Documentary on Halal Certification in Australia

In 2015 the Australian Parliament conducted an Inquiry into food certification practices in Australia.  Public pressure which led to this inquiry was the result of work by Kirralie Smith of Halal Choices.

The report of the Parliamentary Inquiry can be read here. 

The Inquiry’s recommendations included the introduction of clear labeling of certified products, and greater  monitoring by government of halal certification.  However, the Australian Government has not yet acted to implement these recommendations.

A documentary has been produced by the Q Society which provides a good overview of this issue. Titled HALAL CERTIFICATION - The Unpalatable Facts, the documentary exposes the problems in the Australian halal certification industry. Produced by Debbie Robinson and presented by Kirralie Smith, the documentary includes contributions from Senator Cory Bernardi, George Christenson MP, Bernard Gaynor, Debbie Robinson and members of the Assyrian Community.

HALAL CERTIFICATION - The Unpalatable Facts from Q Society of Australia Inc on Vimeo.

Introducing The Interface Institute

Readers of markdurie.com blog posts may wish to connect with the resources of the Interface Institute.

The Interface Institute is a new resource which provides the public with resources to understand the nexus between society and religion, particularly in relation to monotheistic religions.

After a phase in western history when a dominant assumption was that spiritual influences were in decline, we find ourselves launched into what Richard John Neuhaus already in 1997 called ‘the approaching century of religion’.

It is becoming increasingly clear that multiple social and political challenges are being brought on by profound global shifts in religious identity and allegiance, yet many feel ill-equipped to respond to these challenges.  The Interface Institute assists people to understand global religious currents and their impact on areas such as public policy, human rights, security and conflict.

The Interface Institute curates a diverse range of published resources, both from Muslim-majority contexts, and also from nations of the Muslim diaspora, including the West.  It also welcomes original written contributions   Potential contributions can be sent to contact@interfaceinstitute.org

Readers can connect with the Interface Institute’s resources at:

Web:  http://interfaceinstitute.org/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/interfaceinstitute/


From Mark Durie

Excuse me, but your cognitive dissonance is showing

On June 5 in Brighton, Melbourne, at a spot I have driven past countless times, there was a terrorist incident. An armed Muslim, Yacqub Khayre, crying out support for the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, took a hostage, killed a hotel worker, and engaged police in a shootout, until he was shot dead. It is hard to imagine a less likely place for jihadist violence than affluent, Anglo Brighton, with its tidily quiet tree-lined streets of multi-million dollar homes. If it could happen in Brighton, it could happen anywhere.

After Ariana Grande & The Manchester Attacks: Three 'Unrealities' Are Killing Britain's Children

An important article by Jenny Taylor

Three unrealities have collided in Britain, and they are allowing our children to die.  

The first unreality is hinted at in the very words of Ariana Grande, at whose concert in Manchester so many lives were destroyed on the night of May 22. Grande, a 23-year-old American singer, called this her Dangerous Woman Tour. In the hit song "Side to Side" she sings: "Tonight I’m making deals with the devil / And I know it’s gonna get me in trouble ... / Let them hoes know."