Halal, health and healing: Will halalopathy bring hope to patients? | Writer : 관리자(fran@world-expo.co.kr) Date : 19.03.27 Hits : 875 |
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Halal, health and healing: Will halalopathy
bring hope to patients? Halalopathy is based on medicine, nutrition
and faith ? but some are wary of its religious connotations The pharmaceutical market is worth billions
of dollars worldwide - but many are looking for a holistic approach to health
involving mind, body and spirit (AFP) Two years ago, Palestinian scientist Jawad
Alzeer was puzzled. Based in Switzerland for 25 years, he had found success as
a lecturer and senior researcher at Zurich University, as well as the lead
auditor for a Swiss halal certification body. Throughout his career, Alzeer had worked
closely within two growing markets: the $1.1 trillion pharmaceutical industry; and the
certification of halal products. But he sensed something was missing. First,
there was modern medicine’s rejection of integrative healthcare, which includes
conventional treatment, self-care and complementary and alternative medicine
(CAM). Then there was a lack of understanding by
many in the food industry as to why some ingredients needed to be halal
certified for Muslims, something he found himself explaining time and again. “I was questioning why so many approved
pharmaceutical drugs have no added therapeutic value,” he says, “and I’d also
written a research paper on halal-certified food and nutraceuticals in the Arab
world.” Then Alzeer had a eureka moment: what if he
combined the two industries into one concept that gave some Muslims the extra
religious assurances they needed about their medical treatments? “The combination of bringing together
modern medicine, halal food, spirituality and homeopathy crystallised in my
mind as halalopathy,” he says. An idea had been born. Halal: A growing market The halal certification system ? which
informs Muslim consumers that the products they buy are “permitted” (halal), in
line with the Quran, and not “forbidden” (“haram”) ? has spread beyond food and
ingredients. Halal lipsticks, for example, are free of gelatin, usually derived from
pork products, while halal nail polish allows water to pass through for the
purpose of "whudu" (abolution). Then there are halal pharmaceuticals, which
are used by some Muslims. Many vaccines and capsule pills contain porcine
gelatin (indeed, around 45 percent of global gelatin production comes from
pork). Porcine glycerin is found in syrups and soaps. Beef gelatin is
acceptable only if the animal has been slaughtered according to Islamic
requirements. Finally, halal-certified drugs need to be
manufactured in a halal facility, pass conventional medical testing and be
approved by health ministries. A display of halal-certified cosmetics andf
beauty products at a Malaysia trade show in 2010 (AFP) Current estimates put the market for halal
phramaceuticals at $4.6 billion - comnpared to the Muslim spend of $87 billion
on all pharmaceuticals in 2017, a figure which is expected to grow to $131
billion by 2023. Companies which produce halal medicines include
Chemical Company of Malaysia (CCM), AJ Biologics and Abbott Laboratories. Yet
many medical practitioners are unaware that halal drugs exist, unless they have
taken an interest in the topic or the patient has requested that they be
considered. Many manufacturers avoid marketing halal
medicines so they can appeal to as wide a market as possible: for example, a
polio vaccination which is free of certain animal components may not be
labelled halal so it can also appeal to Buddhist, Hindu and vegan consumers
among others. Other multinationals may not label halal
products in Muslim-minority markets amid fears that anything with religious
connotations will deter customers who are not religious. Some governments have made moves to bring
clarity: Malaysia, for example, is trying to develop halal pharma and has
issued guidelines, including an official guide. But neighbouring Indonesia, home to the
world’s largest Muslim population, has delayed compulsory certification for
pharmaceuticals products until 2024 due to the limited range of products
available. An old idea, made new For his part, Alzeer believes that
scientically-approved halal drugs could be one of three principles, essential
for halalopathy, alongside an observance of halal practice (including certified
foods) and Islamic belief. Halalopathy, he theorises, could create the
placebo effect, whereby a patient’s expectations of what a drug can do triggers
physical benefit. "Favourable circumstances encourage
complete recovery," he says of his holistic approach. “If a drug and a
human’s belief are compatible, trust in the rationally designed drug will be
intensified and the placebo effect will be activated to initiate the healing
process.” Halalopathy’s core holistic principles,
Alzeer agrees, are not new: such an approach was first advanced by the ancient
Greeks around 2,000 years ago, then propagated by 10th and 11th century Islamic
polymaths including Ibn Sina, al-Razi and al-Biruni. That influence is still
apparent today in parts of southeast Asia, where traditional medicine is
referred to as “Yunani” or “Unani”, the Arabic for “Greek”. But Alzeer believes that halalopathy has
modern resonance, as patients, religious or otherwise, question the ethics of
Big Pharma and the efficacy of popping pills, and instead show interest in
personalised healthcare - also known as precision medicine - tailored to an
individual’s needs, including use of genetics, epigenetics and big data. “The concept of halalopathy is designed to
be used anywhere, but the main goal is to make the drug more effective, and the
approach is to create the favourable circumstances for treatment, including
drugs, professional healthcare and atmosphere." Alzeer's plans are at an early stage but
already he is in talks with treatment centres about collaborating on the use
halal food and medicine. Longer term, he wants to set up a halalopathic
research centre in Zurich, which would include certifying halal
pharmaceuticals. Profits would be utilised for research, although he concedes
getting funding “will not be easy for this way of thinking. “I’d be happy if one day we have
halalopathic hospitals and clinics,” he says. To Shoeeb Riaz, operations director at UK
certification organisation The Halal Trust, halalopathy has echoes of the past
yet looks to the future. “Halalopathy’s time has arrived," Riaz
says, "as we’re seeing more of a fusion of homeopathic and alopathic
(modern) medicine, with the pharmaceutical industry itself increasingly
accepting the naturopathic tradition. “So, halalopathy is not a new thing. It is
really returning back to an ancient mindset of healing found not only in the
Islamic tradition but also Chinese, African, Greek, and aboriginal traditions.” Lose the religion? But Farah Naja, an associate professor of
nutritional sciences analytics at the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
at the American University of Beirut (AUB), fears that halalopathy could face
the same issues that have confronted the marketing of halal-approved drugs. “The concept of a holistic approach to
wellbeing is fascinating," she says, "as we find that people want
control over their own health." But she struggles with the phrase
“halalopathy” due to its religious connotations. “Why not also introduce
kosheropathy as we say: ‘It’s kosher,’ and we [Muslims] can eat kosher
certified food? I’d prefer the term 'integrative health'.” Naja is not the only one advising caution.
