'Bless you' to the haters: Woman campaigning for halal KFC faces backlash, racism

Wednesday, 6 December 2017

Syeda Fouzia said she is not bothered by the hatred, but there is no need for the abuse.

A Muslim woman campaigning for KFC to offer halal options in New Zealand says she has received hundreds of hate messages.

Syeda Fouzia said all Kiwi Muslims were asking for was 'good fried chicken'.

Will you still eat KFC if it is halal? (First published December 2017)

The Auckland woman said she was unfazed by the racial abuse and comments such as 'go back to your own country'.

'We knew some people won't like the idea of halal KFC. To the haters I just want to say 'bless you and bless your family'.

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'We are not asking for the whole supply chain to change, just certain [halal] days in certain branches would be fine.'

However, David Wardly - one of the staunch online critics of her campaign - said halal certification was a way for Muslims to 'ram their religion' into New Zealand culture.

The 82-year-old said he did not know any Kiwi Muslims, but he feared the halal certificate was a way to introduce the Shariah law in to New Zealand.

The Englishman said Islamic practices only had a place in Muslim countries.

'We'll enjoy your culture, your music, your customs and your food in your country. Not here'

Many online opponents also criticised the halal method for being cruel.

But according to the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ), the country's commercial halal practices were in line with the Animal Welfare Code.

That meant it was compulsory for all animals to be stunned unconscious before they could be slaughtered.

President of FIANZ Hazim Arafeh said the Animal Welfare Code and the halal method worked together 'perfectly'.

'In Islam an animal must not suffer or be sacrificed in front of other animals.'

He said there was no hidden radical agenda.

'Halal certification is not about bringing Sharia law in to New Zealand, it [halal certification] exists because New Zealand wants to export to Muslim countries.'

Restaurant Brands – the company that owned KFC in New Zealand – had earlier said a halal trial was carried out in 2001, but complexities in supply chain led to the idea being dropped.

Marketing general manager Geraldine Oldham said the fast food chain's position had not changed and at this stage they had no plans to re-introduce halal options in New Zealand.

There were 46,000 Muslims living in New Zealand in the 2013 census, a 28 per cent increase since 2006.

Halal is an Islamic term meaning permissible. In the dietary context it referred to meat from animals and poultry that has been slaughtered using a sharp knife and specially-trained slaughter men who recite a special prayer.