En Grande-Bretagne, une compagnie d’assurance halal gonfle sa clientèle. Son créneau ? Transparence et éthique.
En Grande-Bretagne, Salaam s’est attaqué à un casse-tête. Les Musulmans du Royaume soucieux de respecter le Coran ne pouvaient souscrire à une compagnie d’assurance traditionnelle. En effet en cas d’accident, ceux-ci auraient touché l’équivalent d’une grosse somme comparé à l’argent investi. En clair, ils seraient sortis gagnants d’un pari, selon de nombreux experts de la foi musulmane. Une pratique bannie par le Coran. Aussi, Salaam leur a-t-elle concocté un éventail de produits halals pour protéger leur auto, logement ou assurer leur vie.
Là où les compagnies traditionnelles endossent tous les risques – et les bénéfices – des contrats alloués, la petite société britannique joue sur le partage. En bref, chaque client se fend d’une contribution annuelle qui varie en fonction de la couverture demandée et de ses circonstances. Toutes les participations sont versées dans un fonds « Takaful » (« dans lequel les participants se garantissent les uns les autres »). A la fin de l’année, le fonds est évalué et tout surplus est renvoyé aux allocataires sous forme de ristourne sur leur contribution à venir. Mieux, leur argent n’est investi que dans des business éthiques. Bannies donc les compagnies d’armement, d’alcool, la pornographie ou les casinos.
Autant d’éléments qui rendent cette assurance très attractive pour les non-musulmans. Du coup, ses demandes de devis ont explosé ces dernières semaines. « Ce qui nous rend uniques, c’est notre éthique, a confié Bradley Brandon-Cross, le directeur de Salaam Insurance au quotidien The Independent. Notre processus est transparent et ouvre l’opportunité de recevoir de l’argent en retour. C’est attractif pour les clients, musulmans ou non. » L’assurance est le dernier volet d’un marché en progression en Grande-Bretagne. Déjà circulent les prêts immobiliers, les comptes bancaires ou les fonds d’investissement halal d’où sont bannis le système des intérêts mais aussi les agios.
Source : Karine Le Loët, Terra Eco
AGF lance la première assurance-vie “Halal”
Après les banques, c’est au tour des assurances de proposer des produits financiers compatibles avec la Sharia. Le leader Français AGF vient ainsi de lancer sur l’île une assurance-vie labelisée Halal. Une offre qui devrait combler les attentes de 10 % des Réunionnais.
“Cette assurance-vie a été validée par deux instances qui l’ont décrétée compatible avec la Sharia : au niveau national par le Sharia Board constitué des Sheikhs Ya’qoubi et Bahar et du Docteur Dar et au niveau local et national par le CFCI (Cellule de Fiqh du Centre Islamique) et l’ARCERFI”, explique Pascal Plazia, le directeur de la zone Océan Indien d’AGF.
Les différents partenaires du projet rappellent cependant que leur produit n’est pas exclusivement réservé à une clientèle islamique : “Ce type de service vient combler un manque et les 10 % de Réunionnais de confession musulmanes qui étaient jusqu’à présent privés d’assurance-vie pourront désormais en profiter.
Mais il n’était pas question pour nous de faire un produit communautariste. Ces assurances vie sont donc ouvertes à tous”, insiste Chakil Omarjee, membre permanent du CFC. À terme, si le produit rencontre un succès suffisant, il pourrait se voir exporter en métropole.
Le marché des finances islamique a le vent en poupe. Au niveau mondial, il génère ainsi l’équivalent de 47 milliards de dollars d’obligations (36,79 milliards d’euros). Un chiffre d’autant plus important qu’il est en progression de 15 % par an. En France et à La Réunion, le potentiel est encore plus gros puisque tout ou presque reste à faire.
Source : Yabiladi
Le Journal RIBH 
UK takaful insurer sold to Kuwaiti buyer
Principle Insurance Holdings, parent company of the UK’s first Shariah compliant insurance group, has confirmed the conditional sale of its subsidiaries, Principle Insurance Company and Principle Marketing Services, to Al Salam Group Holding Company – a member company of the Kuwait-based Al Madina Group – for an undisclosed sum.
The Principle Group, which traded under the Salaam Halal insurance brand, was originally authorised by the Financial Services Authority in April 2008 and entered into solvent run-off in October 2009.
