen thousand and thirty six years ago, the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his companions made their first hijra (migration) from Makkah to Madina.

It was in the month of Ramadan that the Holy Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in the cave of Hira by the Angel Jibreel. It was in this cave that the Prophet Muhammad, an upright, simple and honest man, was told ‘Iqra!’ Read.

“Recite in the name of your Lord who created Created man from a clinging substance Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous Who taught by the pen Taught man that which he knew not” -Surah Al-Alaq (Chapter 96) verses 1 -5 In the second year after the Hijra fasting during the month of Ramadan became compulsory for Muslims. Since then, all those thousands of years ago, Muslims all over the world have taken up this obligation with palms raised in gratitude to Allah.

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Take action both home & away Inside our homes we can help each other by cleaning the house, doing things together like reading, praying, eating! (nom nom). We can also draw or paint, write our own stories or poems even sew if that’s what you’re interested in. We should also remember to be kind, and patient and try to keep a smile on our faces!

Outside our homes there is an endless list of things to do, I can give some ideas, but make sure you think of some of your own!

So what is Ramadan?

Linguistically, Ramadan means - (big word alert!) abstinence. Abstinence means to abstain from something; in other words this means to refrain, withdraw, withhold or resist. (Can you think of any other words that are similar?)

When we say Ramadan however, we usually mean this month of fasting.

And we all know that the more we read, the more we learn and the more we learn the more we understand and become aware of our purpose in life. We know, as Muslims, that our purpose in life is to Worship Allah. There are many ways to do this and reading is one of them!

So why not pick up the Qur’an and read one of your favourite Surah’s (if you have one). Read/listen the Arabic and the English and try to understand it. Try to take lessons from it so that you can improve on the things that you do every day.

Before we start fasting we make our intention to Allah, and ask that He bless it for us. Even though many people describe fasting as staying away from food and drink from dawn until dusk (Fajr till Maghrib) it is much more than that.

For example, when you read ‘Qulhuwallahu ahad’ (Say: He is Allah, the One)

Will you grow this Ramadan?

We can also read other books, not just the Qur’an. Try reading a story with a moral behind it. As Ramadan is a month of reflection, try and think about what the author is trying to tell you. And it’s always fun having a bit of story time with your family. It’s a great way to spend quality time with each other, to ask questions and hopefully get the answers!

Everyone is striving to come closer to Allah through increasing their acts of worship to Him, being kinder, more aware, more patient, smiling more, laughing more, reading more…all in order to improve ourselves in order to gain the pleasure of Allah.

So, aside from not eating or drinking, what else can we do in order to make our days more productive? Can you think of some things?

In the meantime, let us travel back in time to that moment of Iqra in the cave of Hira.

Why not ask the adults around you if they can take you to a soup kitchen, where you can feed the homeless. Or to help you make gifts for your friends, family and neighbours. Take you to the mosque so you can experience the bright and bubbly atmosphere of the congregational prayers in Ramadan. Perhaps you can find somewhere where you can plant a tree. Remember to ask, ask, ask, and InshaAllah, they will listen. There are many things that we can do to keep the spirit of Ramadan alive and colourful.

Think about what this could mean and remember to ask the adults around you to help you.

Why not sign up?

Say whatever you want and keep your letter. If you can find someone else to do it with you, why not read each other’s letters and help each other to achieve what you have written. We can always use a bit of motivation from those around us! If you do this every Ramadan, maybe one day when you are much older you can read them and see how you and your letters have changed, how you have grown.

The month of Ramadan is truly a blessed a month, so make sure you are a part of it and make this one, a Ramadan to Remember!

May Allah accept our intentions, purify our hearts, and elevate us in this life and the next. Ameen.

By Sajida Mohammed, Shade 7 Publishing www.shade7publishing.com

Iqra means to read or recite.

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

HALAL event of the year 2015 19

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Interference by non-Muslims into Islamic religious affairs that may impact the Halal diet.

We, as concerned Muslims representing Halal Certification Bodies, Muslim Consumers and Religious NonGovernmental Organizations declare that: • The religious affairs of a faith group vests exclusively with the adherents of that particular faith community

GIMDES President Dr. Huseyin Kami Buyukozer

13-14th June 1015. Istanbul, Turkey.

Muslim congress meeting hosted

by Gimdes (Halal certification organisation) Over 50 delegates from around the world attended to discuss concerns over attempts that may endanger the Halal meat and food dietary requirements of the Muslim community. Islamic Scholars, Muslim non- governmental organisations, Halal consumer organisations and halal certifications bodies were in attendance, including behalal.org

• Halal (Lawful) and Haram (Unlawful) are Islamic precepts that govern the entire life of a Muslim and are accordingly regulated by a deeply spiritual commitment • The verification and administration of Halal cannot be isolated from the notion of worship and therefore should not be reduced to a matter of mere technical compliance.

Islamic Scholars advising on position of non-Muslim involvement

Closing Statement Against NonMuslim Interference To Halal Issues The global halal industry is estimated to be worth around USD2.3 trillion (excluding Islamic finance) serving a global halal market of 1.8 billion Muslims.

Growing at an estimated annual rate of 20%, the industry is valued at about USD560 billion a year. Thus, making it one of the fastest growing consumer segments in the world. However, concerns over different halal standards and non-Muslim interference may impact on the religious obligations, which are part of worship in Islam that stipulate the requirements for a halal diet.

And therefore must remain under the custodianship of Muslims.

• Halal is a divine obligation based on Qur’an and Prophetic teachings.

• The distinctive identity and characteristics of a Muslim outlined in Prophetic tradition is adherence to the precepts of Halal • The interpretation, standardization, regulation, governance and application of Halal is regarded as an act of worship.

• All acts of worship are predicated on faith and belief • Freedom of thought, conscience and freedom of religion are moral norms granted by human rights principles.

• Standardization Authorities of some countries and Unions have embarked on developing standards for Halal without regard to the Islamic Religious Sanctity of the entire Halal certification processes.

Panel calling for consumer protection (left to right: Dr Adel Sabr (EDHA), Dr Suja Shafi (MCB), Hanen Rezgui (Asidcom), Ruksana Shain (Behalal.org) 20

• The crafting of Halal standards requires inter alia the skills of qualified Muslim theologians who possess in-depth knowledge of Islamic Law, which is based on Qur’an, Sunnah, Ijma and Qiyas

• They have established technical committees for the development of the said standard in total disregard to the religious concerns being safeguarded by Recognized Halal certification and accreditation authorities worldwide.

• Halal Certification by non-Muslim entities is deemed null and void in terms of Islamic Law • Intervention by organs of a Secular or Non-Muslim State in the religious affairs of the Muslim community is an infringement of its religious liberties, freedom and consumer rights • An initiative by Muslim governments to drag non-Muslim entities into Halal for any reason is unacceptable.

• We will not accept the legitimacy and validity of any certification or citation aimed at the regulation of Halal by non-Muslims • We remind that Halal is a pure Islamic term and since we will never accept praying behind a non-Muslim, we will not accept Non-Muslims’ audits, inspections, testimonies, accreditations and certification pertaining to Halal and such certification documents that might be issued by non- Muslim entities will be rejected.

• We will establish a committee with representatives from Islamic NGOs, HCBs and Muslim Consumer Organizations. This committee will address the Islamic organizations and Halal Certification Bodies which have not attended the conference with the aim of reviewing and reconsidering their position in order to speak with one voice against the interference of non-Muslims in Islamic affairs and to avoid discrepancies between Muslim Stakeholders.

• We will embark on a mass awareness program alerting Muslim communities to the gross violation of their religious observances.

• With the support of all Muslim Halal organizations, we will use all the legal ways to protect and defend our religious freedom and rights.

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

KNOWLEDGE EARNT

Beautiful branding, TV and film production. myping.co.uk email: services@myping.co.uk 21

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Behalal.org Team Article

Charity begins at home.

Rise of food banks, a sign of a troubled society?

To create social justice in society most world religions call for charity and justice, which is the essence of religion. Islam has therefore made charity, that is Zakah, obligatory and binding upon all those who embrace the faith. Countless verses of the Quran and hadiths remind and motivate believers to partake in charity and humanitarian action.

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

A society can flourish only when its members do not spend all their wealth to fulfil their own desires, but reserve a portion of it for parents, relatives, neighbours, the poor and the debilitated.

As the saying goes: “charity begins at home”. Therefore the spirit of kindness and well-wishing is the essence of charity. The giver is not to expect any reward from the beneficiary as there awaits an abundant reward from God material, moral and spiritual - whatever God deems best to grant His servant.

“Charity is for those in need” This is a general principle which encourages us to help people in need, be they good or bad, on the right path or not, Muslims or non-Muslims. No one should judge in these matters.

The concept of charity in Islam is thus linked with justice. It implies apart from the removal of handicaps, the recognition of the right that every human being has to attain the fullness of life.

There are two forms of charity in Islam - obligatory and voluntary, called Zakah and Sadaqah, respectively.

He also said “No wealth (of a servant of Allah) is decreased because of charity.”

(Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2247).

