Page 32 - 151 Varsity Ebook

30 / OUR COMMUNITY

Most of the food in

halal restaurants are

unhealthy. That’s also

the reason I do not

like eating outside

With 17 branches across the city, Ebeneezer’s offers local Muslims a wide
selection of Halal cuisines

accommodate such a requirement, mand, but people would like to have eral.” he says.
deterring them from getting a halal more options and variety. Currently, the Hong Kong Tour-
certification. “I have some Chinese friends and ism Board organises seminars to en-
when they think of halal, they match courage companies to promote halal
Are Muslims enjoying a wide vari- that with the Islamic culture or Mus- tourism. It also puts the list of certi-
ety of halal food in Hong Kong? lim people that they know. So, they fied halal food outlets
Mehmet Emin Arduç, an 18-year- think halal food must be kebab and on its website for
old Muslim high school student who curry... People think that because Muslim tour-
has moved to Hong Kong f o r there’s a cultural association, but any ists. But Frankel
five years, is con- food can be halal,” says Frankel. suggests more
cerned with the can be done to
h e a l t hin es s What can be done to make Hong incentivise more
of halal food Kong a more Muslim-friendly businesses to ac-
served in restau- destination? commodate halal James Frankel
rants. Although Last year, Hong Kong was on the food demand.
halal food choices list of top five Muslim-friendly non- He cites Taiwan as a model. The
have increased in OIC (Organisation of Islamic Coop- region has a similar proportion of
Mehmet
recent years as ha- Emin Arduç eration) destinations in the Global Muslim population like Hong Kong
lal restaurants can Muslim Travel Index. Frankel says but has made strong efforts to boost
be found in almost every district now, Hong Kong should seize the opportu- Islamic business development and at-
he finds only a few of them serve nu- nity brought by its incoming Muslim tract Muslim tourists. The Taiwanese
tritious cuisines. tourists and the growth of the local government has been hosting the Tai-
“Most of the food in halal restau- Muslim population. wan International Halal Expo since
rants are unhealthy. That’s also the “Hong Kong prides itself for being 2012 to provide local companies ac-
reason I do not like eating outside,” an international city and being a mag- cess to the world’s halal market.
says Arduç. “The food is too greasy net for tourism and business. If you Frankel says it is important to edu-
and too heavy.” want to attract Muslim visitors and cate local eateries the market potential
Professor James Frankel, direc- also the increasing Muslim popula- of halal food. He believes steps should
tor of Centre for the Study of Islamic tion, I do think the government could be taken to create a favourable busi-
Culture at the Chinese University of initiate some programmes, and some ness environment for local restau-
Hong Kong, believes there are enough promotion to increase the awareness rants to accommodate halal demand,
restaurants to satisfy the halal de- of not only halal but also Islam in gen- such as providing capital incentives