Saturday, December 31, 2011
Malaysia's 'Young Imam' Reality TV Show Widens Reach
Malaysia's 'Young Imam' Reality TV Show Widens Reach
Kuala Lumpur. A hit Malaysian Islamic reality TV show kicked off its second season this week after drawing more than 1,000 hopefuls from across the region, including Indonesia, in a sign of the religion's growing reach in Southeast Asia.
Combining a reality TV format with Islamic teachings, the "Imam Muda" or "Young Imam" show is a talent contest for male Muslims aged between 18 and 27 who can speak Malay, with the winner crowned an Imam or religious leader.
"The end result, we leave it to God but we want to do the best we can to attract youths to be closer to the religion," said Izelan Basar, station manager for the Malaysian satellite television station which produces the show.
The prime-time show features contestants in sharp-looking black suits who are judged on a variety of tasks including reciting Koranic verses, washing corpses, slaughtering sheep according to Muslim rules and counselling promiscuous young Muslim couples.
"Young Imam" first aired last year but was then only open to Malaysians. Its popularity led the producers to invite participants from other countries. More than 1,000 hopefuls from Malaysia as well as neighbouring Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and Thailand auditioned for the show's second season, and 10 were shortlisted, said Izelan.
Islam is the most widely practised religion in Southeast Asia with more than 240 million followers, with Indonesia the world's most populous Muslim country.
"I hope that through Imam Muda, I'll become confident and strong to face any challenges," said Singaporean Mujahid Suhaimi, 20, one of the show's contestants.
The show will run for 10 weeks with the winner offered a job as an imam, or head of a mosque, a car, a cash prize of 30,000 ringgit ($9,922) and a four-year scholarship in Al-Madinah University in Saudi Arabia.
Reuters
Combining a reality TV format with Islamic teachings, the "Imam Muda" or "Young Imam" show is a talent contest for male Muslims aged between 18 and 27 who can speak Malay, with the winner crowned an Imam or religious leader.
"The end result, we leave it to God but we want to do the best we can to attract youths to be closer to the religion," said Izelan Basar, station manager for the Malaysian satellite television station which produces the show.
The prime-time show features contestants in sharp-looking black suits who are judged on a variety of tasks including reciting Koranic verses, washing corpses, slaughtering sheep according to Muslim rules and counselling promiscuous young Muslim couples.
"Young Imam" first aired last year but was then only open to Malaysians. Its popularity led the producers to invite participants from other countries. More than 1,000 hopefuls from Malaysia as well as neighbouring Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and Thailand auditioned for the show's second season, and 10 were shortlisted, said Izelan.
Islam is the most widely practised religion in Southeast Asia with more than 240 million followers, with Indonesia the world's most populous Muslim country.
"I hope that through Imam Muda, I'll become confident and strong to face any challenges," said Singaporean Mujahid Suhaimi, 20, one of the show's contestants.
The show will run for 10 weeks with the winner offered a job as an imam, or head of a mosque, a car, a cash prize of 30,000 ringgit ($9,922) and a four-year scholarship in Al-Madinah University in Saudi Arabia.
Reuters
In Europe: Halal Ads Hit French TV
In Europe: Halal Ads Hit French TV
A pack of shoppers swarm supermarket shelves, cheerfully snapping up packages of prepared lasagna, ravioli and paella as they sing the products' praises. Sounds just like a normal evening TV ad. And it is, only this one features ethnic-Arab actors in a commercial for halal food in France. A first in its own right, the ad is already a remarkable sight on French TV. But even more surprising is the reaction it's gotten — or, rather, hasn't gotten. In a country that's usually quick to burst into outrage over the spread of Islam into secular society, these halal-food ads have been playing without a peep from the public.