Ramadan - Feeding the needy?

Traditionally during Ramadan feeding and taking care of the needy takes a particular focus. Sending money ahead of Ramadan and Eid to ensure all of the family, the “ummah” can part take in all the activities with some comfort. Most masjids provide free food at the time of breaking fast to allow all to those who attend to eat. No one is turned away.

Many have also started providing food to eat before the fasting starts. Hospitality and offering of food is a noticeable feature in the traditions of Islam.

How were people surviving before and why the sudden need and emergence of food banks?

Government cuts to benefits and services and have directly impacted on those who are now dependant on food parcels and this has led to the emergence of foodbanks. The impacts of the cuts have cascaded on services including voluntary organisations, which helped the most vulnerable and needy in our society. For example, those suffering from mental health conditions like schizophrenia who cannot manage by themselves (or even with the support of family) and have found themselves being made homeless are some of the stories that the foodbanks have shared with us.

Low income statistics: Lowest since 1980s

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We are all family Charity in Islam is seen as an amplification of the ideal of community within the religion. When a Muslim person raises funds he or she is not gathering money for a stranger, rather he is acting on behalf of his own family.

Everyone in the Islamic community is seen to reside in the house of Allah, as one people. The concept of charity in Islamic tradition differs somewhat from its interpretation in other contexts.

“The best charity is to satisfy a hungry person,” said Prophet Muhammad (SAS).

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On 25th June 2015, the Department of Work and Pensions published STATISTICS which show individual and children in relative low incomes is at its lowest since the 1980s. We have today 13 million people living in the UK in food poverty who are relying on foodbanks as a valuable service and for some they have become a necessity and lifeline especially during crisis. Tragic stories VECTOR of people not being able to meet the basic amenities of life and of foodbank services enabling them to maintain dignity and able to re-engage with mainstream opportunities in society.

Foodbanks have become a safety net and an integral service aligned with other public body organisations in tackling poverty.

We are still in times of austerity and unemployment. Coupled with factors that include low educational attainment, poor standards of health/housing, over-crowded housing, relationship breakdowns, single parent families who cannot afford childcare, low paid work, unemployment, asylum seekers and migrant groups who cannot legally work, to name a few of the social groups that face greater social inequality. Some argue that the benefit cuts have forced people into a demeaning and humiliating set of circumstances where effectively they are dependant on voluntary donations, like the services provided by foodbanks. The dignity they once had through sufficient benefit money has been stripped away leaving the working classes being hit the worst. “Tough love” in a climate of few job opportunities, leading certain social groups into submission clearly spells no love.

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

The UK is no different to many countries, including those that have disquieting features of unimaginable wealth and opulence that often sits comfortably and unconcerned beside abject poverty.

Despite the proliferation of foodbanks, they cannot address the underlying root causes of deprivation and suffering.

It can be desperate but it’s a Godsend for many who rely on them. There are positives; the foodbanks are little havens for interaction where respect and humility is also served along with a bag of food that has been prepared to meet basic dietary requirements in crisis situations.

The UK has a long history of a myriad of charities with a religious background e.g. the Salvation Army who have been helping the homeless and poor for many decades. The offering of food parcels and helping the needy is nothing new within most religious teaching, however it’s the scale of need that appears to have grown. With 13 million people living below the poverty line, it appears that food handouts are here to stay.

We met up with the Trussell Trust (TT) to find out about the charity as well as an offer of support to check that food items

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meet the halal dietary requirements of Muslim users, albeit it they only form a small percentage. (This offer is open to all foodbanks). TT is not just a “foodbank”, it offers a signposting service, debt management support, training to cook on a low budget in some of the foodbanks, breakfast and school holiday clubs to support those families who are reliant on school meals at times when they are not available. As well as non food items. The Trust, which is a Christian-based charity, hands out parcels containing three days’ worth of donated food to people referred by medical professionals, social workers and other agencies. The number of TT foodbanks has risen eight-fold in just five years, to 445. TT support Christianbased groups/organisations to set up foodbanks, similar to a franchise, they provide materials, training and manage the PR. Many people and organisations including the Muslim community and masjids support TT by donating food.

Non-Christian groups are not offered the franchise set-up support service by TT which we found to be very organised.

However, this hasn’t stopped many other independent foodbanks who are not linked to TT, including many Muslims who are actively helping those in need too. The services are in demand

however, occasionally people try to demonise the good work by alleging that it maybe a way of propagating religion on the most vulnerable and needy.

Muslims are also active and engaging to help all.

Mohammed Mamdani, Director at Sufra NW London, a Community Foodbank and Kitchen is based in the London Borough of Brent. Apart from operating a foodbank, Sufra run a food academy, cooking clubs and advice surgeries.

They hope to develop a community hub, which provides a front-line support service. Mohammed said, “we have no ulterior motive in propagating religious faith. We are not run from a mosque or Muslim establishment, and we have no ‘message ‘or ‘agenda’. We do not even define ourselves as a Muslim organisation - that is how people choose to label us because our compassion and generosity is inspired by faith. Our work is solely humanitarian and we would like to be considered on an equal basis with other organisations and charities who undertake humanitarian works regardless of their inspiration.”

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

some refreshment and company. Food is served to the homeless; the project started in Birmingham and provides food 4 times a week serving over 430 guests. The project took off and now they provide food in 7 different locations across the UK including Coventry, Bolton, Leicester, Walsall, Liverpool and Sheffield. To date they have served over 100,000 meals nationwide.

Imam Mohammed Lockhat runs Peace Centre Foodbank with his wife in Thornby Lodge, Leicester, and even in the face of adversity following protests from far-right groups he still pursues his drive to help anyone in need. In fact the majority of users are non Muslims. Imam Lockhat said, “There are 8,500 people on this estate and a very small number showed some dislike to us when we wanted to come here.” He remains very positive and says, “this is about forgetting the past and moving on for a beneficial future for everybody”.

We came across a women-only run foodbank called Sisters Project in Birmingham who reach out to sisters during times of crisis. They help women who may be in domestic violence refuges, recently divorced, failed asylum seekers, suffering from serious illness or struggling to pay the bills and keep a roof over their head. The service provides deliveries of weekly Food Boxes, referral information, some inspirational reading, and a smile.

Existing charities traditionally helping those overseas are also playing their part in helping those closer to home.

We contacted Tauheedul Charity based in Lancashire who have partnership arrangements in place to help the homeless and offer food donations and work with the charity FoodShare.

They have foodbanks that operate in Blackburn, Bolton, Coventry and Waltham Forest in London.

As-Suffa Institute Homeless Outreach is a project that began in 2011. Altaf Kazi who lives in Birmingham manages the work, told us that it started very simply with a few volunteers walking the streets providing the homeless with

When you can’t put food on the table, what else could go wrong?

A life crisis is something that can happen suddenly to anyone that momentarily derails you. Aneesa Qadir, 19, is an apprentice funded by one of the Sufra business partners who works as the office administrator and also gets involved in distributing food parcels. She says some cases are very emotional, where families are struggling to overcome their personal circumstances.

She gave an example of a local family who was referred by a councillor in Brent and where a father had a major heart attack; he was the main breadwinner and had two daughters who were working

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on minimum wages. He suffered from short-term memory loss and became quite aggressive as a consequence of his heart attack. The mother was unable to speak English and not working. The father was unable to travel to sign on due to his health and waited at home for someone to attend but no one came and the benefits were cut. One of the daughters fell pregnant and after delivery, when the baby was three months, she learnt that she had an aggressive form of cancer. This left one family member earning a little money but the wages fell short of meeting the needs of the family unit especially with two members that were very ill and required treatment. The cost of travel alone was adding up. No one could collect the food items and Aneesa went with her father to drop off the food within hours of being notified about this family. The councillor helped the family to get some financial support in the form of an emergency crisis loan and with benefits claims being processed they are able to manage their home once again. This was a one-off situation, which allowed emergency help to take place.

Aneesa told us that they would love to have more volunteers to support the service from those professional medical fields, including volunteers, supermarkets and schools to run food collections for Sufra NW London. A recently launched vegetable box service needs more hands on the deck.

Many in our society, including the Muslim community, are very active and are making an impact by helping those in need. We came across two initiatives which drew our attention: The Big Iftar, an initiative launched in 2013, that encourages Muslim communities to welcome their friends and neighbours of all faiths as guests to their local Mosques and Centres to join them in sharing iftar during Ramadan. And the Ramadan Tent Project, a communityled initiative aiming to participate in social change by creating bridges between individuals, bringing together communities, and fostering interfaith dialogue, as well as feeding people.

Food is pretty central to life and one that allows a display of compassion, enjoyment and a sense of belonging and engagement, pulling different people together irrespective of whether they have a faith or not. Charity as an obligation, and voluntary acts of charity, are central to Islam, which show the benefit of Islam and its followers to society.

Thank you to Julian Bond for proof reading this article. Julian is an interfaith activist, former Director of @chrismusforum and we met on twitter @julianbond12

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

If you are able to, please offer your support to a few of the projects we managed to list in this article.