Al Salam will now apply to the FSA for a change of control and PIC and PMS will apply for a variation of their permissions which, if approved, would allow them to recommence trading. Al Salam is already a shareholder in Principle through its sister company, Ekttitab Holding Company.
Al Salam intends to issue an announcement tomorrow to the Kuwaiti Stock Exchange regarding the transaction. Al Madina will be making an announcement to KSE and to the Dubai Stock Exchange, on which it is also listed.
Bradley Brandon-Cross, chief executive of Principle Insurance Holdings, stated: “We are very pleased to announce this important and significant step and very much hope that it will lead to the reintroduction of our Shariah compliant insurance to the UK market. However, there is much work to do in re-starting the business.
« In the meantime, our status has not changed. We are still in a period of solvent run-off, which means that while we continue to offer existing policyholders our full support, we are not providing any further policies to new or existing customers at this time.”
by Mairi MacDonald
Source : PostOnline (UK) 28 Apr 2010
http://www.postonline.co.uk/post/news/1603300/uk-takaful-insurer-sold-kuwaiti-buyer
Second wind for Sharia-compliant Salaam Halal
Principle Insurance Holdings, the parent company of Salaam Halal, the UK’s first Sharia-compliant insurance brand, has announced the conditional sale of Principle Insurance Company Limited and Principle Marketing Services Limited, to Kuwait-based Al Salam Group Holding.
The transaction could result in the relaunch of Salaam Halal, which began trading in July of 2008 with a motor insurance offering aimed at the 1.6 million Muslims living in Britain.
However, the insurer closed to new business in November 2009, after failing to raise sufficient funds to continue trading.
The firm’s policies are Sharia-compliant meaning that risk is spread between all policyholders registered with the company, whereas conventional insurers transfer risk from the policyholder to the insurer.
Commenting on the sale, Principle Insurance Holdings’ chief executive, Bradley Brandon-Cross, said: “We are very pleased to announce this important and significant step and very much hope that it will lead to the reintroduction of our Shariah compliant insurance to the UK market.”
He added: “In the meantime … we are still in a period of solvent run-off, which means that while we continue to offer existing policyholders our full support, we are not providing any further policies to new or existing customers at this time.”
by Gill Montia
Source : Insurance Daily (UK) April 28, 2010
http://www.insurancedaily.co.uk/2010/04/28/second-wind-for-sharia-compliant-salaam-halal/
MISE A JOUR DU 23 NOVEMBRE 2009 : FAUTE D’AVOIR PU MOBILISER LES FONDS ESCOMPTES, SALAAM INSURANCE SUSPEND PROVISOIREMENT SON DEVELOPPEMENT, TOUT EN CONTINUANT A HONORER SES ENGAGEMENTS EN COURS.
Islamic insurance company Salaam Halal closes to new business
The first Islamic insurance company to be launched in the UK has closed to new business after failing to raise enough capital to continue trading.
Salaam Halal, launched in July 2009, has written to suppliers and partners informing them it is now in « solvent run-off ». A note has also been placed on its web site revealing it is no longer accepting « new requests for insurance quotations ».
The company, which has 10,000 policyholders, said it is now looking for fresh investment and would honour all existing policies until they expire.
Salaam Halal’s parent company Principle Insurance Holdings raised £60m from investors across the Middle East and Malaysia when it was launched. However, Bradley Brandon-Cross, its chief executive, said the company had originally hoped to raise £80m, meaning it was left with a shortfall.
The insurer had approached the investors for more money, but found they had been hit by the global economic downturn.
Mr Brandon-Cross told the insurance trade magazine Post: « Regretfully, a recent rights issue did not produce sufficient funds to support the company’s continuation beyond the life of current customer policies.
« We had planned to raise some more, but unfortunately the Gulf states have been as badly impacted by the credit crunch as anywhere else. People there have invested on the New York and London stock markets, and property too. Since we stopped taking on new business we have had a number of enquiries from potential investors interested in continuing the firm, but these negotiations are at a very early stage. »
Salaam Halal sold « takaful » products, which are compliant with the Koran. This forbids the practice of interest, risk and speculative behaviour.
Instead, customers invest into a pool that pays out whenever a claim is made. Operating companies run the pools and invest their funds according to Islamic law.
Source : Daily Telegraph, by Jamie Dunkley 18 Nov 2009
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/6600525/Islamic-insurance-company-Salaam-Halal-closes-to-new-business.html