Aussie dairy farmers worried about anti-halal ‘bullying’
Yoghurt company drops halal certification after groups accuse it of funding “Sharia”.
Australia’s Fleurieu Milk and Yoghurt Company dropped its Halal certification after being accused of funding violent groups through the certification fee. The company stated it was deterred by the “negative publicity” brought on by an anti-Halal social media campaign.
Critics took to the company’s Facebook page to accuse them of supporting “Islamist” groups and “Sharia law”. The Queensland Halal Certification Service that provided Fleurieu with the Halal label later responded, saying such claims were “absolutely wrong” and funds generated from the yearly fee went to local health and education initiatives.
The Islamic Society of South Australia also responded to the incident, calling such attacks Islamophobic and adding that more understanding of Halal products is needed. The Dairy Farmers Association said they were disappointed by Fleurieu’s response to “irrational bullying” and offered them support.
Fleurieu has since deleted its Facebook page.