As Suffa Homeless Project http://www.as-suffa.org/item/homeless-outreach.html

Sufra Foodbank & Kitchen, NW London http://www.sufra-nwlondon.org.uk

Peace Centre Foodbank, Leicester http://www.peacecentrefoodbank.co.uk

Tauheedul Charity, Lancashire http://tauheedulcharity.org

Ramadan Tent Project http://www.ramadantentproject.com/about.html

The Big Iftar http://www.thebigiftar.org.uk

Sisters Foodbank, Birmingham http://www.sistersproject.co.uk/foodbank

Trussell Trust http://www.trusselltrust.org

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Halal Cosmetics Company hitting the Beauty Spot.

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

The Halal Cosmetics Company luxury born from necessity. A brand developed to satisfy the beauty and ethical needs of Muslims, a beauty solution without compromise.

The founder and chief of the business is Salma Chaudhry who developed this brand after 4 years of research and development. The story behind this brand is as inspirational as the brand itself and began when this mum of 4 young children was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, little did she expect that her diagnosis was about to take her on one of the most incredible journey’s of her life.

As Salma began to search for connections between her lifestyle and her diagnosis Salma found that not only did the majority of the products she used on a daily basis contain harmful chemicals with links to causing cancers

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and skin irritations, they also contained haram ingredients often disguised with chemical sudonyms From this point on she decided to make her vocation to develop a range of cosmetics free from harmful chemicals and certified halal.

This award winning premium range of organic cleansing products and anti ageing skincare is free from Parabens and SLS and contains the miracle ingredient Astaxanthin which is one of the most powerful anti-oxidants discovered to date.

As well as being certified halal, this range has been innovatively created specifically to target the needs of all skin types without any compromise on religious or ethical beliefs.

Salma was awarded Business woman of the year� at The British Muslim Awards in 2014 and has just been awarded the Ummul Mu’minin Khadijah award for enterprise at the Muslim News Awards 2015.

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Health Risks of Genetically Modified Foods.

Dr. Majed Alhariri R&D Coordinator & Chief Auditor, GIMDES, Turkey

Can GMO products be Halal certified?

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What’s a Genetically Currently commercialized GM crops Modified Organism? The four major GMO crops are: Soy beans, Corn, Cotton and Canola. In addition to: Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally, e.g. through the introduction of a gene from a different organism using genetic engineering techniques.

These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes.

How does Genetic Engineering work?

Using genetic engineering, scientists take genes from bacteria, viruses or other sources and force them into the DNA of a plant. There are 5 steps; DNA extraction, gene cloning, gene design and backcross breeding. Ä°n briefly, scientists isolate the DNA (containing the gene of interest) from the desired organism, and then they change it so that it works in plants. They prepare plant cells to be inserted. Once the gene gets into the DNA of the plant cell, the cell is cloned (using tissue culture) into a full plant.

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Sugar Beets, Zucchini, Rice, Tomato, Potato, Alfafa, Peas, Melon etc.

GMO Crops

Planted area (million hectares)

% of global planting

Soy Beans

84.5

79

Cotton

23.9

70

Corn

57.4

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Canola

8.2

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Biotech crop hectares increased by more than 100-fold from 1.7 million hectares in 1996, to over 175 million hectares in 2013. In 2013. 1.5 billion hectares of all crops were planted worldwide.

GMO crops benefits Most existing genetically modified crops have been developed to improve yield and quality.

7. Faster maturation 8. Vitamin enrichment 9. Altered fatty acid composition

There are many potential applications of GM crops such as the following: 1. Pest resistance 2. Herbicide tolerance 3. Disease resistance 4. Cold tolerance 5. Drought tolerance 6. Salinity tolerance

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Health Risk of Genetically Modified Food

In addition to, histopathology study on liver and testicles sections illustrated that rats fed GM soy showed changed color in their liver and testicles, as well as changes in the cell structures.

Health risk of GMO maize Seralini et al. 2012 studied the Long term toxicity of genetically modified maize on rats. Results showed that mortality rate increased about 2-3 fold in treatment groups, and deaths were earlier than control group. İn addition to, severe chronic progressive nephropathies in the kidney were observed. While Histopathology of liver sections showed that liver congestions, necrosis and severe nephropathies were developed.

Results also showed that sex hormonal balance was modified by consumption of GM maize.

On the other hand, Females rats feed on GM maize developed large mammary tumors, and Male rats presented 4 times more large palpable tumors than control group. Results also reported that by the beginning of the 24th month, 50–80% of female animals had developed tumors in all treated groups, with up to 3 tumors per animal.

The first view objects genetic engineering in three ways:

1. Interfering with Divine work

Effects of injected recombinant bovine growth hormone (RBGH) in animals What is RBGH? RBGH (recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone) is a genetically engineered variant of the natural growth hormone produced by cows. Manufactured by Monsanto, it is sold to dairy farmers under the trade name Posilac.

The increased levels of IGF-I in humans predict increased rates in colon, breast, and prostate cancer

A study conducted female rats feed on GM soy showed that more than 50% of the offspring whose mothers feed on GM soy died within 3 weeks.

Feeding rats on GM soy caused dramatic reduction in average weight. Here’s an example: The mother of the smaller rat ate GM soy.

Health risk of GMO maize The Islamic perspective on genetically modified foods is complex and goes deeper than simply a determination of whether a certain food is halal or not (although that is certainly part of it).

The consumption of milk from cows injected rbGH leads to an increase in IGF-I in humans, since IGF-1 survives digestion (Xian et al., 1995).

Health risk of GMO soy

GMOs from Islam point View

Genetic engineering considered as controversial issue between scholars and jurisprudents. There are two main views in this regard: 1.

Genetic engineering manipulate the creation, which means interfering in Divine work; and, thus, is illegitimate.

This view is based on the verse: (And I (devil) will mislead them, and I (devil) will arouse in them [sinful] desires, and I (devil) will command them so they will slit the ears of cattle, and I (devil) will command them so they will change the creation of Allah).

2. Genetic engineering is a scientific practice in compliance with god’s instruction to human, as the god’s successor on earth, to make use of creatures; and, thus, is legitimate.

2. Causing harm and corruption Islam accepts and allows the use of all science and innovations for the benefit of mankind as long as they achieved the benefits and don’t lead to harm and damages.

Many scientific researches provide a basis for prohibiting biotechnology utilization; that some kind of GMO products can cause harmful effects to the health.

Allah Ta’ala said ‘And when he goes away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And Allah does not like corruption’.

So, In case any biotech product is scientifically proven to cause damage, then that product is considered as forbidden.

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3. Using genes from Haram sources Theoretically, GMO products can be derived from transferring genes from Haram origins, as well as from Halal sources. So if the transferred gene source was from unlawful source, the genetically engineered food products will be Haram.

Conclusion Allah Ta’ala ordered all humankind to consume Halal and Tayyib, so He said: “O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good and do not follow the footsteps of Satan.

Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.”

According to the previous presented scientific researches which confirmed that GMOs may cause many known and unknown harmful effect to humankind, and according to the Islamic rules:

Behalal.org Advice: Consumers are advised to check labels and ask restaurant/take-aways if they maybe using GM produced oil and other ingredients.

References Gilles-Eric Séralini, Emilie Clair, Robin Mesnage, Steeve Gress, Nicolas Defarge, Manuela Malatesta, Didier Hennequin, Joël Spiroux de Vendômois. 2012. Long term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize. Food and Chemical Toxicology 50, 4221–4231 Hammond, B.G., Dudek, R., Lemen, J.K., Nemeth, M.A., 2006b. Results of a 90day safety assurance study with rats fed grain from corn borer-protected corn.

Food Chem. Toxicol. 44, 1092–1099.

”Avoiding evil has priority over bringing benefits”, and “Don’t cause harm to yourself nor to others”.

Snell, C., Bernheim, A., Bergé, J.-B., Kuntz, M., Pascal, G., Paris, A., Ricroch, A.E., 2011. Assessment of the health impact of GM plant diets in long-term and multigenerational animal feeding trials: a literature review. Food Chem. Toxicol. 50, 1134–1148.

GMOs are not in a harmony with Halal and Tayyib concepts.

Malatesta, M., Boraldi, F., Annovi, G., Baldelli, B., Battistelli, S., Biggiogera, M.,

Quaglino, D., 2008. A long-term study on female mice fed on a genetically modified soybean: effects on liver ageing.

Histochem. Cell Biol. 130, 967–977.

ARTEMIS DONA and IOANNIS S. ARVANITOYANNIS (2009). Health Risks of Genetically Modified Foods. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 49:164–175 W B Ewen and Arpad Pusztai 1999. Effect of diets containing genetically modified potatoes expressing Galanthus nivalis lectin on rat small intestine Stanley. THE LANCET Vol 354 -16, Trish Malarkey (2003). Human health concerns with GM crops. Mutation Research, 544 217–221 R. Dohoo, L. DesCôteaux, K. Leslie, A. Fredeen, W. Shewfelt, A. Preston, and P. Dowling. (2003). A meta-analysis review of the effects of recombinant bovine somatotropin 2. Effects on animal health, reproductive performance, and culling.