The ad campaign by Panzani-owned, Lyon-based food brand Zakia Halal is the first ever mass-market promotion of halal food to France's estimated 5 million Muslims. The TV spots kicked off on Aug. 17 to coincide with the start of the holy month of Ramadan and have been running on most of France's largest television channels since. The $430,000 campaign was put on pause Sept. 2, then resumed as Ramadan comes to an end later this month and the feast of Eid el-Fitr approaches. Thus far, the spots have gotten a mostly supportive reaction from Muslim shoppers and the French media, with the daily Le Parisien trumpeting "Halal Takes a Spot on TV."
What's astounding is how long it took for any of France's numerous makers of halal food products to embrace this kind of mass marketing. Studies done by ethnic-marketing consultancy Solis Conseil in Paris estimate that French Muslims currently purchase about $5.7 billion worth of specialized foodstuffs and related products — a market that's been increasing nearly 15% annually for almost a decade. Solis has also found that nearly 94% of all Muslims in France with North African roots — by far the largest group of Muslims in the country — buy exclusively halal food. A recent poll by the Ifop agency found that 70% of Muslims in France are observing Ramadan this year — leaving little doubt as to the thinking behind the timing of Zakia Halal's groundbreaking ad campaign.
"Even though people have to fast during the day, Muslims tend to eat more — and better — when they can eat during Ramadan, which is why it is traditionally a period of peak consumer activity," explains Abbas Bendali, director of Solis Conseil. "Zakia's timing makes good sense because people tend to be short on time during Ramadan and will use prepared dishes along with fresh food for meals. And when you consider the size and value of this demographic, using mass-market methods to promote halal products becomes logical too."
But it's also potentially inflammatory, given the tendency of the French to view overt manifestations of Islamic faith as a threat to the nation's tradition of secularity. After all, France is the nation that felt obliged to protect itself against the supposed spread of Islam by passing a 2004 law prohibiting students from wearing religious symbols in public schools — a measure primarily aimed at Islamic headscarves. Earlier this year, a form of apparel that President Nicolas Sarkozy damned as "not welcome on French territory." That legal prohibition was regarded as overkill, however, when a police intelligence study estimated that fewer than 370 women in the nation of 65 million people actually wear the complete head, face and body covering.
Even so, the French media worked themselves into a lather in July when one woman demanded the right to swim in a burqini — a one-piece that resembles a wet suit — in a public pool that denied her entrance. Given that, it's little wonder that the approval — or disinterest — that the French public has shown the Zakia Halal ads has been a source of contentment and relief to many French Muslims. "So much negativity has recently been attached to so-called Muslim topics that there's a certain satisfaction that ads for halal products are being greeted as normal," Bendali says. "After so many years of being ordered to integrate into French society and culture, Muslims are interpreting the reaction to these ads as a sign that integration may finally be working in both directions. It appears the rest of France is starting to regard things like halal food as part of the new mix."
In fact, it has been for quite a while — though marketers and distributors have tended to keep quiet about it. For most of the past decade, France's main supermarket chains have carried halal food to keep up with demand from consumers. That has increased so much that those supermarkets have recently launched their own halal brands to rival those of food groups — and are beginning to display them in dedicated halal sections as they have kosher food for years.
Still, don't expect to see the shelves stocked with Western versions of traditional North African fare, like microwaveable couscous or ready-made tagine. Those are things French Muslims still prefer to make themselves. Instead, what they're snapping up are more exotic dishes like lasagna, beef Bourguignonne and hachis Parmentier — à la halal bien sûr.
Sweden: Halal-TV has given rise to heated debate
Source:
WLUML Networkers
A new Swedish TV show fronted by three veiled Muslim women has been accused of perpetuating stereotypes of Muslim women.
