Muslims should buy from Muslims, halal forum told
(Malay Mail Online) – Muslims must choose to buy products or patronise outlets run by other fellow Muslims rather than those operated by non-Muslims whenever they can, a forum on the halal issue was told today.
According to the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM), the failure of Muslims to help their brethren flourish economically has caused them to lose respect and political power.
“I am really disappointed. If we see out there, Muslims do not help each other. We deserve [our situation]. There is nothing about us that people will respect,” PPIM president Datuk Nadzim Johan told the forum.
His remarks came after a representative from Malay group Majlis Jemaah Muhibbah called on the audience to boycott products and outlets owned by non-Malays, amid a row on halal status of local products.
His call for boycott however was receive cold reception, with several among the audience voicing out their disagreement.
Former Perlis mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin also agreed that Muslims should buy from Muslims, but he stopped short of supporting a boycott towards non-Muslim or non-Malay producers.
“Muslims buy Muslims’ goods. Not to mean to be anti-non-Muslim, no,” Mohd Asri said.
“If we have a choice, we buy goods from our Muslim brothers … We buy as an awareness to help our Muslim brothers.”