Can J Vet Res. 67(4): 252–264.

Ultrastructural analysis of testes from mice fed on genetically modified soybean. 2004. Vecchio, B. Cisterna, M. Malatesta, T.E. Martin, M. Biggiogera.

European Journal of Histochemistry

Processing Aids.

(Exactly what are they?)

Mohammad Amir: Technical Director, HalalAssure-IP (HAIP)

Have you ever grabbed a product off the shelf from a supermarket and reading the label has made your brows frown?

I am almost certain that this happens to every conscientious shopper who desires to try a product for

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the first time. You will be surprised that in this world of transparency and consumer protection there’s an entire category of substances used in the food production that are not required by law to be stated on the label for several reasons. These substances are called incidental additives and these range everything from oil for fish fillets to anti caking agents for seasoning. Processing aids are a subcategory of incidental additives. All processing aids are incidental additives, but not all incidental additives are processing aids.

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Examples of Processing Aids.

Here are just some of the bread processing aids that are available on the market and legally can be used but not disclosed on the label. Due to labelling law, it is not possible to know which of these are and are not being used in any given product or even generally.

Are you eating Haram without knowing it?

Phospholipase A2 (Can be of porcine (pig) or transgenic (GM) origin).

Hidden dangers?

Processing aids are a category of additives used during food production.

According to the current legislation you are not required to declare them even on labels of processed foods.

In law, a processing aid is neither an ingredient nor an artificial additive.

According to The Food Labelling Regulations 1996, a processing aid ‘…means any substance not consumed as a food by itself, intentionally used in the processing of raw materials, foods or their ingredients, to fulfil a certain technological purpose during treatment or processing, and which may result in the unintentional but technically unavoidable presence of residues of the substance or its derivatives in the final product, provided that these residues do not present any health risk and do not have any technological effect on the finished product.’

Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European parliament and of the Council on food additives defines processing aids as any substance which • is not consumed as food by itself • is intentionally used in the processing of raw materials, foods or their ingredients to fulfil a certain technological purpose during treatment or processing, and • may result in the unintentional but technically unavoidable presence in the final product of residues of the substance or its derivatives provided they do not present any health risk and do not have any technological effect on the final product.

Fungal a-amylase (A known allergen by inhalation, evidence of persistence in crust after baking and causing allergic response by ingestion. Up to 20% still present after baking).

L-cysteine (One source of the amino acid l-cysteine is human hair. Although l-cysteine of human origin is banned in the EU, Ajinomoto, which produces l-cysteine by a chemical process, has claimed that High Performance Liquid Chromatography tests have shown that some unscrupulous suppliers could be mislabelling human l-cysteine as coming from legal sources. Another source of l-cysteine is chicken feathers).

Maltogenic amylase (Can be of transgenic (GM) origin).

Hemicellulase (Can be of fungal, soil bacteria or transgenic (GM) origin. Fungal allergens can be expressed in enzymes of fungal origin. Possibly not entirely destroyed by high temperatures) Transglutaminase (Origin may be animal blood, linked to triggering the coeliac response).

Xylanase (are produced by fungi, bacteria, yeast, marine algae, protozoans, snails, crustaceans, insect, seeds, etc., shown to be an allergen).

So what does all of the above mean to a Halal consumer? An obvious reason is whether any of the processing ingredients of Haram origin are used in the so-called Halal food they consume. It would be interesting to know if the standards used by our Halal certifiers enable them to audit and ensure that no Haram processing ingredients were used in the manufacture of Halal products. It would also be interesting to know if the Halal auditors were appropriately qualified or experienced in the food industry to understand the underlying mechanisms behind food processing/manufacture. Though it is easy to assume that products labelled as Halal are genuinely Halal and no hidden Haram processing aids have gone into the Halal product, for a guarantee on any given brand you would need to contact the manufacturer or the certifier.

Behalal.org “Help us, Join us” Volunteer your time to research and collate the data or support us by donating money so that we can start doing this job to help consumers make informed choices.

Contact us at info@behalal.org

Because processing aids are not food ingredients it is not obligatory to include them on food labels.

At present there is no specific legislation governing this type of substance.

Current legislation allows the residues of processing aids and/or their by-products to remain in the finished product as long as they do not present any health risk.

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Fusion therapy: developing faith sensitive treatment for Muslim patients with depression

Clinical Excellence and the Department of Health both encourage therapists to pay attention to patients’ cultural background when treating depression as this can significantly affect whether treatment works or not.

How we created the Self Help Guide.

The researchers spoke to 29 experts with knowledge of mental health and Muslim communities and also searched for existing evidence of faith-sensitive therapy for any religious group. Based on what they discovered from this work they adapted an effective therapy for depression called Behavioural Activation so that it would meet the needs of Muslim patients. A self-help booklet was developed along with a manual for therapists and these were both tested with patients attending primary care therapy services in Bradford, where there is a considerable Muslim population.

At the end of this pilot, researchers interviewed patients, therapists, supervisors and managers. Analysis of this feedback helped to further refine the manual and self-help booklet.

Download your free help guide.

Ghazala Mir

Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds Dr Ghazala Mir is an Associate Professor with research interests in health and social inequalities. Her research explores how to improve healthcare and health outcomes for minority ethnic and faith communities, women and people with learning disability http://medhealth.leeds.ac.uk/ profile/600/611/ghazala_mir

Adapting treatments for the Muslim Community.

Researchers from the University of Leeds have been working to adapt current treatments for depression and make them more suitable for Muslim patients. Muslims are more likely to use religious coping techniques for mental health problems than other social groups. There is also evidence that faith-sensitive therapies can achieve earlier results than standard treatments for patients from Muslim backgrounds.

The National Institute for Health and 35

Both mental health practitioners and Muslim patients felt the therapy and self-help booklet were acceptable and could be delivered within NHS settings.

Patients really valued the booklet, which reinforced therapy goals using Islamic teachings that could motivate Muslim patients in a positive way. Mental health staff sometimes struggled to engage with their clients’ religious identity and support the use of ‘positive religious coping’ however. This suggests that practitioner training should pay attention to religious identity of patients. There will also be a need for more support to deliver the therapy at sites wishing to use this culturally adapted approach.

For more information, including the therapy manual, self-help booklet and presentations about the research and other related work, see: http://medhealth.leeds.ac.uk/info/615/ research/327/addressing_depression_ in_muslim_communities

Or contact: Dr Ghazala Mir, Associate Professor, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, 101 Clarendon Road, Leeds, LS2 9LJ e: g.mir@leeds.ac.uk t : 0113 343 4832

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Dementia Shahid Mohammed Founder BME Health & Wellbeing.

Dementia is one of the most pressing modern health issues; the number of patients globally is expected to TREBLE to 135 million by 2050.

The estimated numbers of people with dementia in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups in England and Wales are far higher than previously thought yet their needs are overlooked; it is estimated that nearly 25,000 people with dementia are from BAME communities in England and Wales. This number is expected to grow to nearly 50,000 by 2026 and over 172,000 people by 2051.

We know that people from BAME communities are under-represented in services and they are often diagnosed at a later stage of the illness, or not at all. Families are reluctant to use services that do not meet cultural or religious needs and try to carry on alone; irrespective of whether it is in the best interest of the person they are caring for

So what is dementia?

Some memory loss is common as we get older. However memory loss can also be an early sign of an illness called dementia. Dementia is a decline of reasoning, memory and other mental abilities. This decline eventually impairs the ability to carry out everyday activities such as driving, household tasks and even personal care such as bathing, dressing and feeding.

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Dementia is most common in elderly people (but not exclusively); it used to be called senility and was considered a normal part of aging. We now know that dementia is not a normal part of aging, but is caused by a number of underlying medical conditions that can occur in both elderly and younger people.

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Types of dementia There are different types of dementia, caused in different ways: • Alzheimer’s – accumulation of bio-chemical proteins in the brain that adversely affects the function of the brain, such as memory loss, communication problems, anxiety or aggression.

• Vascular dementia – where the brain is deprived of oxygen • Dementia with Lewy bodies – too much protein builds up in the brain and changes in concentration, language skills and memory problems occur.

• Pick disease or fronto-temporal dementia – affects the front of the brain resulting in a behavioural change in the person The treatment of dementia poses particular challenges, on one hand we know that dementia is no respecter of race or ethnicity – and according to Dr Datta (Consultant Psychiatrist for Older People) people from the South Asian community may suffer from dementia more than other communities.

Many South Asian carers become confused and uncertain about what to do when the behaviour persisted or the severity increased. It may only be once a person’s symptoms become very severe that a family eventually takes action.

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Sadly, the taboos associated with dementia means that people are reluctant to admit publicly that someone in their family has the condition. As there is no term for dementia in South Asian languages it is often referred to in terms such as ‘not being able to remember things’, ‘being forgetful’, going crazy or being possessed by ‘Jinns’. This leads many people with mental health problems to delay seeking psychiatric treatment help.

