Are you one of those people who believe Islam should be banned in Australia or protest against Halal Certification on products? Then you should read this.

I recently read an article about a South Australian Dairy Company that pulled its Halal Certification because of a social media backlash from anti-Halal protesters. As a result, they lost a $50,000 supply contract with Emirates Airlines. Are they crazy? They paid a measly $1000-00 annual fee for Halal certification that would have seen their products on the menus of Emirates flights but they pulled it because of Facebook trolls.  This company made a stupid business decision allowing itself to be overrun by ill informed people and bigots with an agenda. It was a simple request by a major client. They weren’t asking for anything illegal or immoral.

Kirallee Smith is the woman at the forefront of the anti-Halal protests and thanks to her, Australian businesses are being pressured to stop the certification and in turn, lose a market share of consumers. Kirallee Smith has her reasons for being an anti-Halal certification activist. She doesn’t want to pay the fees. Other niche companies are gaining a larger market share with Halal Certification. So she launches a Facebook campaign and attracts every bigotted moron under the sun who believe Halal Certification somehow funds terrorist groups. The Australian Crime Commission has found no links to prove that at all.  Despite this, Smith and her followers still believe its an Islamic tax and certification funds terrorism.

What Emirates asked for was vastly less demanding than what Coles and Woolworths want from their suppliers. Maybe Smith should focus on the way the big supermarkets screw farmers than worry about an imaginary “bogey-man’s” tax.

The rise of the anti-Halal movement is directly linked to the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment in Australia that really started after 9/11 and has worsened since. Muslims have been living in Australia since the 1800’s. Halal Certification didn’t start yesterday.

Many companies also have Kosher certification which can cost companies between $550.00 to $2200.00 per annum. Kirallee and her friends don’t seem to be paying much attention to that.

And they shouldn’t either! Having one’s product certified to cater for wider markets is good business practice. First we accuse Muslims of not subscribing to “Aussie values and culture” but then we bitch and complain when a Four’n’Twenty pie carries a badge that allows a Muslim kid to enjoy one with other Aussie kids.

If simply being anti-Halal isn’t enough, we have movements like the Australian Defence League, shock jocks and commentators who’s names won’t be mentioned here,  politicians like George Christensen and the redneck pin up girl, Pauline Hansen suffering relevance deprivation syndrome bleating her way back into politics. All of whom are trying to convince the majority of Australians that Islam should actually be banned from Australia. If they knew anything about our constitution and freedom of religion, they’d realise how illegal their incorrect, banshee-like screeches really are.

Many Australians are following these movements not realising that they are being rather hypocritical at the same time.

So What Does Halal Mean Anyway?

Halal is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permitted. In reference to food, it is the dietary standard, as prescribed in the Qur’an (the Muslim scripture). The opposite of halal is haram, which means unlawful or prohibited. Halal and haram are universal terms that apply to all facets of life. 

All facets of life; Sports, education, arts, transport, banking, careers, money as well as food preparation. In fact just about everything we do in everyday life is considered Halal apart from a few thing

Let’s not include and confuse ourselves with organisations and societies that persecute each other or don’t allow women to go to school or drive cars etc. That’s just blatant radical barbarism using local laws imposed by the likes of the Taliban and ISIS and others and has nothing to do with Islam.

So if Halal applies to all things lawful under Islamic law and applies to all facets of life, if you’re going to boycott Australian companies for their Halal certification and if you believe Islam should be banned from Australia, are you prepared to do the following?

Boycott Cricket Australia and Channel Nine for hosting and broadcasting any cricket match involving Pakistan, Bangladesh or even England (there’s Muslims amongst the poms y’know). Cricket is lawful in countries like Pakistan. In fact, it’s huge!  It’s Halal. It’s lawful.

Boycott the AFL,  Channel Seven and the Collingwood and Richmond Football Club. The AFL use Etihad Stadium and Channel Seven is situated there. You know Etihad? The airline owned by Muslims. Collingwood Football Club are sponsored by Emirates. You know Emirates? The airline owned by Muslims. The Richmond Football Club has Bachar Houli; Australia’s first devout Muslim player. Aussie rules footy, stadiums, aeroplanes and air travel are all Halal.

While we’re at it let’s go for A-League Soccer. Melbourne City Football Club is sponsored by Etihad Airways as well. Let’s boycott them too.

And forget the Olympics and Soccer World Cup. Way too many Muslims sports people and sponsors.

If you live in Victoria, go to work on Melbourne Cup Day. Don’t take the day off. Boycott it. There are too many horses owned by Middle Eastern syndicates and there’s that Green, Black and Red Muslim Airline with their posh marquee wooing the social elite including the Prime Minister’s daughter who is a Spring Carnival Ambassador.

Boycott the Rugby World Cup, the Formula One Grand Prix because Emirates sponsor them too. Rugby and Car Racing is Halal. Lawful under Islamic Law.

Boycott Qantas. They have partnered up with Emirates who have taken over several of their traditional routes.

Boycott McDonalds. Many of their products are Halal Certified. No more kiddies birthday parties because you think Maccas pay an Islamic tax!!!

Boycott all Australian companies doing business in the Middle East.

If you’re anti-Halal, protest against Australian farmers who’s drought affected livelihoods depend on exporting cattle to Indonesia.

Boycott oil. Most of the oil we depend on doesn’t come from the North West shelf. It’s coming from the Persian Gulf. Our manufacturing sector, or what’s left of it depends on crude oil for plastics and other essential products. If we want to ban Islam in Australia or stop buying Vegemite, shouldn’t we stop being customers of the OPEC cartels?

Boycott your cheap holiday to Bali too while you’re there. Although the majority of Balinese people are Hindu, they are part of Indonesia; the world’s largest Muslim nation. So when you pay a sales tax in Bali, you’re giving a portion of it to a nation that’s 85 per cent Muslim.

And lastly, if you believe that Islam clashes with Australian values then boycott all ANZAC Day services pilgrimages to Gallipoli in Turkey. Turkey’s is a Muslim nation who have respected and honoured our war dead for 100 years despite being fierce enemies at the time. They have preserved Gallipoli as a sacred site and despite the anti-Islamic sentiment, Turkey continues to respect and keep a close friendship with Australia that rose from the horror of April 25, 1915. Have a read of Kamal Attaturks dedication to the ANZACs. 

Of course all of these suggestions are outrageous. They are as outrageous as Sharia Law taking over Australian Federal and State laws, changing Australia Day and abolishing Christmas.

Australians need to accept that Islam and the Muslim community who practise it have been part of the Australian multicultural mix for at least 200 years. Australia has lucrative business interests with state owned and private companies owned by Muslims locally and abroad.

Some Australians are committing a double standard by attacking the Muslim community and its faith on one hand and accepting the partnerships with business and iconic cultural events by interests run and operated by Muslims on the other.

You can’t have it both way’s people.