Why are Clover products no longer halaal certified?

The Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) Halaal Trust no longer certifies Clover products because of the branded foods and beverages group’s links with Israel amid the Gaza war.

This past week, the MJC Halaal Trust announced that they have not certified any Clover products as halaal since 1 January. The stock bearing their logo would however only be phased out completely by August 2024.

Clover no longer halaal because of links to Israel

The trust’s policy decision was motivated by its stance against the ongoing Gaza war, as well as support for the Palestinian-led movement Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS).

BDS promotes boycotts, divestments and economic sanctions against Israel. Clover was bought in 2019 by Milco, a consortium headed by Israeli beverage firm Central Bottling Company.

Speaking to the Weekend Argus, MCJ Halaal Trust chief operations officer, Moulana Zakariyah Philander, explained that they were already in possession of a spreadsheet of product logos that had already been removed.

MCJ Halaal Trust logos phased out

Philander said they had met with the executives of Clover, who came to an understanding about the decision and that a period would be given to phase out their logos.

“We had to take this policy into consideration as part of the work processes. The company affected by this process was Clover, who fall directly into what the policy is talking about,” he added.

Clover is expected to respond to the matter in due course.

Philander told EWN that they will take similar action if they identify other companies linked to Israel.

He emphasised the trust’s pro-Palestine stance and commitment to supporting a free Gaza.

The policy decision is very clear in terms of the MJC taking a stance not to certify goods emanating from Israel.

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High toll of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza

The war in Gaza began after Hamas gunmen stormed across Gaza‘s border into Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1 200 people and taking more than 250 hostages in the unprecedented attack.

The group is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by many Western countries, according to the BBC.

During the subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza, more than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed and over 77,900 wounded, according to figures from the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

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