People from South Asian backgrounds are at greater risk of developing Vascular dementia. The reasons are complicated but understanding them may help lower the risk. Vascular dementia develops when blood supply to the brain is impaired. The biggest risk factors for it are problems with the cardiovascular (heart and blood) system.

Diet and Lifestyle A person is significantly more likely to develop vascular dementia if they have diabetes, stroke or heart disease. People in mid-life who have high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol or who are overweight are also at greater risk.

South Asian people are known to be at higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

For example they are up to six times more likely to develop diabetes than the UK population as a whole. This is due to a mixture of lifestyle factors such as physical exercise and diet as well as genes.

Support services Unfortunately there is a lack of culturally sensitive Dementia services; and South Asian families are reluctant to use services that do not meet cultural or religious needs and try to carry on alone.

Everyone has their own support mechanism; Muslims often rely on prayer and seeking help from God – however there are many that will just keep quiet and hold the problems inside.

Our aim is to help and support people living with dementia and their carers, to raise awareness with front-line service personnel and to ultimately make Dementia an acceptable word.

Purani Yaadein (Old Memories) Film You can watch the film here https://youtu.be/oNNh4tDwEE0 If you would like a copy on a DVD, or need further information please contact us: Email: info@bmehaw.co.uk Phone: 07516 818 222 Website: www.bmehaw.co.uk Alzheimer’s Society National Dementia Helpline: 0300 222 1122

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Along with milk, eggs contain the highest biological value or gold standard for protein.

Behalal.org Team Article

Egg on your face? agree with animal activists as being an unnecessary procedure.

Beak trimming is contentious. Whilst animal activists claim the procedure is unnecessary, Freedom Foods, the RSPCA’s farm assurance and foodlabelling scheme, believes that in the absence of a better way to deal with the problem of feather pecking, it remains the best solution. Until a better way is found, the Freedom Foods logo will continue to appear on eggs from beaktrimmed hens. We say it sounds like Freedom to make money comes first!

Most commercial hens bred in the UK for laying eggs have part of their beaks removed by infrared burner without anesthetic to reduce the risk of injuries in flocks from feather pecking and cannibalism due to them living in confined spaces.

The procedure starts when a chick is a day old.

Shop Halal = ethical Beak trimming is painful and cruel and has been banned in some European countries and others are working towards banning the practice, following a EU welfare directive on the issue. We 38

All eggs sold in the UK must be stamped with the method of production on the carton: 0=organic, 1= free-range, 2=barn, 3=caged. The British Lion symbol means that the eggs are British-laid and vaccinated against salmonella. Price is an indicator of how the hens were raised that laid the eggs. If you buy your eggs from the supermarket, the cheapest are likely from hens kept in cages, while the most expensive organic brands that potentially have the highest-welfare.

Cramped battery cages were banned across the EU in 2012, but animal welfare experts argue that the new and so-called improved “enriched” cages are not much better. The birds have slightly more room to move than in conventional battery cages but their ability to behave naturally is severely restricted with13 to 14 hens per square metre. Compared to barn-raised

hens that stay inside all their lives and live in relatively crowded conditions, with up to nine hens per square meter.

Beak trimming is routine in caged, barnraised and even free-range hens (except for free-range British Blacktail eggs).

Routine beak trimming is not allowed under the rules of the Soil Association.

However, we take exception to the Soil Association’s policy not to allow non-stunned halal or kosher meat to be certified organic on the grounds that it compromises animal welfare. The jury is out and there is no conclusive evidence that slaughter without prestunning compromises animal welfare.

Especially where livestock is produced in low numbers in free-range and organic farms that effectively means handling and throughput will be lower which help maintain welfare conditions. We question their objectivity.

Your halal options Buy eggs from Waitrose’s brand of British black tailed eggs or eggs certified organic by the Soil Association.

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Donate to support halal consumer organisations in Europe Three sisters in different parts of Europe each concerned about the state of the halal diet/ industry set up consumer sites to help educate consumers to make better informed choices.

All three give up their valuable free time. Please donate to help support with running costs, to prepare materials, to pay volunteers for travel and transport costs, etc., so that they can help you.

France

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Netherlands

UK

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Volunteer your skills to charity and add to your Sadaqa We might often assume it means money alone, but it is important to note that charity can take multiple forms.

Quoted by Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari: The Prophet (pbum) said, ‘On every Muslim there is enjoined (a compulsory) sadaqa (alms).’ They (the people) said, ‘If one has nothing?’ He said, ‘He should work with his hands so that he may benefit himself and give in charity.’ They said, ‘If he cannot work or does not work?’ He said, ‘Then he should help the oppressed unhappy person (by word or action or both).’ They said, ‘If he does not do it?’ He said, ‘Then he should enjoin what is good (or said what is reasonable).’ They said, ‘If he does not do that?’ He said, ‘Then he should refrain from doing evil, for that will be considered for Him as a Sadaqa (charity)’ (Sahih al Bukhari, Vol. 8, Book 73, Hadith 51).

It is clear from this hadith that volunteering can form a large part of our charity. Behalal.org is a voluntary charity platform, to provide information to help others. Use your time and skills to help others. Gain experience, develop skills and use it on your CV. We need your help; the majority of this magazine has been created by the charitable skills of Ping, an enlightened branding agency. So if you have an interest in any area of the halal lifestyle “Help Us, Join Us” contact us at info@behalal.org

www.myping.co.uk

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Interview with Wasim Khan, MBE, CEO and BME. 41

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

“

Chance to Shine Charity which was a £50M grass roots sports development programme reaching 2.5 million children, including 1 million girls and recognised as the biggest of its kind in the world.

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Wasim, tell us a little bit about yourself.

WK: I was born and raised in Small Heath in innercity Birmingham. I went to Somerville Primary School and then went onto Small Heath Secondary School. I used to play cricket with my friends in the street and was very lucky to be spotted at the age of 13 by one of my teachers playing cricket in the playground. He approached me and told me I had talent and asked where I’d learnt the game to which I replied ‘just by watching it on TV sir’. He sent me for U13 trials at Warwickshire and I went through the system there. In 1990 and at the age of 19 I was signed by Warwickshire CCC and became the first British born Pakistani to become a professional cricketer in this country.

And you’ve come a long way since you retired! Tell us a little about what you went onto do after you left the professional game?

WK: It’s been quite a journey! After I retired I was encouraged to share my story and spent two years writing my autobiography Brim Full of Passion, which was voted Widen Book of the Year in 2006. I also set up a coaching business taking the game into inner city schools to not only teach kids about the game but also to do some life coaching as I came from the same working class background as many of these children.

I wanted to show how you didn’t need to have a privileged background to achieve in life, rather with hard work and determination you can achieve pretty much anything. As a result of that work I was employed by the Professional Cricketers Association heading up a programme with the Princes Trust. That was a great stepping stone for me and I was selected to head the Chance to Shine Charity which was a £50M grass roots sports development programme.

When I left in 2014, we had raised £55M and had reached 2.5 million children, including 1 million girls. It is now recognised as the biggest of its kind in the world. I was honoured to receive an MBE in 2013 for services to Cricket and the Community as a result of my work. I ran two London marathons, one in 2007

and one in 2010, raising £10,000 for charity. Whilst leading Chance to Shine in 2012, I also decided to study a parttime MBA at Warwick Business School. I graduated in early 2015.

Tell us about your new role as Chief Executive at Leicestershire County Cricket Club?

WK: I left Chance to Shine after nearly 10 years at the helm and am now the first British Asian and first Muslim CEO of a first class county cricket club at Leicestershire CCC and indeed I am the only BME CEO across any professional sport in the country at present.

What will be your main focus at Leicestershire CCC? WK: As well as having a new CEO, Leicestershire CCC have a new Head Coach, Australian Andrew McDonald and together we are determined to change the culture at the club. We want to develop a winning mentality and we are confident that as a team we can turn the fortunes of Leicestershire CCC around in the coming few months. It’s well known that Leicestershire hadn’t won a championship match for nearly three years! But we have got that monkey off our back after we beat Essex at the beginning of June this year and continue to show excellent performance in the T20 competition so things are already beginning to change.

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

“X#@#X ME!” “X#@#

Clean isn’t a dirty word at CrescentClean Soapsisn’t a dirty Our Soaps are:

Our Soaps are:

• Alcohol-free

• Alcohol-free

• Paraben-free • Sls & Sles-free • Vegan • Vegetarian • Halal • Kosher friendly

• Paraben-free • Sls & Sles-free • Vegan • Vegetarian • Halal • Kosher friendly

www.crescentsoaps.com www.cresc

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Serving up healthier dishes and healthier lives.

Ruksana Shain Founder of Healthy Kitchen (HK) With over 15 years of experience working in the largest local authority in Europe, Birmingham City Council, I noticed a large boom in food outlets and trends in eating out and take-aways. In my role as an environmental health officer the standards of hygiene I found could be pretty poor and evidence from studies showing that certain prepared foods including fast food if consumed on a regular basis was bad for health and contributing to the obesity epidemic.

