Country: Argentina
Organisation Name: The Halal Catering Argentina (HCB)
Started in the Year: 1962
Position: Co-Director & Head of International Relations Department
Website: www.theHalalcateringargentina.com
Personal Introduction:
- Co-Director of The Halal Catering Argentina (HCB) and head of the International Relations department of THCA. Certification that covers several of its services: Halal certification of food, Halal tourism and Arabic and Islamic protocol.
- President of the Islam Institute for Peace. Adviser on business protocol and Arab-Islamic culture. I have a specialization in conflict resolution from the University of Maryland in the United States of America.
- Founder of Afifa.org. An organization that promotes and carries out activities related to women in the Middle East and the Islamic world.
- Co-founder of the Diversity Network, a network of youth from the three Abrahamic faiths that deals with conflict resolution.
- Founder of the Laboratory of the cultural, ethnic and religious diversity of the legislature of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires under the patronage of UNESCO Montevideo.
- Fellows 2022 at King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interfaith & Intercultural Dialogue Latin America Cohort scholarship program.
- Member of Religions for Peace youth committee for Latin America and the Caribbean. Representative of Latin America and the Caribbean of the Commission for Gender Equality in Religions for Peace.
- Ambassador for Argentina of Jobs for Lebanon. Platform created for talented Lebanese in search of economic opportunities.
- Founder of Qatarizate 2022. First Spanish-speaking platform to raise awareness of Qatari culture, gastronomy and tourism for the first soccer world cup in an Islamic country.
Professional Introduction:
Regarding the field of Halal certification, I work in the area of international relations, convinced that the professional Islamic community must work together for any contribution and development that is desired, in this case, to what concerns us at THCA, that food Argentine products and supplies comply with the Islamic regulations determined in each country of destination. I have just committed to work together with the public organizations of my country, private companies and promotion agents to meet the importers who need their demand to comply with the Islamic Shariah and the accreditation entities.
Interview Questions:
What inspired you to start your career in the Halal industry?
What inspired THCA was as a result of a need, the Argentine Islamic community did not have supplies of Halal products in the country but they did have raw materials to offer to the world. Many countries of the world required Halal from Argentina since our country has ra
| Protect Halal, learn from each other and as long as we don’t come together as one family, Halal will continue to have faults and mistakes on our part. |
w materials and food required for the world. This combination made THCA the mediator between reputable Halal and quality products that meet requirements and demands of the Halal market. Today our Halal certifier accompanies hundreds of argentine companies so that their products arrive Halal certified at the table of every Muslim in the world. They transcend borders, not only geographical ones but also cultural and ethnic ones. Halal unites the world.
What were the challenges you had to overcome in the initial stages of starting your initiatives?
The challenges are many, but the rewards are even greater. One of the challenges is the distance compared to other countries. Argentina is known for being the end of the world. And this sometimes makes the products more expensive or limits the opportunities to travel to Halal forums and fairs, but it is so much what we work on and our conviction that despite being far away, even though not all Muslim consumers know our faces, the Halal market continues to choose us. To be the ones who take care that the Halal act is fulfilled.
What is the most important thing you feel anyone needs to do to build a successful career in the Islamic Economy?
Professionalism, camaraderie, commitment, order, responsibility and faith. We can talk about many steps and acts to take into account but above all there is something that we cannot forget, what we do is in the name of Islam and each act and action must be clean of all kinds of corruption. We have a very high commitment, which is to safeguard Halal.
What were the most important learning experiences you would like to share?
I learned that we are a great Halal family and that despite speaking different languages, eating different dishes, dressing differently, living more than 15 or 41 hours away by plane, we have the same goal. Protect Halal, learn from each other and as long as we don’t come together as one family, Halal will continue to have faults and mistakes on our part. Today more than ever we must take care and protect the Halal of so many organizations that use the name of Islam solely for personal economic benefit without even safeguarding the certification steps and their procedures. I learned that it is necessary to work as a global team, as we are doing with this book and surely the next works, InshaaAllah.
What advice would you give aspiring leaders in the Islamic Economy?
While it is sometimes difficult to get involved as a practitioner of Islam, especially in the West, it is even worth the challenge. We know that contributing to an Islamic economy that we can translate as an equitable, just, peaceful economy with opportunities has many benefits: one is in this passing world for a more stable way of living and the other is the benefit of “akhira” eternal life and having fulfilled the Command of the Creator.
