Yes, we do have World Halal Day now.
From last year on, we have started to commemorate the World Halal Day on every 17th of Ramadan. It is a day for blessing and it is an opportunity to spread the Halal Word and wisdom to the mankind.
World Halal Day is a gift from World Halal Council (WHC) to the World.
Allah orders us in Qur’an :
“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you – when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided. “ (Al Imran 103).
So let’s be united, hold tightly to the rope of Allah and remember our responsibilities for the Halal bite. This way we can contribute to our societies and clear our lives from non-Halal.
Islam is not a simple act of pray. It is a whole life system prepared by Allah for the good of people. People have also the right of choice. Consumers of Halal choose Halal because they know this is good for their body and spirit and more important this is what Allah permits.
There are people (Muslim or non-Muslim) who don’t know or care about Halal. It is our responsibility to awaken those people and give them the options. They might go ahead for non-Halal. Then it is their choice.
What is the reason to select 17 Ramadhan as World Halal day?
Fiqh Ulamas jointly declared that the first ayat on Halal was Ayat 69 of Sura Anfal ((8:69). This ayat was revealed in 17th Ramadan in 624 (A.H. 2) during (or after) Battle of Badr, the first battle between Islam and kufr.
“So consume what you have taken of war booty [as being] lawful and good, and fear Allah . Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (Anfal 69)
So we believe it is a good start to select 17 Ramadan to celebrate as World Halal Day. This will not mean that our activities for Halal will be limited to this particular day; but we shall give special importance to World Halal Day as millions of Muslims do not have the slightest idea of what they have been consuming.
As a probable and expected result of our collective efforts with other Halal Certifying Bodies and stakeholders, more Muslims will be enlightened and will understand the necessity for Halal and Halal certifying.
This year, 14 of July was the 17 Ramadan and we, at GIMDES, did our best to observe it.
Here are some of the activities we accomplished :
*GIMDES President Dr Buyukozer and upper management of GIMDES gave several speeches and interviews on TV and radio.
*GIMDES hired many billboards and opened canvas banners that showed World Halal in Istanbul.
*Local newpapers and some magazines published some articles on importance of Halal.
*GIMDES used social media to spread the necessary information on Halal.
*GIMDES organized an iftar dinner in Istanbul for hundreds of Muslims. Respected Ulamas, managers of local authorities, media, Halal certified company managers and their families gathered for this occasion.
*Our volunteer members opened presentation stands in several centers of Istanbul and in other cities. They informed public by distibuting brochures and giving gifts.
*GIMDES volunteers sent thousands of greeting cards for World Halal Day all over Turkey.
*Fellow NGOs organized local seminars, essay contests on Halal, visits to local authorities.
*Halal Chain Stores set up stands in their areas and distributed presents to public.
*Halal Chain Stores arranged Iftar dinners for hundreds of Muslims in their areas.
*GIMDES volunteers and management of Halal Chain Stores visited schools, orphanages, Syrian refugee camps and retirement homes for aged.
We are glad to learn that Moscow Mufties Council in Russia and ISWA (Islamic Society of Washington Area) in USA arranged some programs on their own. We congratulate these members for their efforts.
We do hope that 17 Ramadan will be a day for Unity of Muslims and we will see that it will be celebrated with great enthusiasm among all Muslims next year.