Educating consumers alone has not been an effective tool as consumers are powerless to alter how food is presented to them. So the idea came to involve expertise from food safety, dietitians, nutritionists and food scientists to work together to change the food, making it safer and healthier to eat. Simple and easy to achieve changes that can benefit the business and the consumer.

Being a Muslim I have tried to apply principles from Islam into the business model; HK operates as a social enterprise that are rooted in the teachings of the Islamic economic system which strongly encourages the creation of positive businesses that are ethical for society to bring about social impact. I do have an interest in halal food that I feel needs a shift as the tayyib (good) element of the halal (lawful) requirement which cover wholesome, hygienic, natural, are often over looked 44

which HK tries to address. Halal and tayyib means it shouldn’t cause harm to the environment nor the individual. It would be a personal dream come true to be part of a drive to influence a positive change. However, I’ve always worked on general principles that skills, services should allow many to gain benefits, halal or not.

Why? Obesity, diabetes and heart disease epidemic is now full upon us, as a nation we are in an unhealthy state of affairs; we are now the second most obese country in Europe, with 28% of the population classified as obese. This is shocking.

Healthy Kitchen supports businesses and communities to produce food that is prepared in a hygienically safe environment and healthier to eat with reduced salt, oil and calories using better ingredients. Also, addressing sustainability and use of local produce to reduce the carbon footprint.

Eating out is the new norm.

7.7 billion meals are eaten out a year in the UK, or 128 meals for every person.

And the biggest reason for eating out was there was no time to cook at home.

Wow. People now find it is so easy to pop in to their local takeaway after a busy day for a bite to eat.

This is all well and good, but one thing we have to make sure is that their kitchens are providing healthy choices to eat.

What are we cooking up?

Several food surveys and testing carried out of pre-prepared foods across the UK; the findings have been alarming, high fat levels/calories having twice the amount of salt in than the recommended daily allowance. We are eating ourselves into early graves.

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

production. Red meat is an important part of a balanced and healthy diet. We are also aware that health and nutrition is a key part of dietary demands and we were keen to support work to make food healthier while still allowing customers to enjoy good food at home or when eating out in the Balti Triangle”.

Businesses who benefited from the support: KafeKarachi, Hajee Spices, Roti Curry Junction Original, Zam Zam Kebabish, Spicey Bites, Imrans, Badar and Shahi Nan. We included a Fish & Chips shop (Mr Khans Fish and Chips) to show changes can be made there that benefit consumers.

Saving the environment, health and money!

By reducing the quantities of oil and salt, savings were immediate. One of the businesses used 20 litres of oil LESS per week following the changes.

That’s a cost saving of nearly £1000 a year. Reducing waste to landfill is a real consideration for protection of the environment and wider impacts of this.

air late September. All Healthy Kitchen restaurants will be featured on the show and mini-episodes will be pushed through our social network.

Plus they will all be awarded Healthy Kitchen stickers and table talkers and posters so that the customer is left in no doubt that it is a Healthy Kitchen.

Healthy Kitchen is looking to create a dedicated cooking school to educate and encourage healthier cooking practices both commercially and domestically.

Dedicated Website marketing your business.

Customer posters to show you are a Healthy Kitchen.

Pilot supporting businesses in the Balti Triangle A total of 8 businesses were part funded by Birmingham Public health and Eblex (a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)), to provide reduced calorie meals that are healthier within the Sparkbrook and Sparkhill areas of Birmingham that come under the Balti Traingle, which is poplar for visiting the area for a great curry. However, the residents living in this area also regularly buy food to take home.

Dr Phil Hadley says “AHDB beef and lamb recognise the importance of Muslim consumers to the lamb sector and estimate they consumer in excess of 20% of the country’s total lamb

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Customer feedback form.

Dedicated TV advertising.

Businesses receive extra support to market their healthy kitchen business

For further information or if you want to become a HK contact us: info@healthykitchen.org or phone 07523 242 190.

Promoting the good news.

Healthy Kitchen’s pilot with curry houses was supported by Eblex and Birmingham Public Health.

Businesses who have made the changes will be marketed on dedicated Healthy Kitchen Website which will be supported by a TV show. Yes a TV show, early stages yet but we hope to be on

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Halal.

Get your facts right.

Dr Asif Rao DVM RVMP MSc: Veterinary Surgeon

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Recently, Halal and Kosher have again come under attack in many European countries by animal welfare activists, veterinary professionals, and secularists but this time they are being joined by right wing nationalists, who view the traditions of the other Abrahamic faiths as non-Christian and/or possibly foreign.

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Witch-hunt I myself am a Halal meat consumer and veterinary surgeon. Like many other Muslims, I was deeply troubled with the media witch hunt attacking Halal meat and particularly the recent comment made by a number of welfare critics that “animal welfare should trump religious freedom” as this is such a simple either/or proposition. It was particularly troublesome to hear this from veterinary colleagues and livestock farmers who must have also witnessed the shortfalls of conventional slaughter methods with regard to the handling, restraint, and stunning operations as well as being aware of the sometimes painful and cruel husbandry practices routinely used with animals on modern high efficiency farms, where animals are treated as commodities rather than sentient beings! It is inconsistent (some would argue hypocritical) to propose a ban on a particular procedure that is less painful than other routine husbandry procedures already deployed.

It is therefore difficult to express how offensively inaccurate it is to listen to implications that only religious slaughter practices inflict any form of unnecessary suffering, while religious slaughter of animals may in fact if the research were done properly be shown to be equal to or better than modern commercial slaughter practices. Slaughter processes have never been pleasant and all slaughter methods causes some degree of pain and distress. And all slaughter methods continue to need good research to improve them.

Therefore, the current EU Regulation 1099/2009 unambiguously recognises the potential suffering inflicted while all slaughter methods are being used: “Killing animals may induce pain, distress, fear or other forms of suffering to the animals even under the best available technical conditions. Certain operations related to the killing may be stressful and any stunning technique presents certain drawbacks”.

It is never in the animal’s interest to be slaughtered for food but we as a society have accepted from the beginning of time that animals can be reared for such a purpose. It is therefore a moral imperative that it should be done in the best way possible whilst satisfying the very criteria that makes the meat acceptable for members of our society to consume.

which does NOT bother most of us and which have become the norm.

It is a brutal truth that we care for animals in a direct proportion to their value to us. This value can be in the form of sentiment, fashion, or economics. For example, we will give more care to our expensive race horses or lovely dogs or cats as compare to pigs, cattle, and sheep and even less so for the broiler/ fryer chicken. Yet, in many cases we actually compromise the animal welfare of the animals we love. Some of the worst abuses of animals occur with dogs and cats!

Kosher and Halal v The Welfare State I am not advocating compromised welfare on the farm, during transit and at slaughter. I have great respect for all those who are genuinely concerned for farm animal welfare since they speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. My aim is to improve the welfare of farm animals and to present a balanced opinion to the veterinary, allied professions, and lay people and also to discuss the realities and suffering routinely practiced for human interests during modern husbandry practices BUT

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

The Brutal Truth about Mainstream Slaughter Methods.

Being a veterinary surgeon and meat scientist, I firmly believe that animals are sentient beings and hence feel pain and suffering. Animals should also be treated with respect and care at all times.

But the reality is that the welfare of farm animals destined for the food chain is compromised from birth. For instance, castration and tail docking, especially as currently practiced, are controversial and widely believed to be cruel and painful forms of mutilation! This was recognised by a 2008 report by the Farm Animal Welfare Council UK, but yet the practices are routinely carried out in almost all European countries. Unwanted male poultry of egg-laying chicks continue to be macerated alive, which means chicks are chopped up at a rapid speed. Broiler chickens spend their entire lives indoors so they can be ready to be consumed within 40 days. Artificial insemination techniques are routinely carried out and as a result farm animals are not allowed to mate naturally which could be one of the most enjoyable times of their lives! In this regard farm animals are not being allowed to express their natural behaviour.

The compromise starts from their birth and carries on until the animal is dead or slaughtered, e.g., ear tagging, de-beaking, mulesing, and confinement. Chickens and turkeys during slaughter are hung upsidedown while live and dragged through dirty electrified water. In my view the compromise of animal welfare is driven by the following primary drivers: Economics, some industrial techniques that assist in speeding up the slaughter and production processes but jeopardise the welfare of animals, and the greed of making more profit and producing cheaper meat, egg, and milk products!

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Religious slaughter without prestunning is humane Critics of religious slaughter are reluctant to talk about the suffering inflicted during the whole life of an animal. I am sure in principle everybody would agree that castration should not be carried out just to improve the taste of its meat and ease animal management. Where is the concern for animal welfare at that time? Shouldn’t animal welfare trump meat quality/taste? Perhaps, ethnic and religious minorities are easy targets because their special needs do not affect the mass meat production system!

Religious slaughter without stunning does not intend for animals to suffer when slaughtered for food. In fact, the opposite is true. If the tenets of the faiths are studied one finds that the Abrahamic texts have place a heavy emphasis on

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practices to optimise animal welfare and to reduce suffering. Masri (2010) presents the importance and relevance of animal welfare from an Islamic perspective. One famous example is the Islamic hadith (a saying of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, from the text entitled “Sahih Muslim”): “Verily Allah has prescribed excellence in all things. Thus, if you kill, kill well; and if you slaughter, slaughter well. Let each one of you sharpen his blade and let him spare suffering to the animal he slaughters.”

