Absence of Halal Logo in the Pantry: Negotiating Power through the Hijab

Abstract

This article is part of a multi-sited ethnographic research project that examines the negotiation processes of Muslim women operating micro-halal food enterprises and the principle of consumption ethics in Islam, which is impacted by halalization. The study sheds light on the intricate interactions between regulations, policies, and negotiation dynamics implemented by micro halal vendors, who often have limited resources for producing and selling halal food products in Phuket and Pattani.

In this study, Muslim women vendors who have been involved in Muslim-oriented consumption and micro-halal business practices face significant impediments due to limited access to halal certification standards imposed by the state and religious organizations. These challenges arise in the milieu of policies promoting trade and investment in the West Coast Provinces, the Andaman Halal Way of Tourism Project, and the Halal Economic Corridor in the Southern Border Provinces of Thailand. Despite economic and social inequalities, these women, with low incomes and investment capacities, navigate the influence of modern capitalist systems, the state, and religious institutions that leverage their beliefs to develop and expand their economic income base. As a strategic response, they adopt the practice of wearing the hijab during business operations to reflect their Muslim identity, which replaces the need for a halal logo certified by an Islamic institution.