‘Christian Friendly Products’ a South African non profit company that has developed a Christian alternative to Halaal labeling on products, held its official launch in Port Elizabeth on Saturday (March 8, 2014).
The company wants suppliers to display its label on their products rather than Halaal labels which currently appear on more than 50% of SA food products and help to finance the spread of Islam, said co-founder Etienne de Jager. He said the small royalty fee for displaying the CFP label will be used to support Christian mission organisations such as OM, Open Doors, Egeiro Ministry and INcontext Ministries.
“To make this Christian trademark a success, we need the support of churches, Christian organizations and Christians in business. You can support us through prayer, by sharing this knowledge with your friends and family, by bringing your business on board and also by supporting businesses that carry the logo,” said De Jager. He urged Christians to visist CFP’s website at www.christianfriendlyproducts.com and to like its Facebook page.
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First supporter
The first business to support the initiative is Homemade Blessings in Kuils River, which displays the CFP label on its range of food products.
Speaking at the launch event at Hoogland Dutch Reformed Church during a city men’s prayer meeting to intercede for Egypt, De Jager said Islam poses the biggest threat to the church. He said Muslims make up about 2% of the South Africa population but that through Halaal labels the Christian majority contributes millions of rands a year to the spread of Islam, including the building of mosques, madrasses (Islamic schools) and Daw’ah (Islamic mission).
He said the Scripture, John 6:27. which reads:“Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” played a key role in his inspiration to develop an alternative, Christian label.
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“God allowed this verse to take root in my mind. Sometimes it is good to allow a verse to simmer for a bit or brew like good coffee in your spirit to get the aroma out. The words “food , Son of Man, His seal” stood out for me. Excitement started to build within my spirit. I thought: What if an alternative symbol exits on products? A symbol that honours God by honouring Christ , the One who carries his seal of approval. A trademark with one sole purpose: enriching the Kingdom of God,” he said.
World waking up
De Jager said: “It is encouraging to see how God is waking up the world on the issue of halaal. Some videos are available on
our Facebook page that show how Australia, France, Great Britain and the Netherlands are now realising, just as South Africa is doing, what the halaal trade really means.”
One of the videos he refers to cites a 2010 newspaper report in Pakistan in which The Grand Mufti of Bosnia Herzegovina, Dr Mustafa Ceric is quoted as urging the Muslim Ummah to conquer the world through the Halaal movement as Halaal means pure and hygiene and non-Muslim world has no hesitation to accept it.
According to the report, Dr Ceric told a reception hosted by the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) that the Halaal movement has the strength to lead Muslims to rule the global economy as the food and other services are the basic need of every human being.
thank you for a very informative article. never looked at the hallal label in this way before. What an eye opener.
Dis ‘n uiters belangrike taak waarmee julle besig is, mag dit van krag tot krag gaan deur baie Christene wat hierdie konsep ondersteun.
I am sorry to be a wet blanket but, though this is theoretically a great idea, I very much doubt that big business will go along with dropping the Halaal logo. We live in a world that bends over backwards to avoid offending everyone except the Christians (who are fair game for everyone) so they are sure to continue to court the Muslim consumers, knowing full well that the Christian public are too weak kneed to take a stand and that the majority of South Africans, Christian or not, will place convenience ahead of scruples.
If The mega food industries do not discontinue the Halaal lable – which I am sure they will not – the whole campaign will fall flat on its face as everyone needs to eat and the few independent suppliers that go along with the campaign will never be able to supply the countries food demands…
Mike, it is a fair comment. But this labelling is a help to those Christians who do care where their money goes.
Thanks be, to God our Lord for this revelation to you brothers! This has bothered me for a long time, not knowing if there are Christians who know and observe it. At last some one did, and I’m happy that there will be an alternative to Halaal.
You are busy with discrimination! Go read your Bible and keep doing what you are doing. By spreading hatred you are doing a fantastic job, white-boys! (I suppose you will delete this comment due to you being a coward…)
You really dont get it John Doe (Real name?). Re read the article and think for a minute. Why would we as Christians willingly agree to support the spread of Islam? There is no discrimination, racism or hatred in this issue or intention to appose halaal labeling. Hatred, discrimination and racism does not exist in the Kingdom of God but grace, forgiveness and love does in fact exist. For everyone (even you) is offered His grace and forgiveness. Jesus atoned for everyones (even yours) sins. Halaal labeling is a cash generating initiative to spread Islam. This is the alternate. A cash generating initiative to spread His forgiveness and grace. Blessings boet. I know all my fellow Christians will agree to pray that Jesus reveals Himself to you in a mighty way and as such that you will receive His grace and forgiveness as we have done.
There are four different muslim organisations a manufacturer has to go through to get complete halaal certification – because they don’t recognise each other. Like most regulatory systems, it is a economic rent-seeking, money-making racket. People are ignorant about Islam and believe the propaganda that it is a religion of peace – far from it. This initiative is merely intended to give Christians an alternative.
i disagree with Mike’s observation.We as Christians need to make the general public aware of the real meaning of the Halaal sign.Why should we give up Mike even before we’ve started?’Weak kneed Christians’ as you call us,in Nehemiah’s were also mocked by the enemies of God&yet they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem.We have the faith(78% professing the Christian faith in SA) and the money to do it.Pessimism will not do much.
