The Halal Frontier

In The Halal Frontier Johan Fischer shows that halal (literally lawful or permitted) is no longer an expression of esoteric forms of production, trade and consumption, but part of an expanding globalised market. This book explores modern forms of halal understanding and practice in the halal consumption of middle-class Malays in the diaspora.

The increasing demand for halal products, including goods and services, every year, especially for food and beverages, has resulted in a growing need for products with halal guarantees. Along with the increasing trend of the global demand, it has resulted in an increase in producers of halal food and beverages in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries. In addition the demand for halal tourism is also increasing. Indonesia is one of the largest Muslim countries in the world. However, there are still many Muslim consumer actors and Muslim producer actors who do not yet have an awareness of the importance of complying with the provisions of Islamic law in consuming and producing goods and services. There are still many restaurants and hotels that serve food and drinks that are not certified halal. There are still many food, medicinal and cosmetic products that are not halal certified. But now many secular countries such as France, Canada, Australia, the United States, Britain are also halal certified with the aim of meeting the Muslim demand for halal products for food and beverage, including for halal tourism. Starting from the development of the halal industry both in the fields of food, beverages and services, an International Seminar was held, which provides a more complete understanding of halal products, current halal developments and can serve as motivation to produce halal products, providing research results from the topic of halal development. The international seminar, entitled International Conference on Halal Development, listed speakers from several countries able to provide an overview of the halal development of several countries. This book contains a selection of papers from the conference.

Many Westerners view Islam as a religion that restricts and subordinates women in both private and public life. Yet a surprising number of women in Western Europe and America are converting to Islam. What attracts these women to a belief system that is markedly different from both Western Christianity and Western secularism? What benefits do they gain by converting, and what are the costs? How do Western women converts live their new Islamic faith, and how does their conversion affect their families and communities? How do women converts transmit Islamic values to their children? These are some of the questions that Women Embracing Islam seeks to answer. In this vanguard study of gender and conversion to Islam, leading historians, sociologists, anthropologists, and theologians investigate why non-Muslim women in the United States, several European countries, and South Africa are converting to Islam. Drawing on extensive interviews with female converts, the authors explore the life experiences that lead Western women to adopt Islam, as well as the appeal that various forms of Islam, as well as the Nation of Islam, have for women. The authors find that while no single set of factors can explain why Western women are embracing Islamic faith traditions, some common motivations emerge. These include an attraction to Islam's high regard for family and community, its strict moral and ethical standards, and the rationality and spirituality of its theology, as well as a disillusionment with Christianity and with the unrestrained sexuality of so much of Western culture.

The West has seen the rise of the organic movement. In the Muslim world, a similar halal movement is rapidly spreading. Malaysia is at the forefront of this new global phenomenon. Examining the powerful linkages between class, consumption, market relations, Islam and the state in contemporary Malaysia, this is the first book to explore how Malaysia's emerging Malay middle class is constituted through consumer practices and Islamic revivalism. By exploring consumption practices in urban Malaysia, this book shows how diverse forms of Malay middle-class consumption (of food, clothing, and cars, for example) are understood, practiced, and contested as a particular mode of modern Islamic practice. It illustrates ways in which the issue of "proper Islamic consumption" for consumers, the marketplace, and the state in contemporary Malaysia evokes a whole range of contradictory Islamic visions, lifestyles, and debates articulating what Islam is or ought to be.

"This book expounds the rules of shariah relating to lawful and unlawful in food and beverage and how they are manifested in the halal industry practices and markets. In addition to a concise presentation of the scholastic treatment of the rules of halal and its opposite, the haram in shariah, the book also familiarises the reader on how they were formed and what are the basic tools by which the rules of shariah may be adjusted through fresh interpretation (i.e ijtihad) that may respond to new developments"--

Rules -- Meat -- Slaughter -- Intoxicants -- Business -- Standards -- Manufactured products -- Wholesome -- Cuisine -- Eating out

This book presents new perspectives on Southeast Asia using cases from a range of ethnic groups, cultures and histories, written by scholars from different ethnicities, generations, disciplines and scientific traditions. It examines various research trajectories, engaging with epistemological debates on the ‘global’ and ‘local’, on ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’, and the role played by personal experiences in the collection and analysis of empirical data. The volume provides subjects for debate rarely addressed in formal approaches to data gathering and analysis. Rather than grappling with the usual methodological building blocks of research training, it focuses on neglected issues in the research experience including chance, error, coincidence, mishap, dead ends, silence, secrets, improvisation, remembering, digital challenges and shifting tracks. Fieldwork and the Self is relevant to academics and researchers from universities and international organisations who are engaged in teaching and learning in area studies and social science research methods. “A rich and compelling set of writings about fieldwork in, and beyond, Southeast Asia”. — Lyn Parker, Emeritus Professor, University of Western Australia “A must-read for all, especially emerging scholars on Southeast Asia, and a refreshing read for critical ‘old hands’ on the region”. — Abdul Rahman Embong, Emeritus Professor, Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia “An impressive collection of essays by two academics who have devoted their academic life to anthropological fieldwork in Southeast Asia”. — Shamsul A.B., Distinguished Professor and UNESCO Chair, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia “The contributors share an unquenchable and passionate curiosity for Southeast Asia. They have survived the uncertainties and disillusionment of their fieldwork and remained first-grade scholars”. — Marie-Sybille de Vienne, Professor, National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilisations, Paris “A penetrating reflection on current social science research on Southeast Asia”. — Hans-Dieter Evers, Professor Emeritus and Senior Fellow, University of Bonn

The development of Islamic banking and finance (IBF) previously centred around three regions of the world: the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. However, in recent years, this has expanded, as interest in IBF has gained momentum in Australia, the USA, and Europe, especially in the UK. Several Western market players have established their own Islamic window or subsidiaries to cater to the need of growing Muslim populations in these regions. This book examines the recent developments in IBF, particularly in the context of Islamic social finance instruments, such as Islamic microfinance, halal education, takaful, mutual funds, and waqf. It covers the religiosity, spirituality, and tawhid index, which promotes social well-being and empowerment. The book is interdisciplinary, and theories, practice, and key issues are presented simultaneously, introducing new ideas and techniques to the IBF community. Moreover, the book examines topics such as innovation in Islamic social finance instruments, advanced techniques of risk mitigation in Islamic capital markets, marketing and the halal industry, and shari’ah-compliant instruments, which are critical to Islamic finance. The book is an essential reference text for academics and research students at the master’s and doctorate levels in IBF.