Brilio.net/en - In these past couple of week, we have seen sparks of controversy on social media about the halal hijab, since an Indonesian Muslim wardrobe brand claimed their hijab products to be the first halal certified hijabs in the country.
Imagevia zoya
Wed like to say, Oh come on, a halal hijab? Just give me a break! as this issue is lately becoming a trending topic and comes up in the headlines as well as in our daily conversations.
Zoyas advertisement is publicly criticized for excessive use of halal branding, a sensation-seeking marketing attempt utilizing the hype of halal labeled products, on inappropriate categories. Apparels arent even expected to be halal.
Halal is any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. Indonesias massive Muslim population creates a huge potential market for halal products, and manufacturers (especially those from food industries) are racing in offering halal certified products to get some of the market share.
Imagevia lensaindonesia
But does the trend mean that every single product offered to Muslims has to be halal-labelled?
Simply put, we dont think so. Its not even a label for all products. The first halal hijab in Indonesia claim is considered provocative and potentially causes uncertainty among Muslim women about their what they wear: Are they permissible? Am I allowed to wear this one?
Originally, as long as a cloth is clean, appropriate and up to the Islamic law, Muslims are free to wear it.
In order to solve this polemic, Shafira Corporation, the holder of Zoya brand held a press conference on Tuesday (9/2). According to the companys representative, the idea of getting a halal certification for hijab products popped up when a consumer tossed a question about the halalness of the textile used for their hijab products.
Companys research and development team had in-depth study about textile production methods and processes, and eventually learned that sometimes non-halal products are used in the process of textile-making.
Based on that, and on the governments law which requires manufacturers to guarantee halalness of their products in a form of halal certification, the company urged their textile suppliers to get halal certifications on all materials dedicated to Zoya hijabs. Ultimately, on October 19, 2015, Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) granted the halal certificate for polyester knitted fabrics for Zoya dan Mezora hijab products.
Problem is, people just didnt get the message and instead of being a great way to communicate, the advertisement has had opposite effects. For causing such confusion, Shafira Corporation apologizes and dropped all the digital advertisements about the halal hijabs.
Souce: Female Daily