Halal-TV is a show presented by three young, devoutly religious, Muslim women who explore Swedish culture, discussing subjects such as class, gender equality, sex, alcohol, and ideals of beauty. Crtics have accused the show of presenting a narrow portrait of Muslim women in Swedish society. (WLUML Networkers)
The Swedish TV show Halal-TV has given rise to much debate in Sweden. The debates concern issues regarding the actual TV show, and also broader questions such as gender equality within Islam, and Islamophobia. I will here provide a short introduction to the TV show, explaining what Halal-TV is and what it is about. I will also outline the main features of the debate. I have chosen to exclude any reference to the purely racist and extreme rightwing propaganda that has been visible, especially in the blogosphere. This is because there is no value and little reasoned argument in such expressions of racial hatred.Halal-TV is a show, over eight episodes, that focuses on the lives of three young Muslim women – Cherin Awad, Dalia Azzam Kassem and Khadiga El khabiry – who explore Swedish culture and discuss Swedish commonalities. More specifically, the women broach subjects such as class, gender equality, sex, alcohol, and ideals of beauty in each of the episodes. Cherin, Dalia and Khadiga were all born in Sweden, they consider themselves Swedish and they see Sweden as their home-country. They are all highly educated: Cherin is a lawyer, Dalia studies medicine, and Khadiga is a dental nurse on maternity leave. Halal-TV is produced by the Swedish public service company, SVT.
The debates regarding Halal-TV started even before the first episode was broadcast on TV. The show was accused of presenting a very narrow portrait of Muslim women. Cherin, Dalia and Khadiga are all devoutly religious. They all wear hijab, and two of them – Cherin and Khadiga – do not shake hands with men. Many people have opposed this; they have pointed out that there are around 400,000 Muslims in Sweden, and only around 250,000 of them are practicing Muslims. Furthermore, among these 250,000 practicing Muslims, there is a huge variation in background, and in how religion affects everyday life. Therefore, Cherin, Dalia and Khadiga are not considered representative of the majority of Swedish, Muslim women, and, it is claimed, it is unfortunate that SVT chose these three women as hosts for Halal-TV. SVT representatives responded by saying that the three women do not represent anyone but themselves. However, critics maintain that even though it is explicitly said that Cherin, Dalia and Khadiga only represent themselves, they will regardless be viewed by the public as representatives of Muslim women in general. The concern is that having three religiously conservative Muslim girls hosting a show called Halal-TV will create in the audience’s mind an image of all Muslim women as similarly religious.
Cherin Awad has been accused of supporting stoning as a death penalty for adultery. In 2003, in a Swedish TV show called “Existens”, Cherin participated in a discussion regarding stoning as a death penalty. Cherin said that it is almost impossible to be sentenced to death by stoning within Sharia law, since there are severe preconditions that need to be fulfilled, for example there have to be three eye witnesses. When she was asked whether stoning is a proper punishment for adultery if these preconditions are fulfilled, she answered yes and explained that by this severe punishment Islamic law makes it clear how horrible adultery is. Today, Cherin says that she is, and has always been, against death the penalty. She further states that she thought the question, whether stoning is a proper punishment for adultery if the preconditions are fulfilled, was a question about features of Sharia law, not a question about her personal opinion. Many people find it offensive that, after such a statement, representatives of SVT asked Cherin to be one of the hosts of Halal-TV. Some critics, often Muslim, claim that this will reinforce the public perception of Muslims as fundamentalists. Other critics, often so called “ex-Muslims” and other non-Muslims, claim that such fundamentalists as Cherin should not be on TV spreading their anti-democratic opinions. However, it could also be argued that the heavy criticism of Cherin Awad is due to racism and sexism. Within the Swedish patriarchal and racist discourse, if you are a woman – and especially a Muslim woman – you have to watch your mouth very carefully; any careless statement might haunt you for the rest of your life.
Moreover, after the first episode a few TV-critics in the media argued that Halal-TV was poor television. The problem, they reasoned, was not that the three were Muslims and were wearing hijab; it was that the three did not display enough competence and journalistic skills as hosts in a programme whose objective was to mirror society. And they questioned the criteria in selecting the three.
