The manager of a sausage factory near
Moscow, Arslan Gizatullin says his halal business has been feeling the pinch -- not so much from Russia's sluggish
economy but competitors vying for a piece of a growing Islamic market.
Ever more producers are catering for the domestic Muslim community, which accounts for around 15 percent of Russia's population and is set to expand, and in some cases are also setting their sights on export.
"In the last few years in general, halal's become something of a trend in
Russia," said Gizatullin, who has been at the Halal-Ash plant in the city of Shchyolkovo for seven years.