The belief is that all animals should be treated with respect at all times and all safeguards should be deployed to minimise suffering during the entire life of farm animals. Practising Muslims and Jews, and many EasternOrthodox Christians strongly believe that traditional slaughter without stunning is the most humane method to render animal unconscious since these methods were taught by the prophets and leaders of mankind such

as the Prophets Muhammad, Abraham, Moses, etc. (peace be upon them).

These men were sent as a mercy from the All-Mighty to guide humankind to a better way of life. So how can their method of slaughter be inhumane?

Recently a Christian Interfaith Minister made the statement “I always explain to folk that traditional Halal slaughter despatches each animal with a prayer, so if we believe sheep to be God’s creation, and having a spirit just as dogs, etc. do, personally I would go for Halal rather than conventional electrical/bolt anytime”. One may argue that such methods are outdated and do not match the ideal 21st century standards. Yes, they continue to use ventral neck cutting or chest sticking, which are the method of bleeding animals that have remained the same after thousands of years.

Stunning prior to slaughter was initially employed just to knock the animal down and facilitate the restraining operations for slaughterhouses to increase throughput.

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Pre-stunning animals is not without problems

best slaughter houses often have a 1 to 2% failure rate, which at the speed they are operating means that a lot of animals are mis-stunned. And what about those slaughter houses that are not doing as good a job?

It is also worth noting that pre-slaughter stunning is a critical control point during the conventional slaughtering process since it has the potential to cause serious pain and suffering to the animal when done incorrectly. Most stunning applications could be potentially painful, e.g., the application of skin penetrating electrodes for the electrical stunning of sheep or pigs or the application of electrical currents that are insufficient to cause unconsciousness. Gas mixtures are currently used for stunning and/or killing poultry and pigs. It is well known that gas mixtures do not induce immediate loss of consciousness. Some gas mixtures may cause aversion and respiratory distress before animals are fully unconscious.

Various captive bolt devices need to be properly placed or else the animal will not be rendered unconscious. Advocates of pre-slaughter stunning are always reluctant to mention the suffering that is inflicted on animals from stunning operations when they go wrong. The

Muslim and Jewish communities are passionate about the welfare of farm animals throughout their whole life and not just focused on the last few seconds.

In my professional opinion however, in the current fast-paced commercial environment, religious slaughter without stunning is much slower, and does require greater attention to detail to safeguard good welfare but these can be managed with good equipment, personnel, and training. It also means that a religiously observant person is taking a personal responsibility for slaughtering the animal properly with respect.

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Come together and protect our right to choose.

I firmly believe that the religious authorities should also get involved at a

practical level with the related authorities to ensure that any handling of livestock prior to and at slaughter is carried out as humanely as possible, i.e., all animals should be treated with respect at all times and all safeguards should be deployed to minimise suffering. For instance, V-restrainers are the best form of restraint for sheep and should be promoted.

There is no excuse for poor handling, poor slaughter techniques, inadequate restraining equipment, and incompetent operatives resulting in stressful restraint procedures and undue delay in the time to unconsciousness. Hence, investments in equipment, training, and people must be made when there is a need.

I am still struggling to understand why is it that we only get hung up on Muslim slaughter methods and relatively not at all exercised about other animal welfare related issues. And this is despite it having been established that 98.5% of Halal meat in the UK is pre-stunned.

Consequently, this forces many of us to reflect on whether this is really about the welfare of animals or is a case of not accepting the other?

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

stunning) nor the type of permissible stuns used during religious slaughter.

The summarized results from the survey in relation to Halal meat production are as follows.

Statistics, statistics and damn lies.

Behalal Team Article.

The media have reported countless stories that the wider public is unwittingly eating Halal meat without knowing about it and that Halal meat is leaking out into the wider secular market.

The Food Standard Agency releases figures that show slaughter methods and you can see that traditional (without pre-stunning) Halal meat barely feeds the to UKMuslim Halalcommunity Meat is who notwish leaking purchase it.

into mainstream consumption.

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According to the 2011 UK Census, the Muslim population is 2.7m comprising 4.8% of the population.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) carried out a welfare survey during the week 16-22 September 2013 requesting data that included different slaughter methods (www.food.gov.uk/newsupdates/news/2015/13501/animalwelfare-survey-of-slaughterhousespublished). Notably the survey did not include the number of mis-stuns for that week nor the number of animals that received a stun after the cut (post-cut Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Behalal Team Article.

The media have reported countless stories that the wider public is unwittingly eating Halal meat without knowing about it and that Halal meat is leaking out into the wider secular market. The Food Standard Agency releases figures that show slaughter methods and you can see that traditional (without pre-stunning) Halal meat barely feeds the Muslim community who wish to purchase it.

According to the 2011 UK Census, the Muslim population is 2.7m comprising 4.8% of the population.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) carried out a welfare survey during the week 16-22 September 2013 requesting data that included different slaughter methods www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2015/13501/animal-welfare-survey-ofslaughterhouses-published. Notably the survey did not include the number of mis-stuns for that week nor the number of animals that received a stun after the cut (post-cut stunning) nor the type of permissible stuns used during religious slaughter.

The summarized results from the survey in relation to Halal meat production are as follows: Total # of Abattoirs

Total Animals Slaughtered

Total # of Abattoirs performing Halal

Total Halal Slaughter

of which Pre-stun Halal

of which *Traditional Halal

Poultry

66

17,067,641 100.0%

27

3,667,593 21.5%

3,095,164 18.1%

572,429 3.4%

Cattle/ Calves

173

44,216 100.0%

14

1,437 3.2%

1,071 2.4%

366 0.8%

Sheep/ Goats

174

295,500 100.0%

35

121,472 41.1%

76,522 25.9%

44,950 15.2%

about 20% to 25% (Eblex 2012of British lamb and mutton consumption in UK so it makes sense.

So you can say that the total UK meat consumed and 2.5% is produced Traditional Halal without pre-stunning.

This is less than the 4.8% of the population that is Muslim. Hence, the recent reports on the issue were probably misleading and certainly factually incorrect in exaggerating the extent of non-stun halal meat entering secular markets. If we can work out this simple maths, it makes you wonder that the motivation to incite hysteria by the likes of the British Veterinary Association with their target campaign against halal slaughter without stunning in misleading the wider public; is about something else.

Table 1: Slaughter statistics by Halal methods (FSA, 2013). *Traditional Halal data includes Post-cut stun Halal that was originally reported separately in FSA’s 2011 survey.

The survey’s percentages applied to UK meat consumption data provides an overview of the extent of Halal meat in the marketplace (Table 2). The 2013 UK meat consumption data was obtained from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) economic division www.eblex.org.uk/industry-reports/meatstats/

Total Meat % of total

Total Meat Consumed 2013 (tonnes)

Total Halal % of total

Total Halal Meat

of which Pre-stun Halal

of which ***Traditional Halal Meat

Poultry

41.8%

*2,103,700 100.0%

74.2%

452,055 **21.5%

381,499 18.1%

70,556 3.4%

Pork

30.4%

*1,532,000 100.0%

0.0%

0 **0.0%

0 0.0%

0 0.0%

Beef

21.9%

*1,104,100 100.0%

5.9%

121,472 41.1%

26,744 2.4%

9,139 0.8%

Lamb

5.9%

*295,400 100.0%

19.9%

121,431 **41.1%

76,496 25.9%

44,935 15.2%

Total

100.0%

5,035,200 100.0%

100%

609,369 12.1%

484,739 9.6%

124,630 2.5%

Table 2: AHDB 2013 UK meat consumption statistics (*) applying FSA 2013 percentages (**) ***Traditional Halal data includes Post-cut stun Halal which was originally reported separately in FSA’s 2011 survey.

Assuming 16-22 September is a representative week Table 2 establishes that at a UK level 2.5% of the total meat consumed in 2013 was produced by traditional Halal slaughter without stunning, which is significantly less than the 4.8% of the population that is Muslim. In 2011 the corresponding percentage was 2.1%.

Wanting a label only to be applied to non stunned meat means that there must be instrincaly something wrong with it. It’s been called for on the grounds of animal welfare concerns at the time of slaughter even though common husbandry practices maybe far more painful e.g. castration of sheep without pain relief is likely to be far more painful than swift cut of the neck with a razor sharp knife.

If animal welfare concerns were indeed of concern then surely mis-stunning data would be recorded as it causes distress to an animal when the electricity used to make it unconscious fails. It’s like being hit hard on the head to knock you unconscious but it doesn’t work. Ouch, very painful! The mis-stunning can range from 5-30%.

There has been an increase in the number of sheep slaughtered without stun Halal than any other species (except poultry due to high number production). Muslims account for 52

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Most recent report: EU labeling survey 2015 http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/ welfare/slaughter/docs/fci-stunning_ report.pdf The survey shows that the majority consumers are not aware or concerned by how an animal was slaughtered.