Then there is the hand-shaking incident that has caused a huge debate. In the first episode, one of the interviewees, Carl Hamilton, got very angry and upset when Cherin and Khadiga declined to shake his hand. Carl Hamilton is a well known Swedish, left-wing debater. When Cherin and Khadiga, instead of shaking Carl Hamilton’s hand, put their hands to their hearts and said “this is how we will greet you”, Carl Hamiltion gets very annoyed. He angrily says that if the girls do not want to greet him in a conventional way, they can go back to Iran. Khadiga reminds him that none of them are from Iran, they are all born in Sweden. In fact none of them has anything to do with Iran, neither their parents are from Iran, nor have they ever been there. Khadiga asks Carl where he thinks a blond, Swedish girl, who has converted to Islam and therefore does not want to shake his hand, should go. Carl says that such a girl should go and live in a cave somewhere.
The three presenters with guest, Mona Sahlin, Leader of the Social Democratic Party in Sweden. Source: www.svt.se
This conversation between Carl and the girls has raised debates, both regarding multiculturalism and sexism. Carl Hamilton has (of course) been accused of being a racist. Saying things such as “go back to Iran” and “go and live in a cave” are not acceptable. On this point, most reasonable people agree (even Carl, who has apologized for losing his temper). The more interesting questions are those regarding multiculturalism. Should minorities adapt customs of the majority, or should the majority accept minorities and their customs? What if the customs of the minority are gender oppressive? It could be argued that the phenomenon of women not shaking men’s hands is a result of patriarchal customs and values. It reflects men’s control over women’s bodies and sexualities. In a liberal and gender equal country, such as Sweden claims to be, these patriarchal customs should not be accepted. Hence, the argument goes, if Cherin and Khadiga want to be polite they should shake Carl’s hand. On the other hand, it could be argued that Carl Hamilton’s anger is a result of Swedish patriarchy. Men, in their experience of being men, are used to the privilege of dictating how a society – economically, socially and culturally – should operate. When Cherin and Khadiga do not shake Carl’s hand, they break the patriarchal order by not accepting Carl as a superior being. This is why Carl got angry.
Broader debates concerning Islam have also emerged following the screening of Halal-TV in Sweden. For example, there are some so called “ex-Muslims” who have raised their voices and said that Islam is an oppressive religion, and they question if Cherin, Dalia and Khadiga actually know anything about things such as gender equality. These ex-Muslims urge Swedish media (such as SVT) to stop being polite and overly accepting of Muslims: Islam, they argue, is oppressive and we (Sweden) need to openly discuss issues such as “honor killing”, genital mutilation and forced marriage. This point of view has been heavily critiqued as being Islamophobic. Some Muslims have said that these so called ex-Muslims should stop blaming Islam. If these ex-Muslims have been subjected to, for example violence in the name of honour, they should blame their relatives. It is their relatives who are oppressive, not Islam. Some Muslims have further said that they find it offensive and racist that people call Islam oppressive. They claim that they did not know anything about honor killing, genital mutilation and so on, until they moved to Sweden and were told that this is what they condone as Muslims.
Furthermore, it is argued that the heavy critique of Halal-TV is foremost a sign of a deeply rooted Islamophobia in Swedish society. An Islamophobia that can be traced back to the Christian crusades and that has, since then, been a part of the European cultural heritage. Halal-TV has nothing to do with fundamentalism, terrorism and gender inequity. Rather, Halal-TV gives, for the first time in Swedish history, the opportunity for veiled women to speak in public about subjects other than their veils. And people find it hard to accept that veiled women also have agency. However, the critique against Halal-TV continues. The organization “Ex-Muslims in Sweden” has started an appeal, which they urge everyone who wants to stop the TV show Halal-TV to sign.
My personal opinion, after having seen the first three episodes, is that the show is quite harmless and fairly entertaining. The girls are, do not strike me as fundamentalists rather they are average girls who reflect on things such as notions of beauty and equality. And they do have differences of opinions amongst themselves. Cherin, for example, encourages her son to play with dolls, since she believes gender stereotypes are socially constructed, and she strongly believes that household work should be divided equally between men and women (quite progressive, I think.) Khadiga, on the other hand, thinks that it is a private matter how you should divide your household work. Furthermore, both Dalia and Khadiga use makeup every day. Cherin does not agree with this since she thinks make up does not go well with the veil.
