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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Imam Mansoor Rafiq Umar, President of Halal Watch
2:19:46
ยท
157 sec
Imam Mansoor Rafiq Umar, President of Halal Watch, testified about the importance of proper halal oversight in government institutions, including shelters and schools. He emphasized the need for accurate labeling and verification of halal food products to ensure that halal-conscious consumers receive what they expect.
- Halal Watch, founded in 1985, is the first halal watch organization in New York state and works directly with government agencies, including Governor Kathy Hochul's office.
- The organization uses technology-backed systems to audit and track halal food providers, ensuring proper oversight from "farm to fork."
- Imam Umar stressed the importance of taking halal food concerns seriously, likening it to customer satisfaction in restaurants and expressing his personal passion for the issue.
Imam Mansoor Rafiq Umar
2:19:46
Good afternoon everybody.
2:19:48
My name is Imam Mansurajuk Imam.
2:19:51
Oh, there we go.
2:19:53
Okay.
2:19:53
Good afternoon everybody.
2:19:55
My name is Imam Munsoor Rafiq Omar.
2:19:57
I am the president of Halal Watch.
2:20:00
We are a halal activist organization, halal oversight, And we work directly with government.
2:20:08
We work with governor Kathy Hochul.
2:20:11
I am actually an appointee on her executive committee for interfaith matters and concerns.
2:20:17
So our organization is actually the first Halal watch organization in New York state.
2:20:23
We opened our doors in 1985.
2:20:26
We work to ensure that the consumer, the Halal conscious consumer receives what they're looking to get.
2:20:33
What they're purchasing, it should be exactly what they're expecting.
2:20:36
So our job is to make sure that there's a proper paper trail and a proper line from farm to fork.
2:20:42
So if you're purchasing something or you're receiving something, then we want to that is halal.
2:20:47
We want to make sure that that is actually halal.
2:20:49
The same sort of oversight needs to happen in government.
2:20:52
It needs to happen with the shelters.
2:20:54
It needs to happen with the schools.
2:20:57
We work directly with the Department of Education, for all of the halal options and halal meals that go into the schools.
2:21:04
We oversee them.
2:21:05
We check to ensure that that is taking place.
2:21:08
We work with other companies as well.
2:21:10
We could tell you the companies here, because we have a database, because we have technology backing all of our systems, we can tell you when they've been audited, when they've been checked, when the last visitor or the last law product has has been in that facility.
2:21:25
Because of the fact that we have that sort of oversight and that sort of technology to support it.
2:21:30
So our job is to make sure that that is the case.
2:21:33
We want to help the the institutions.
2:21:36
We want to help the the government to get this right.
2:21:40
Because at the end of the day, it's about the same principle applies with restaurants.
2:21:44
Right?
2:21:44
The customer is always right.
2:21:46
At the end of the day, if the customer is not happy, you guys are not happy.
2:21:49
If the customers aren't happy, you guys have a big headache.
2:21:52
Our job is to make sure at least the one portion of Halal that that issue is mitigated and managed.
2:21:58
I came all the way from Albany, New York just to have two and a half minutes.
2:22:02
So I I hope everyone really does take this seriously because growing up as a youngster, know, not having halal options, this is a passion for me.
2:22:13
So it's a passion for our organization and everyone involved.
2:22:15
We want to make sure that if it says it's halal, it really is halal.
2:22:19
So thank you so much and hats off to all the other organizations.
Julie Won
2:22:23
Thank you so much.