Dr. Hüseyin Kami BÜYÜKÖZER
Producing halal medicines and medical products for society is an important duty of a Muslim. If Muslims want to be leaders in the pharmaceutical and medicine industry, they must fully utilize the resources of their country. At the same time, if they do not have the knowledge to develop halal medical products, they should seek ways to acquire this knowledge to become more competitive.
Türkiye has the potential to further develop its biotechnology industry. “We are one of the richest countries in terms of genes that can be used for various purposes. So if we do not do it ourselves, others may come and take some of the things they can develop and leave.” “So we should use the resources in this country. So we should support the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry because it is another important source of wealth for this country.”
Muslims pay great attention to the issues of halal and haram, so if the industry can supply them with products that do not arouse suspicion, they should do so. Many people may call this obligation fard al-kifayah, an act of worship or action that benefits the community and society at large.
Muslims are also required to consume halal products provided by the industry. Muslims have a responsibility to make halal products available and produce them, and consumers in turn must support the industry by purchasing them. He may not yet have the full capacity to produce halal products, but if a person feels very strongly about it, it is his responsibility to acquire the knowledge. “Go learn and open a factory,” he said about what GIMDES can do to ensure that halal standards are accepted worldwide. GIMDES, while defining halal food, says that “We must explain that the food or product is prepared in an Islamic manner and very clean (tayyib). Therefore, people will buy it. This is the same as Islamic banking where banks lend money in a Muslim manner. Non-Muslims have no problem accepting this. In fact, many non-Muslims are supporters of Islamic banking.
The issue of halal or haram does not arise for non-Muslims because it is only a concern for Muslim customers. Therefore, if halal products are produced, it benefits the manufacturer because it does not lose the non-Muslim market, but also gains the trust of the Muslim market.
There are a few companies in Türkiye that successfully produce and market halal pharmaceutical products. But they are definitely not enough.