19 January 2009
By: Johanna Heden
The debates regarding Halal-TV started even before the first episode was broadcast on TV. The show was accused of presenting a very narrow portrait of Muslim women. Cherin, Dalia and Khadiga are all devoutly religious. They all wear hijab, and two of them – Cherin and Khadiga – do not shake hands with men. Many people have opposed this; they have pointed out that there are around 400,000 Muslims in Sweden, and only around 250,000 of them are practicing Muslims. Furthermore, among these 250,000 practicing Muslims, there is a huge variation in background, and in how religion affects everyday life. Therefore, Cherin, Dalia and Khadiga are not considered representative of the majority of Swedish, Muslim women, and, it is claimed, it is unfortunate that SVT chose these three women as hosts for Halal-TV. SVT representatives responded by saying that the three women do not represent anyone but themselves. However, critics maintain that even though it is explicitly said that Cherin, Dalia and Khadiga only represent themselves, they will regardless be viewed by the public as representatives of Muslim women in general. The concern is that having three religiously conservative Muslim girls hosting a show called Halal-TV will create in the audience’s mind an image of all Muslim women as similarly religious.
Cherin Awad has been accused of supporting stoning as a death penalty for adultery. In 2003, in a Swedish TV show called “Existens”, Cherin participated in a discussion regarding stoning as a death penalty. Cherin said that it is almost impossible to be sentenced to death by stoning within Sharia law, since there are severe preconditions that need to be fulfilled, for example there have to be three eye witnesses. When she was asked whether stoning is a proper punishment for adultery if these preconditions are fulfilled, she answered yes and explained that by this severe punishment Islamic law makes it clear how horrible adultery is. Today, Cherin says that she is, and has always been, against death the penalty. She further states that she thought the question, whether stoning is a proper punishment for adultery if the preconditions are fulfilled, was a question about features of Sharia law, not a question about her personal opinion. Many people find it offensive that, after such a statement, representatives of SVT asked Cherin to be one of the hosts of Halal-TV. Some critics, often Muslim, claim that this will reinforce the public perception of Muslims as fundamentalists. Other critics, often so called “ex-Muslims” and other non-Muslims, claim that such fundamentalists as Cherin should not be on TV spreading their anti-democratic opinions. However, it could also be argued that the heavy criticism of Cherin Awad is due to racism and sexism. Within the Swedish patriarchal and racist discourse, if you are a woman – and especially a Muslim woman – you have to watch your mouth very carefully; any careless statement might haunt you for the rest of your life.
Moreover, after the first episode a few TV-critics in the media argued that Halal-TV was poor television. The problem, they reasoned, was not that the three were Muslims and were wearing hijab; it was that the three did not display enough competence and journalistic skills as hosts in a programme whose objective was to mirror society. And they questioned the criteria in selecting the three.
Then there is the hand-shaking incident that has caused a huge debate. In the first episode, one of the interviewees, Carl Hamilton, got very angry and upset when Cherin and Khadiga declined to shake his hand. Carl Hamilton is a well known Swedish, left-wing debater. When Cherin and Khadiga, instead of shaking Carl Hamilton’s hand, put their hands to their hearts and said “this is how we will greet you”, Carl Hamiltion gets very annoyed. He angrily says that if the girls do not want to greet him in a conventional way, they can go back to Iran. Khadiga reminds him that none of them are from Iran, they are all born in Sweden. In fact none of them has anything to do with Iran, neither their parents are from Iran, nor have they ever been there. Khadiga asks Carl where he thinks a blond, Swedish girl, who has converted to Islam and therefore does not want to shake his hand, should go. Carl says that such a girl should go and live in a cave somewhere.
