Eblex has dismissed an “inaccurate” attack on its proposed halal assurance scheme.
Newly formed organisation the Islamic Council for Halal Affairs (ICHA) released a statement before a meeting at the weekend (Saturday, 30 November), claiming Eblex had conducted a survey on halal “without consulting Muslim consumers and scholars” and introduced “confusing halal logos to set quality standards for the halal industry”.
“While the Muslim community welcomes any attempt to improve the quality standards within the halal industry, the Council is very concerned about the confusing message posed by these logos. Eblex is attempting to classify something that is not halal as halal to serve the commercial purpose of certain meat producers and retailers. This is playing with the faith of the two million Muslims living in the UK and the Council will not let this happen,” said the statement.
However, an Eblex spokeswoman said the ICHA statement was inaccurate, as Eblex was still in consultation over the proposed halal assurance scheme and had not introduced anything yet.
She also pointed to a poll conducted by Eblex, which revealed that 95% of the halal sector’s suppliers wanted an assurance scheme.
The ICHA claims to be a platform for Muslim scholars and community representatives who have “come together to protect, promote and to help Muslims adopt halal in every aspect of their lives.” Although it appears to have no official jurisdiction, the Council said it had “taken upon itself” to represent Muslims about what constitutes halal.