An excellent alternative. I encourage CFP to ensure a credible Board that will be accountable for the project, credibly audited accounts, transparency in where the money goes and what it does. It would be a strength to have all major church formations endorse it and that CFP have a short Manifesto explaining why this alternative to Halaal is necessary (exposing that Halaal supports Islamic religious projects (but refrain from alleging Terrorism!) and giving credible financial statistics. Consider a narrow and critical Cause, eg “Orphan support”, “Entrepreneurial Development”, “Education Scholarships” etc and focus on that supporting Christian agencies that are so involved. This will avoid the present vagueness that is sensed in this article, and give a clearly defined sharp edge that will commend itself to everyone, not only Christians, but ALL who want to support such causes but would not want to support ‘evangelism’. Maybe even Muslims will buy CFP stuff!
You should be open to applications for funding.
Those approved should meet financial, doctrinal and integrity-management bench-marks. The “profit” should undercut the Halaal markup. CFP should have a stated limit that e.g. “not more than 20% goes to overheads”. Over-emphasise CPF’s Integrity and avoid any appearance of corruption or self-enrichment (even if we know CFP is credible, it must be SEEN to have Integrity, because the public don’t want any more fraud). CFP must meet all legal requirements and if taxable, pay the taxes. In this way, by contrast, you will implicitly expose the secret, underhand manner in which Halaal operates, and CFP will earn credibility.
Ensure widespread marketing of their logo, and in the promotion releases don’t attack Islam but let your Integrity and Transparency, with the Good Cause motivation, speak for itself. You may even thank Islam for their good idea, and say we want to improve on it by being openly transparent, and offer specific good causes to which the money goes. Welcome scrutiny of your credentials and books. This is a superb project, and if managed well from Day One could be a potent witness to the Integrity and Loving character of Jesus Christ. (But if managed carelessly, it will attract more antagonism to Christianity – you carry a huge responsibility!) God bless you!
Not ‘orphan support’, ‘entrepreneurial development’ or ‘educational scholarships’ – there are hundreds of secular charitable organisations already doing this. This will dilute the initiative into something vague. Unless the proceeds of this labelling initiative go overtly to preaching the gospel of Christ (and that means evangelism) it runs the risk of being just another NGO. ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…’ (Rom 1:16). The early church in Acts did charitable works, but always the Gospel was preached first. The labelling may be provocative to the easily-offended, but it is then an excellent opportunity to witness for Christ.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Long before this initiative, i have supported Christian Business and buying “Christian Friendly Products” so that i don’t support Moslems in their Cause to spread Islam. Even when it means changing my old halaal buying culture to christian friendly culture. I believe we should support this initiative throughout the church of Jesus Christ. Then we will see who is really sold out for the CAUSE OF CHRIST. We love the moslems(because they need Christ) but i prefer to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and where i spend my money becomes a clear indicator of my love for the Lord. I am a disciple of Jesus.
White boys, we love you sooo much!
Nothing falls flat when and where the name of Christ is applied!
nothing falls flat where and when the name of Christ is applied!
At last. May this Jesus stamp find favour with God and man and eventually become a funder of fruitful Christian missions!
Love Islamics – hate their agenda.
We must stand up for Jesus. For too long have many Christians been”afraid of offending”. If we stand up and publicly proclaim our love for Jesus and there are those who are offended because of this, how have we offended them? Is it not they in fact who are merely “offended”? I for one support this initiative and agree with Hugh in terms of how it should be managed, with Tyrone for contending our faith, with Rev Karshagan about this being done in His name and finally with Loopi in that we love the Muslims but not their true agenda.
Praise God I love it, but would love the company’s email to give more input, so that I can give my support
info@christianfriendlyproducts.com
Thank you, West Men, for your challenge to Christian courage. I too am not ashamed of preaching the Gospel, not at all. But I want to be strategic in approaching the Halaal problem. Mike Guest has made a valid point: Big manufacturers will not easily give up Halaal support. If faced with a choice between supporting Muslims or supporting overt evangelism, they will stay with the system already in place: Halaal. If our aim is to divert funds from Muslim causes, then our strategy should be to promote worthy alternatives that will appeal to them. I’d guess some 30 million South Africans would choose an alternative to Halaal if they could do so. But if your aim is to raise funds for evangelism, then do so directly through the churches. The “Christian Friendly” logo is already the limit of our Witnessing potential, and it’s a good one. But it in itself does not evangelise. It is Pre-Evangelism. Part of a broad-based strategy to fight Halaal would include the CFP plan, but would also expose what most people don’t know: They are paying a tax to Islam, whose extremists abduct school girls and bomb peaceful neighbourhoods. If managed with the wisdom of serpents and the harmlessness of doves, CFP could do wonders!
Hugh, you have given this a lot of careful thought and I appreciate that. I particularly enjoyed your reference to a ‘tax to Islam’ – we must beware of the stealth by which they propagate Islam.