The three presenters with guest, Mona Sahlin, Leader of the Social Democratic Party in Sweden. Source: www.svt.se
This conversation between Carl and the girls has raised debates, both regarding multiculturalism and sexism. Carl Hamilton has (of course) been accused of being a racist. Saying things such as “go back to Iran” and “go and live in a cave” are not acceptable. On this point, most reasonable people agree (even Carl, who has apologized for losing his temper). The more interesting questions are those regarding multiculturalism. Should minorities adapt customs of the majority, or should the majority accept minorities and their customs? What if the customs of the minority are gender oppressive? It could be argued that the phenomenon of women not shaking men’s hands is a result of patriarchal customs and values. It reflects men’s control over women’s bodies and sexualities. In a liberal and gender equal country, such as Sweden claims to be, these patriarchal customs should not be accepted. Hence, the argument goes, if Cherin and Khadiga want to be polite they should shake Carl’s hand. On the other hand, it could be argued that Carl Hamilton’s anger is a result of Swedish patriarchy. Men, in their experience of being men, are used to the privilege of dictating how a society – economically, socially and culturally – should operate. When Cherin and Khadiga do not shake Carl’s hand, they break the patriarchal order by not accepting Carl as a superior being. This is why Carl got angry.
Broader debates concerning Islam have also emerged following the screening of Halal-TV in Sweden. For example, there are some so called “ex-Muslims” who have raised their voices and said that Islam is an oppressive religion, and they question if Cherin, Dalia and Khadiga actually know anything about things such as gender equality. These ex-Muslims urge Swedish media (such as SVT) to stop being polite and overly accepting of Muslims: Islam, they argue, is oppressive and we (Sweden) need to openly discuss issues such as “honor killing”, genital mutilation and forced marriage. This point of view has been heavily critiqued as being Islamophobic. Some Muslims have said that these so called ex-Muslims should stop blaming Islam. If these ex-Muslims have been subjected to, for example violence in the name of honour, they should blame their relatives. It is their relatives who are oppressive, not Islam. Some Muslims have further said that they find it offensive and racist that people call Islam oppressive. They claim that they did not know anything about honor killing, genital mutilation and so on, until they moved to Sweden and were told that this is what they condone as Muslims.
Furthermore, it is argued that the heavy critique of Halal-TV is foremost a sign of a deeply rooted Islamophobia in Swedish society. An Islamophobia that can be traced back to the Christian crusades and that has, since then, been a part of the European cultural heritage. Halal-TV has nothing to do with fundamentalism, terrorism and gender inequity. Rather, Halal-TV gives, for the first time in Swedish history, the opportunity for veiled women to speak in public about subjects other than their veils. And people find it hard to accept that veiled women also have agency. However, the critique against Halal-TV continues. The organization “Ex-Muslims in Sweden” has started an appeal, which they urge everyone who wants to stop the TV show Halal-TV to sign.
My personal opinion, after having seen the first three episodes, is that the show is quite harmless and fairly entertaining. The girls are, do not strike me as fundamentalists rather they are average girls who reflect on things such as notions of beauty and equality. And they do have differences of opinions amongst themselves. Cherin, for example, encourages her son to play with dolls, since she believes gender stereotypes are socially constructed, and she strongly believes that household work should be divided equally between men and women (quite progressive, I think.) Khadiga, on the other hand, thinks that it is a private matter how you should divide your household work. Furthermore, both Dalia and Khadiga use makeup every day. Cherin does not agree with this since she thinks make up does not go well with the veil.
19 January 2009
By: Johanna Heden
Branding Halal: The rise of the young Muslim consumer
by Shelina Janmohamed and Nazia Du BoisSource: SparkSheet.com
The Arab Spring is turning the Muslim world upside down, opening a whole new frontier for brands and marketers. The emerging Muslim consumer is young, tech-savvy and ready to engage, reports Ogilvy Noor’s Shelina Janmohamed and Nazia Du Bois.
The Arab Spring has dominated news headlines since December of last year. The revolutions are changing the face of Middle Eastern and Muslim politics. But what, if anything, can marketers learn from these events?
