Halal Industry of Ukraine in the Period of Independence

Abstract

Abstract This article analyzes how the halal industry in Ukraine began. One of the characteristic features in the development of Ukraine’s halal industry is a confrontation between the main halal market players. These represent the transnational Sufi network al-Ahbash and the global Muslim Brotherhood, respectively. The first part of this article discusses the history of the halal industry in Ukraine and of the organizations that carry out halal certification. The second part is dedicated to one of the oldest halal certification centers – the Religious Administration of Muslims of Ukraine (dumu – Dukhovne upravlinnia musul’man Ukraïny), associated with al-Ahbash. I reveal that for dumu, the development of halal certification is primarily considered a part of the discourse on orthodoxy (i.e. practices of ‘traditional’ Islam) and how certification is undertaken is considered to bear on the religious status of dumu in the eyes of Muslims. The economic aspect of halal is considered of secondary importance. In a third part of the article, I consider another halal operator, the Alraid Association, which is associated with the global Muslim Brotherhood. For this organization, halal certification is an important tool to promote the association’s influence in business and the public sphere. In conclusion, I show that the halal industry in Ukraine is present and promising, but at present it aims mainly at large producers. Ordinary Muslims face certain troubles due to the underdevelopment of this sphere.