Mohammed Ghaly, a professor at the Biomedical Ethics Research Centre for
Islamic Legislation and Ethics at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, says:
“If halalopathy can regain the big picture of the past, of considering the
body, the mind, the soul and the environment (in healthcare), it is a good
thing, as modern medicine is more narrow minded. “But giving it an Islamic twist doesn’t do
justice to the historical context of what is meant by Islamic medicine, or
modern medicine, which has saved thousands of lives.” To Ghaly, Islamic medicine is more a
product of civilisation than religion, due to how it has absorbed knowledge and
practice from around the world over the centuries. “Whether medicine can ever be Islamic or
not, there was an understanding of the body that is not shared by modern
medicine, that is the difference. from an Islamic perspective, this includes
not just the body but also the soul.” Alzeer stresses however that halalopathy is
not just for one religion. “Halalopathy could be applied more broadly and
analogously to other lifestyles and beliefs such as vegetarian, vegan and
kosher." It is easy to have trust' Alzeer’s concept may face obstacles in
gaining acceptance from some quarters but may find more favour among devoted
Muslims. For Fadel Hayat, an orthopaedic surgeon
based in Jeddah, the fact that halalopathy contains the world “halal” is important. "It is easy to have trust when you
believe in halal already, unlike if it is a new concept. So yes, it could work
here in Saudi and would rapidly spread by word of mouth.” Edmond Ibrahim, a certified traditional
Chinese medicine doctor who practises in Beirut, says halalopathy may find
favour there due to growing interest in complementary and alternative medice.
He is currently engaged in talks with the Lebanese health ministry to legalise
Chinese acupuncture. “We need rules and regulations, as there are many
charlatans saying they’re energy healers or acupuncturists,” he says. Arnica montana plants before being crushed
for homeopathic medicine at a French factory in July 2015 (AFP) Lebanon has a heritage of traditional
medicine - but like many other countries in the Middle East, it is not widely
available through state-sponsored healthcare, an issue that halalopathy may
also face. Naja points out how Damascene scientists of
medicine in the 13th and 14th-centuries carried out many studies on herbs and
that the Levant likewise has a very rich body of work. "We’ve lost the essence," she
says, "of how herbs were used and the science behind it. What we’ve kept
is wanting herbal medicines.” In an American University of Beirut study
among Lebanese adults, 40 percent said they used alternative medicine - but 72
percent of this group said they did not disclose their use to physicians. But Naja warns that patients need to
disclose to physicians if they are using CAM, otherwise it could cause severe
problems when it comes to medication. Halalopathy might struggle in certain Gulf
countries unless governments pay for it through universal health care for
citizens, says Ghaly. But in the likes of Lebanon, traditional treatments are
still used. “First, it is essential for CAM to be
evidence based, not anecdotal. Secondly, to get conventional doctors to know
about CAM, we need to push integrative medicine, be it halalopathy or any other
-pathy, but you can’t fly against orthodox medicine. "You can’t say 'don’t take medicine
but light a candle in a church or drink zamzam water'." The fiercest critics Somewhat ironically, some of halalopathy’s
fiercest critics may come from within the halal certification community. “Halalopathy needs to be prevented from
being hijacked,” says Riaz. “If it is left to well-intentioned Muslims, then it
will go over their heads, as those controlling halal certification [especially
in Europe and North America] are in their 50s or older. They have been totally
brainwashed into believing that popping pharmaceuticals is a way of healing. “What will they think of halalopathy, and
how will they steer the discourse? There is a need for a better halal
ecosystem.” Instead he believes its biggest market will
be in those places where Big Pharma has less influence. Other demographics who
may show interest include twenty- and thirtysomethings in the West, be they
Muslim or not, due to the “massive awakening for homeopathy and vegan, organic
and ethical products”. But while Alzeer is hopeful that
halalopathy has a future, he has no plans to commercialise it. “I’ve never thought of halalopathy as a way
to improve the Islamic economy,” he says, “but as a value added, to provide new
hope to patients. “Halalopathy sounds healthy, not
aggressive, as some in the West may feel Muslims are imposing their beliefs
through the concept. Halalopathy is scientific, and can be utilised in a way
that everyone can accept as it is not just for Muslims. It means permissible
medicine.” Link->https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/halal-health-and-healing-can-halalopathy-appeal-bring-hope-muslims |
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