In Islam, the concepts of "halal" (permitted) and "haram" (forbidden) regulate religious, social and economic relations. Sacred primary sources prescribe that Muslims organize their lives in such a way that they do not go beyond the bounds of what is permitted. In Russia, where live more than 20 million Muslims, there is a need to develop a halal infrastructure in which adherents of Islam would be comfortable to live, create families, study and work. The term "Halal Lifestyle" is actively entering the public space of Russian Muslims.
«Halal Lifestyle» implies compliance with the requirements of the canons of Islam in everything: from the reverent performance of religious rituals to proper nutrition, work and rest, behavior, attitude to the surrounding world and to other people. The concept of «halal» is not only a religious concept; in the modern world, it is an entire industry that strives to provide people with permitted products and services in various areas: food, medicine, education, tourism, financial services and much more.
The construction and development of halal infrastructure presuppose financial transactions that comply with the Islamic canon. If Islamic banking has been developing in Tatarstan since the 2000s, then throughout Russia the discussion on the introduction of Islamic finance began only in 2014. The initiative of the Association of Russian Banks was continued with the adoption of a law in 2023. According to this legal act, an experiment on the introduction of Islamic banking in the territory of Dagestan, Chechnya, Bashkortostan and Tatarstan is being conducted in the Russian Federation until September 1, 2025.
Previously, the lack of special legislation was considered a factor holding back the development of the Islamic financial system in Russia. As part of the experiment, the use of maternity capital and mortgages in the primary housing market became available, which had also previously been criticized. Meanwhile, the export of Russian halal products in 2023 amounted to almost 210 million dollars: Tatarstan, in particular, increased its figure almost twofold. The development of Islamic banking is dictated not only by the requests of Russian Muslims, but also by the rapid growth of the halal product market in the world.
The participation of the state in the process of formation and functioning of the halal industry in Russia is fundamental, as evidenced by the organization of the annual International Economic Summit “Russia – Islamic world: KazanForum» (KazanSummit until 2023 – editor's note). The forum has been held since 2009; it is attended by heads of state, religious and political leaders, regional officials, economists and many other figures from various fields. The subject of their discussion, in addition to the topic of Islamic banking, is the introduction of the concept of «Halal Lifestyle» and the development of international standards that are acceptable from a religious point of view.
At the 15th International Economic Forum "Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum", held in May 2024, in detail was discussed the topic of tourism, including medical tourism. Meetings of working groups on these issues were held: "Russia - Saudi Arabia" and "Russia - Malaysia". In particular, was discussed the development of the Russian tourism sector according to halal standards. Certification is another key element in the work of the infrastructure corresponding to the concept of “Halal Lifestyle”.
In 2023, Russia introduced national halal standards for the first time. GOSTs for products and services were developed by a special committee, which includes Roskachestvo. The following year, a national standard appeared in the Russian Federation on requirements for certification bodies, including taking into account the standards of the Standardization Organization for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GSO) and the Standardization and Metrology Institute of Islamic States (SMIIC) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Official standardization makes life easier for believers, helping them navigate the huge number of goods and services, obtain reliable information about the origin of the product, its composition and fearlessly make a choice in favor of a manufacturer with a certified certificate. Reflection in Russian legislation of such an important concept for religious life, in turn, simplifies the implementation of the concept of "Halal Lifestyle" not only for Muslims of Russia, but also for the whole world.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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