Coupled with the fact that traditional 53

halal meat is factually not meeting the needs of the Muslim community again questions the motives and urgency, for demanding non stunned halal meat to be only labeled. Before consumers are duped into thinking pre-stunning is the best thing, caution and an understanding of the methodology of slaughter through education must occur objectively.

So that the whole life of an animal is protected as for Muslims it’s part of their faith to safeguard animal welfare and that distress is minimised. It remains that there is no conclusive evidence

that traditional slaughter without prestunning is inhumane. The misleading reporting that has led to public pressure to label only traditional non-stun slaughtered meat has no logical basis, certainly for halal meat, which draws the most media attention. Many Muslims are big meat eaters where production is not meeting demand, which has several impacts, a topic for another day.

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

How Halal is your meat?

Find out on Halal by numbers.

Mohammed Saleem: Independent Advisor on halal issues ‘Halal by numbers’ blog was started to empower consumers to be able to ascertain whether meat products they are purchasing from the local butchers are actually produced as claimed.

Similarly to the registration number of your car whereby you can change the color, parts yet cannot change the vin or the registration number by law.

Each Abattoir and cutting plant that is licensed in the UK to produce meat is given a four digit EC/UK Plant Number.

By searching the four-digit Plant Number in the Halal by Number search panel, 55

consumers instantly find out where the meat was produced. This negates having to ask the butcher to look for and show their certification proofs.

So far by using the application, consumers have found that many businesses had made false claims of halal and often were even abusing the certification labels.

The blog is a voluntary attempt to create awareness on the abuse of the halal logos and self-certifiers.

Find out for yourself here:

mohammedsaleem.wordpress.com

Mohammed Saleem is a campaigner for the Islamic humane non-stun slaughter

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

GB Acts PDQ To The BVA Mohammed Amin Co-Chair of the Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester. Written in his private capacity.

The British Veterinary Association Counter petition to protect religious slaughter without stunning in the UK and EU proves Britain is a tolerant country.

Accordingly the rules for animal slaughter have always contained an exemption from stunning for schectia and halal slaughter. However, the “animal welfare” lobby regularly attempts to have that exemption cancelled.

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The most recent attempt was an e-petition made by Sally Burnell, British Veterinary Association (BVA). “End non-stun slaughter to promote animal welfare” on the UK Government website started in April 2014, by at the By February 2015, this petition had received over 115,000 signatures and scheduled to be debated in Parliament on 23rd February 2015.

A counter-petition was launched “Protect religious slaughter in the UK and EU” onto the Government’s e-petitions website. Since petitions must be in the name of a single individual, the petition was in my name, and it went live at 08:00 on 13 February 2015.

John Blackwell loves to talk about halal slaughter but not the whole truth of the meat industry

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Fast and furious signatures.

While the BVA took 9 months to reach 100,000 signatures, we achieved it in 9 days; by 12 days we overtook the BVA petition’s total.

The counter petition was mentioned several times during the Parliamentary debate on the BVA e-petition. Muslim community stakeholders, including Behalal.org supported Lord Sheikh during counter arguments with Lord Trees. We also supported Mohammed Saleem who had contacted Shabana Mahmood MP for Ladywood, Birmingham to challenge the call to ban non stunned halal meat in parliamentary debate on 23/2/15.

There are some important lessons from this experience. While the BVA

e-petition was never going to change the law (because legal changes involve different processes) it was important for British Muslims and Jews to make their voices heard on this vital issue; we did that loud and clear. The experience also illustrates the importance of working with allies; neither Muslims nor Jews acting alone would have achieved the result we did together. Imagine splitting the Muslim and Jewish signatures between competing e-petitions!

Going forward, it is clear that we have the support of the leaders of all of the main political parties. However, Muslims and Jews need to put more effort into explaining to the general public that halal and kosher slaughter carried out properly is not cruel, and that slaughter with stunning has many problems of its own. We should not be relying solely on the religious freedom argument, even though it is a compelling one.

Hats off to Shabana Mahmood MP for acting up and being a sound voice for the Muslim community. Behalal.org’s Woman of the year 2015!

Muslims and Jewish communities working together to protect religious slaughter 57

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Chef Muayad Ali

Get your Freekeh on!

With a ton of nutritional benefits, freekeh is the supergrain, having the upper hand over quinoa and lots of other grains. Popular in Middle Eastern diets. It’s low in fat and high in protein and fibre. Keeping you fuller for longer.

Freekeh is also lower on the glycemic index making it a great choice for those managing diabetes. To top this off, this power packed grain is high in iron, calcium, and zinc and acts like a prebiotic, promoting friendly digestive bacteria. If you want an example of what halal/tayyib means look no further. If you have a gluten allergy avoid as it’s a wheat product.

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On a trail for locating a recipe using freekeh we didn’t need to go further than Palestinian born Muayad Ali, a chef who has great passion for including great locally source food and owner at La Sophia who serve’s up French and Mediterranean cuisine who kindly donated the following recipe. Ali is known as the UK’s premier Halal Chef having worked alongside several of the top Michelin Chefs including Gordon Ramsey. La Sophia is currently closed but you can hire Ali’s masterful skills as a personal chef dishing up taste bud smacking, wholesome, nutrient packed amazing halal food!

For personal or events contact via Email: contact@lasophia.co.uk or chef_mali@hotmail.co.uk or phone 0208 968 2200.

Why not give FairTrade Palestinian grown Zaytoun freekeh a go.

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Oven roast aubergine with fried halloumi, chilli and parsley pesto This dish is great served with baby mix leaf salad (or a salad of your choice) Total time for preparation and cooking: 30 minutes

Ingredients • • • • • • • •

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1 large aubergine 1 red chilli 1 lemon 3 tablespoons of chopped parsley 2 cloves of garlic Extra virgin olive oil 100g sliced hallmoui cheese Pinch of salt and pepper

Method • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Heat oven to 175 degrees Slice the aubergine into 1inches thick Brush one side of the aubergine with olive oil Season the aubergine with salt & pepper on the same side Mix the chopped parsley with the olive oil (35ml) Add the whole juice of the lemon and the zest of the lemon in Add fine diced chilli, add pinch of salt and pepper Mix the pesto and herbs together Put some parchment baking paper on a baking tray (Oil proof) Lay down the aubergine on the baking tray and bake the aubergine until brown on the top side (roughly 12-15mins) Leave the aubergine to cool down at room temperature Fry the hallmoui on a pan with vegetable oil until golden each side Spread the mixed pesto /herbs to the top side Cut the halloumi in slices and add to the top of the aubergine

Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Lamb Casserole with Vegetables Serves: 6 people » Preparation Time: 20 minutes » Cooking Time: 1½ hours

Ingredients • 675g/1½lb lean lamb neck fillet or shoulder, cut into 2.5cm/1inch cubes • 30ml/1tbsp oil • Salt and freshly milled black pepper • 10ml/2tsp curry powder • 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped • 850ml/1½pint good, hot lamb stock • 450g/1lb new potatoes, halved • 2 leeks, finely sliced • 100g/4oz fresh peas • 30ml/2tbsp freshly chopped coriander or flat-leaf parsley

Method 1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a moderate heat, meanwhile put the lamb in a large plastic food bag, season and add the curry powder, seal and shake well to coat.

2. Cook the lamb in batches in the pan for 3-4 minutes until brown. Transfer to a large heatproof casserole dish with a lid.

3. In the same frying pan cook the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Spoon into the casserole dish and add the stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook on the hob or in a preheated oven at Gas mark 3, 170°C, 325°F for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.

4. 25 minutes before the end of the cooking time add the potatoes and continue cooking.

5. 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time add the leeks and peas.

6. Garnish the casserole with the herbs and serve with crusty bread.

Tip: If preferred replace the onion with 8 small shallots.

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org

Slow Cooked Spiced Lamb Serves: 6–8 people » Preparation Time: 10 minutes » Cooking Time: 3–3½ hours

Ingredients • 1.8kg/4lb lean whole shoulder of lamb • Salt and freshly milled black pepper • 1 x 125g curry paste of your choice (we used Madras) • 30ml/2tbsp tomato purée • 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes • 600ml/1pint good, hot lamb or vegetable stock • 1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained • Freshly chopped mint and coriander leaves, to garnish

Method 1. Preheat the oven to Gas mark 3, 170°C, 325°F. 2. Put the curry paste, tomato puree, chopped tomatoes and stock in a large nonstick roasting tin approximately 40 x 30cm (16 x 12inch). Stir well.

3. Place the lamb on a chopping board and make several slits over the surface with a sharp knife. Season on both sides and transfer to the roasting tin. Spoon over the curry mixture.

4. Cover with foil and roast for 3-3½hours, turning occasionally. 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time add the chickpeas and continue to cook uncovered.

5. Garnish with the herbs and serve with warm naan or flat breads, a selection of chutneys and salad.

Tip: If preferred, use your own blend of spices or try this recipe with half a shoulder of lamb instead.

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Behalal Magazine 2015 | behalal.org