By Alex Mann Friday 21 November 2014
Video: Why are some Australians campaigning against halal and what are the effects? (7.30)
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A campaign to boycott halal-certified food is gaining momentum across Australia, with groups claiming that certification pushes up prices and the money goes towards funding terrorism.
A loose collection of affiliated anti-halal, anti-Islam and nationalistic groups began the movement.
Now, the biggest online group, "Boycott Halal in Australia", has more than 36,000 members.
Its carefully anonymous leaders keep a low profile, directing their members to swarm target companies' online profiles and boycott their products.
"Companies ask for feedback, but it appears they don't like negative feedback, alright?" one of the group's leaders, Trish Delaney told 7.30.
What's the big fuss about halal?
"I think it's fair to say that people from all walks of life, should be able to ask are you halal certified? It's not a hard question."
Ms Delaney said she spends up to four hours a day online coordinating the campaign, and writing to companies and politicians.
"Some companies say, we absorb the costs, well we say, you're not much of a business, because businesses don't absorb costs, they pass it on," she said.
The campaign has brought together like-minded campaigners from across Australia, including former One Nation candidate and anti-mosque campaigner Mike Holt.
Mr Holt said he was not surprised that the Fleurieu Milk and Yoghurt Company had received so much abuse.
"If they don't change their ways and start acting as patriotic Australians, they deserve what they get. It's market forces," he said.
Boycott campaigners 'damaging local companies'
The campaign celebrated its first scalp when South Australia's Fleurieu Milk and Yoghurt Company buckled under the social media campaign and ditched its halal certification.
"It sucks. I hate saying it, but there's no other way to describe it," the company's communications manager Nick Hutchinson said.
"We gave in, and decided that the negative publicity and the bullying outweighed what we were gaining from the halal certification."
One lady phoned me and asked if I was happy that we contributed toward the 9/11 attacks where she lost a few family members.
Fleurieu Milk and Yoghurt Company communications manager Nick Hutchinson
The trouble began for the Fleurieu Milk and Yoghurt Company last month when Mr Hutchinson received an email asking to confirm whether his company had halal certification.
Six months earlier, the company had gained halal certification as a requirement to supply a $50,000 yoghurt contract with Emirates Airlines.
"It was a $1,000 fee. It opened up a business market to continue to become viable. It was a necessary step," Mr Hutchinson said.
His response was posted and shared across a network of an anti-halal Facebook sites, unleashing a barrage of online hate.
Mr Hutchinson said he was accused of supporting terrorists.
"One lady phoned me and asked if I was happy that we contributed toward the 9/11 attacks where she lost a few family members," he said.
"Outrageous claims – something that we never expected. But, yeah, it's quite ridiculous."
Mr Hutchinson warned that boycott campaigners were damaging local companies.
"If our businesses disappear you're being run by companies in Japan or Europe and these multinationals and is that better?"
"I'm sure most people would agree it's not."
