Dr. Hüseyin Kâmi BÜYÜKÖZER (GİMDES President, World Halal Council Patron)
My dear brothers and sisters with whom I have made a heartfelt union under the roof of WHC, which has 37 members from 33 countries today, I greet you all with my most heartfelt affection in these days when we are experiencing the holy month of Ramadan, and I express my gratitude for your valuable contributions towards a halal and pure life.
I hope that the presidential elections to be held this year, especially with the wish that GIMDES will host them in Türkiye, will be auspicious for both our community and the entire ummah.
I express my gratitude to our brothers who have served so far, and I pray to Allah (swt) for mercy on my brothers who have passed away. I sincerely believe that the elections will strengthen our unity even more and help us reach our common goals.
I hope that we will celebrate our 17th RAMADAN WORLD HALAL DAY, which we have celebrated all over the world since 2013, with great excitement in all branches of WHC this year as well.
We all know that halal food and products should be gathered under a single roof and with a common standard all over the world. At this point, as GIMDES, we act with our motto “One Voice, Full Unity”. As a defender of the principles of halal and tayyib, I believe that Muslims should proceed with the same determination on this issue. We must continue to work with this awareness in order to protect and strengthen our unity and protect our common values.
In addition, we have to be sensitive about not consuming products that are under the control of evil forces and that do not comply with our Islamic values. Not buying these products that we boycott is an important step we take in order not to support economies that serve haram and oppression. Acting with this awareness as required by our Muslim identity is both our individual and social responsibility.
In order to increase the accessibility of halal and tayyib products, the Halal Dunya Markets project has been continuing since 2011. These markets, which do not contain any harmful additives that will harm our health and religion, meet an important need for consumers.
I would like to emphasize the importance of Darul Halal Madrasah, one of the important projects we carry out within GIMDES. With this educational project, we provide our Muslim brothers with access to technical and jurisprudential knowledge in the light of Islamic sciences. Currently, 30 students are receiving education at the associate degree and 35 students at the Bachelor’s degree in the Food Science and Technology Department. This program, which has been enriched with the contributions of our international guest lecturers, aims to raise more equipped generations in the fields of halal and tayyib. We also want you, our valuable brothers, to implement such projects in your own countries. Such studies will contribute to our ummah becoming stronger and more conscious in every respect.
Finally, I would like to draw attention to the importance of the Qard al-Hasan application. Qard al-Hasan, which is based on the principle of interest-free lending, is an important system that strengthens solidarity and cooperation in society. This principle is one of the cornerstones of our economic solidarity and one of the best ways of financial assistance among Muslims. It should be the duty of all of us to spread Qard al-Hasan for a halal and right economy.
I wish you success in our work, permanence in our unity and good results for our ummah. May Allah Almighty always make us successful in keeping us on the right path, within the framework of halal and right.
I sincerely wish you to make the decision to hold our 2025 congress in Türkiye.