The popular uprisings were a surprise to many in the West for two reasons: They were persistent and resilient in their drive towards democracy, and they were instigated using peaceful methods.
Muslims today form a majority or significant populations in 57 countries. The Economist estimates that the halal market alone is worth an estimated US$2.1 trillion a year and is growing at US$500 billion annually due to an ever-increasing Muslim population.
Halal itself is an interesting notion, which may appeal to audiences wider than just those who are Muslim. It’s not only about kebabs and curries, but encompasses all products (besides food) that Muslim consumers consider good, pure and produced in line with ethical and Islamic principles.
Understanding Young Muslims
Perhaps most surprising of all to a Western audience that struggles to engage its youth in politics and the public space was that the uprisings were driven largely by young people themselves. 
Muslim countries are some of the youngest in the world. The global Muslim population is estimated at 1.8 billion. Of these more than 780 million Muslims are under the age of 25, representing 43% of the global Muslim population and more than 11% of the entire world population.
For marketers who are keen to sow the seeds of brand loyalty at a young age, the Arab Spring ought to be a wake-up call that it’s time to move beyond glib generalizations and get to know Muslims better.
False assumptions
The Arab Spring took most of the world by surprise. For example, Egypt’s peaceful revolution had been impossible to predict, as had Tunisia’s before it, and as have tumultuous events in Bahrain, Syria, Libya and Yemen after it.
But that was because the litmus tests that the outside world had hitherto used to measure what Egyptians were likely to do were flawed. For example, the GDP statistics showed that Egypt was a prospering economy with a population that was doing well.
With a few notable exceptions (like the polls which informed the book Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think, published by Gallup), polls about Muslims focused more on extremism and loyalty rather than values or motivations and drivers.
For those who had looked deeper, what lay beneath the misleading measures were clear signs that young people in particular were discontented. Traditional acceptance of authority was slowly waning amongst younger Muslims who wanted to grasp their own futures with their own hands.
They were using technology, embracing modernity, and seeing no conflict between their faith and a global future. The events told us something that is at once strangely surprising, yet completely obvious: There is more to the Muslim world than veils and violence. Here were people with aspirations, drive, sophistication, creativity and savvy.
Different but the same
The political movements of the Arab Spring were born from a desire for more freedom, better employment prospects and the aspiration to exercise greater self-determination.
Brands that wish to engage such consumers at an emotional level have to understand these trends and traits and credit people for their bravery and courage.
Amongst these Muslim billions is a mosaic of cultures and traditions, as well as schools of thought. It is not widely known that most Muslims are not Arab, and not even all Arabs are Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in Asia and Africa than in the Middle East.
Wealth also varies with rich economies like those of the Gulf on the one hand, and underdeveloped countries such as Yemen on the other. Some have Islamic governments like Iran, others, like Turkey, are secular.
With this much diversity, why does it even make sense to talk of a global Muslim consumer? Because Islam binds together the daily lives and behaviours – including the consumption habits – of the near 2 billion Muslims in the world. And Muslims themselves will tell you that.
In Gallup’s world poll of more than 35 Muslim countries, when asked what they admired most about the Islamic world, Muslims responded, “People’s sincere adherence to Islam.” And people in virtually all the predominantly or substantially Muslim countries surveyed agreed that, “religion is an important part of life.”
This sincerity of adherence and the way it affects almost 2 billion consumers should be ignored by marketers only at their peril.
Halal Food – a growing industry in France
Halal Food – a growing industry in France
This article is from
Halal Food – a growing industry in France.
Halal Food – a growing industry in France.
A clip from France 24 TV station, on their International news section. This is a 15-minute interview with Cedomir Nestorovic, Professor of Marketing at ESSEC Business School and Nawal Dehiri, Research Analyst with Solis. The discussion covers some interesting points from both economic and political perspectives.
You can see it here… http://www.france24.com/en/20100330-food-industry-economy-halal-islam-france
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