Halal a platform for Muslims to spread Islam
By Halal Media on Business and Islamic Finance from halalmedia.my
At six foot five, he towers even amongst the tall Russian crowd. His full beard and dark patch on the forehead are tell-tale signs of a practicing Muslim. Broad smiles and warm demeanour further assures that this is one who wears Islam as his daily attire.
Meet Amr Labib, an Egyptian who has called Moscow home for the past 17 years. He is also the founder of Baraka Ltd. a Halal meat producer established in 1995 selling premium Halal chicken and beef to the 20 million-strong Muslim community all over Russia.
Amr has a lot to say about Russians in general and Halal in Russia in particular. If there was a calculated propaganda against the Muslims back when the Communists were in power, today things are different. The government are more receptive of Islam as the second largest religion in the former Soviet republic.
“To the government, everybody is the same, there is no discrimination,” he says. Although the Muslims were previously negatively stereotyped, from his experience, many Russians were ready to change their mind after being in contact with a Muslim.
One of the best ways according to him is by setting up a Halal business. “Halal actually provides the best platform for Muslims to spread Islam to the local masses. We need to educate why Halal is the best and to do that, we need to produce Halal products that are of exceptional quality and strive constantly to be better than the rest. This is our responsibility as a Halal manufacturer.”
For the small and medium enterprises keen on setting up Halal businesses in Russia, Amr assures that the Halal market is large enough for every new player, provided they analyse the different markets the Muslims are congregating at, he says.
“Today, the situation that we have in Russia is unlike in any other country. The demand for Halal food is increasing day by day but the supply is not sufficient. As a manufacturer, we wish to see more Halal sections in local supermarkets to cater to all segments of society. Currently only a few places sell Halal exclusively.”
Even though Halal appeals to the non Muslims thanks to the general perception that Halal equals high quality, clean and healthy products, acute understanding of the market’s demographics is crucial to the success or failure of any new business.
“My suggestion is to analyse the existing products currently offered to the local Muslims and create an assortment of Halal alternatives,” he says. “This is a huge market and the overall Russian economy is good, so go ahead, no problem.”
And although many newcomers feel threatened by the seemingly ‘hostile reception’ from locals, Amr assures that this is normal. Russians, according to him, are actually very friendly and kind. “Maybe they don’t look like it at first, but once you get to know them, they are all good people. I know this because I have lived here for 17 years now.”
Meet Amr Labib, an Egyptian who has called Moscow home for the past 17 years. He is also the founder of Baraka Ltd. a Halal meat producer established in 1995 selling premium Halal chicken and beef to the 20 million-strong Muslim community all over Russia.
Amr has a lot to say about Russians in general and Halal in Russia in particular. If there was a calculated propaganda against the Muslims back when the Communists were in power, today things are different. The government are more receptive of Islam as the second largest religion in the former Soviet republic.
“To the government, everybody is the same, there is no discrimination,” he says. Although the Muslims were previously negatively stereotyped, from his experience, many Russians were ready to change their mind after being in contact with a Muslim.
One of the best ways according to him is by setting up a Halal business. “Halal actually provides the best platform for Muslims to spread Islam to the local masses. We need to educate why Halal is the best and to do that, we need to produce Halal products that are of exceptional quality and strive constantly to be better than the rest. This is our responsibility as a Halal manufacturer.”
For the small and medium enterprises keen on setting up Halal businesses in Russia, Amr assures that the Halal market is large enough for every new player, provided they analyse the different markets the Muslims are congregating at, he says.
“Today, the situation that we have in Russia is unlike in any other country. The demand for Halal food is increasing day by day but the supply is not sufficient. As a manufacturer, we wish to see more Halal sections in local supermarkets to cater to all segments of society. Currently only a few places sell Halal exclusively.”
Even though Halal appeals to the non Muslims thanks to the general perception that Halal equals high quality, clean and healthy products, acute understanding of the market’s demographics is crucial to the success or failure of any new business.
“My suggestion is to analyse the existing products currently offered to the local Muslims and create an assortment of Halal alternatives,” he says. “This is a huge market and the overall Russian economy is good, so go ahead, no problem.”
And although many newcomers feel threatened by the seemingly ‘hostile reception’ from locals, Amr assures that this is normal. Russians, according to him, are actually very friendly and kind. “Maybe they don’t look like it at first, but once you get to know them, they are all good people. I know this because I have lived here for 17 years now.”
