Halal Food Act Passed In Illinois Senate
In a landmark event for Illinois' more than 400,000 Muslim, the Illinois senate has unanimously passed the Halal Food Act on Thursday to safeguard the interests of the Muslim consumer.

The Act makes it a Class B misdemeanor for any person to make any oral or written statement that directly or indirectly tends to deceive or otherwise lead a reasonable individual to believe that a non-halal food or food product is Halal.The Act also makes it unlawaful for any business ,which advertises itself as selling only Halal foods or food products only, to carry any non-Halal products.

It also specifically defines the term "Halal" as food "prepared under and maintained in strict compliance with the laws and customs of the Islamic religion including but not limited to those laws and customs of zabiha/zabeeha (slaughtered according to appropriate Islamic code), and as expressed by reliable recognized Islamic entities and scholars."

Additionally, the Act also contains provisons to regulate Halal farms. Any dealer who grows animals and claims that they have been grown in a Halal way is obligated to prove the authenticity of his claim in accordance with the rules adopted by the Director of Agriculture. The dealer is also required to place a sign in a visible area on the premises on which the animals are sold o exposed for sale.

The Act also requires that no dealer can offer for sale any animal claiming that it is grown in a Halal way or any food commodity representing it as Halal until the dealer has registered information of the certifying Islamic agency specializing in Halal food or the supervising Muslim Inspector of Halal Food with the Director of Agriculture.

A similar Act has already been passed in the state of New Jersey and signed into law by Gov.Christine Todd Whitman. After New Jersey, Minnesota became the second state to introduce a Halal Food bill. The Minnesota bill is still awaiting a final approval from the legislature and Gov.Jesse Ventura.

The Illinois Halal Food Act is unique in the sense that it is a new bill and not an amendment, whereas the New Jersey and Minnessota Bills were amendments made to the already existing Kosher laws. It additionally contains provisons on the regulation of Halal farm.

The Illinois Halal Food Act was sponsored by Sen.Christine Radogno (R-La Grange) with Senators Thomas Walsh, Barack Obama, Louis Viverito, and Ira Silverstein as Chief Co-Sponsors.

Dr.Munir Chaudry, President of Islamic Food and Nutritional Council of America and Dr.Sabri Samirah President of United Muslim Americans Association, testified as witnesses in support of the bill last week to the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. The committee adopted the bill unanimously. The bill still needs to be passed in the Illinois House of Representatives and signed by Gov.George Ryan to be made into law. Dr. Sabri said that they are already working with several congressmen to introduce a similar bill to the Illinois House of Representatives where it is also expected to pass.

April 10, 2001