“What Should Halal Be?” – Key Discussions at World Tatar Congress Session in Kazan

On May 17, as part of the World Tatar Congress at Kazan Expo, the session “Halal Industry Today” brought together experts, Muslim religious leaders, and business representatives to address challenges in the halal sector and ways to make it more transparent for consumers.

Key Discussion Points:

? Unified Standards Needed
Clear guidelines are essential so both producers and consumers understand what truly qualifies as halal.

? Combating Fraudulent Certification
How to prevent cases where certificates are issued “through connections” rather than proper verification.

? Industry Unity
The creation of a Halal Industry Association as a step toward systematic and transparent operations.

? Consumer Transparency
Buyers should easily identify which organization issued a halal certificate to verify product permissibility.

? Consumer Feedback
Real cases were shared where people encountered dubious “halal” products, damaging trust in the industry.

Speakers’ Insights:

Representatives from Tatarstan, Moscow, Tyumen, Ryazan, Belarus, and other regions shared their perspectives on maintaining halal integrity.

? Abbyas Khazrat Shlyaposhnikov stressed the need to distinguish genuine halal from counterfeit products.
? Aydar Gazizov urged unity: “If you won’t unite now, let at least a common problem unite you.”
? Rustam Khasenevich concluded emotionally: “We want the next generation to eat real halal food—so our children can say, ‘Our parents set things right.’”

The Bigger Picture

The session proved that halal is more than just a label—it’s about trust, honesty, and adherence to Islamic principles. Achieving this requires collaboration across the industry.