Abbyas Shlyaposhnikov about the agreement with Roskachestvo: “This is a new step in the development of the halal industry”

Islam Today conducted an interview with the Chairman of the Halal Standard Committee of the Muslim Religious Board of the Republic of Tatarstan Abbyas Hazrat Shlyaposhnikov on the topic of cooperation with Roskachestvo and the halal industry of Russia and Tatarstan.

– Abbyas hazrat, the day before you signed an agreement with Roskachestvo. What does this agreement mean for society?

– This is a new stage in the development of the Halal industry in Tatarstan and in Russia as a whole. The purpose of signing the agreement is to develop the halal industry, improve management processes, production, implementation of quality management systems for halal products and services, as well as in the field of standardization, certification, preparation and sale of educational products, monitoring, promotion and popularization of the halal sector.

The Halal Standard Committee of the Muslim Religious Board of the Republic of Tatarstan has a lot of experience in all this. You see, the word “Halal” has a sacred meaning, so halal certification should go hand in hand with the Muslim clergy.

If a decision is made to regulate halal production at the state level, then the clergy need to help in this important matter for the Muslim community, this will help in the fight against counterfeiting and misuse of the Halal sign. The participation of the clergy in the work of government agencies in the field of halal will allow them to have information and quickly convey it to the consumer.

The Halal Standard Committee of the Muslim Religious Board of the Republic of Tatarstan is one of the leading certification authorities, which has been working for decades and has a unique opportunity to help the state implement halal standards and ensure objectivity in assessing enterprises. The Muftiate of Tatarstan strives to represent the interests of Muslim consumers at a high level.

I also consider it important for the clergy to control the products produced and exported for the sake of trust on the part of foreign and domestic consumers.

Moreover, the signed agreement creates conditions for the Committee to participate in the creation of a federal structure of Halal certification centers, registration of certificates in the state register and solving various problems related to certification, as well as the introduction of a joint common trademark.

– Why is it important for Roskachestvo to enlist the support of the Muslim Spiritual Board of the Republic of Tatarstan?

– To successfully promote the halal lifestyle and control over halal products, the certification body must work hand in hand with the Muslim clergy. The participation of the clergy in the work of government agencies in the field of halal will allow for high-quality and effective work for the benefit of the Muslim community.

Today, the Muslim Religious Board of the Republic of Tatarstan includes: 10 kazyats, 48 district mukhtasibats, about 1,500 mosques, 8 madrassas. It is also a co-founder of the Bulgarian Islamic Academy, the Russian Islamic Institute, the Kazan Islamic University, and the founder of secondary schools “Usmania”, “Nur” and “Ihsan”. In addition, the Halal Standard Committee, the Waqf RT Foundation, the official hajj operator in Tatarstan “DUM RT Hajj”, the Zakat Charitable Foundation, and the Khuzur Publishing House operate under the methodological guidance of the Muslim Religious Board of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The Halal Standard Committee, as a structural subdivision of the Muslim Religious Board of the Republic of Tatarstan, was founded in 2000, a certification authority trusted in Russia and abroad, geographically distributed over 20 regions, 210 controlled enterprises, among them more than 100 – cafes and restaurants.

In 2009, for the first time in Russia, the Committee created and registered a unique System of voluntary certification of products and services for compliance with Islamic requirements – the Halal standard. In 2019, the System was supplemented and updated.

The authority of the Muslim Religious Board of the Republic of Tatarstan and personally of Mufti Kamil Hazrat Samigullin is very high both in the country and in the international arena. I would like to note that not a single major Muslim event in Tatarstan is complete without the participation of the Committee and its strict supervision of compliance with halal standards. For example, the Committee is a co-organizer of the annual International Exhibition RUSSIA HALAL EXPO, which takes place within the framework of the International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: Kazanforum”.

– What does Roskachestvo benefit from cooperation with the Halal Standard Committee of the Muslim Religious Board of the Republic of Tatarstan?

– The committee has enormous experience in the halal industry, and we are ready to share it, in particular, in resolving Sharia issues and training. Many international certification authorities such as GIMDES, SMIIC, FAMBRAS, WHC, AHAC, Halal Damu, BelHalal trust the Halal Standard Committee, which will help them actively develop in one direction and share their experience. The invitation of the Committee to the latest important world events of the halal industry in Saudi Arabia (1st Makkah Halal Forum) and Brazil (Global Halal Brazil Business Forum 2023) confirms that the Committee has earned high trust in the international arena.

The Committee’s specialists are valuable personnel with extensive experience in the Halal industry. This will help resolve the personnel issue for Roskoshestvo to control the Halal industry in the country, which is developing by leaps and bounds. The structure of the Committee includes a full-fledged Sharia department, which includes specialists from the Muslim Religious Board of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Russian Islamic Institute. This will help to quickly answer questions that arise in the field of Halal.

Meanwhile, I would like to note that the Halal Standard Committee continues its activities. It remains an independent structure. We are only strengthening our position in order to actively develop the Halal industry in Russia.

Source: Islam Today

Photo: press service of the Muslim Religious Board of the Republic of Tatarstan