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What
is the boycott?
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Should we boycott all Jews and Americans?
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Who
supports the boycott, what do Muslim scholars say about it?
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Surely
wherever we spend our money we support the US and Israeli
governments, even our taxes support the US and Israeli
governments; so why pick on some companies and boycott them?
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The
companies that are to be boycotted operate in Muslim
countries providing Muslims with jobs - isn’t boycotting
them going to harm us?
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Does
the boycott work?
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What
else can I do to help?
1.
What is the boycott?
The
boycott of American and Israeli products and companies
supporting hegemony, portrayed in the US occupation of Iraq and
the Zionist entity, is about ordinary people around the world
using their right to choose what they buy in order to help bring
about an end to oppression. It’s a peaceful means of putting
international pressure on the US and Israeli governments and
follows in the footsteps of the successful boycott against South
African racist apartheid.
2.
Should we boycott all Jews and Americans?
Certainly
not! The boycott is not directed at any religious or ethnic
group, but rather it is directed at those companies that are
supporting the occupation of Iraq and Palestine. There is no
discrimination between the supporters of Israel and/or the US
occupation of Iraq: If a Muslim company is caught collaborating
with the US or the Israeli governments it should be boycotted
just as vigorously as any other company.
3.
Who supports the boycott, what do Muslim scholars say about it?
People
of good conscience all around the world support the boycott.
Trade
Unions around the world, including the UK’s biggest trade
union UNISON with its 1.4 million members, have called for a
boycott of all Israeli goods. Christian groups like Christian
Aid have joined the boycott demanding an end to EU-Israel
trade agreements.
Also,
peace activists in Belgium organized an International Anti-War
Boycott Day on April 15, 2003 closing oil stations in protest
against the role of Exxon-Mobil and Chevron-Texaco in the 2003
war in Iraq. (Click here
for further details on who has been boycotting what.)
Among
Muslims, every leading scholar from every school of thought is
united in this and has given clear fatwas in support of the
boycott. (Click here to read fatwas on the boycott.) 
4.
Surely wherever we spend our money we support the US and Israeli
governments, even our taxes support the US and Israeli
governments; so why pick on some companies and boycott them?
Our
inability to totally avoid US and Israeli goods is no excuse for
us not to do anything. The companies to be boycotted are the
major supporters of the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the
US occupation of Iraq. If we can successfully campaign against
these then the support of the others will, insha’Allah,
evaporate.
5.
The companies that are to be boycotted operate in Muslim
countries providing Muslims with jobs - isn’t boycotting them
going to harm us?
It
is true that most of the companies to be boycotted have
operations in Muslim countries and employ Muslims who would lose
their jobs if the companies collapsed or pulled out. But we have
to look at this as an opportunity, not a loss.
Take
the example of Coca-Cola in the Middle East. The boycott has hit
them so hard that their sales are down 60%. This has created an
opportunity for a Muslim alternative – ZamZam Cola of Iran,
which is owned by the religious charity the Foundation of the
Dispossessed – to take Coca-Cola’s share of the market.
ZamZam Cola is struggling to keep up with demand. It exceeded
all expectations by selling four million cans in its first week.
It is now planning to expand by building factories in the Gulf
states, helping provide local employment. And for the first time
even European countries like Denmark are importing ZamZam Cola.
Similar
success stories can be told of Sainsbury’s closing in Egypt in
April 2001, which resulted in a blossoming of local stores which
would not have otherwise survived in an unfair market
monopolized by a foreign giant.
Also
let’s not forget that the reason why the multinationals have
set up in Muslim countries is not out of benevolence for us, but
rather exploitation. Take the example of Delta Galil - the
Israeli textile giant whose cloths are sold under the labels
GAP, Banana Republic, Calvin Klein, BOSS, M&S and DKNY among
others. The Israeli company has factories in Jordan and Egypt in
addition to Palestine. Their treatment of workers is such that
Sweatshop Watch has denounced Delta-Galils exploitation of Arab
labor, calling it a “Sweatshop Czar.” Is it really a loss to
us to see such companies go?
6.
Does the boycott work?
Oh
yes! For example, one of the companies hardest hit by the
boycott is McDonald’s.
McDonald’s
is a “major corporate partner” of the Jewish United Fund. In
its own words, the Jewish United Fund “works to maintain
American military, economic and diplomatic support for Israel;
monitors and, when necessary, responds to media coverage of
Israel.” Also, McDonald’s chairman and CEO Jack M. Greenberg
is an honorary director of the American-Israel Chamber of
Commerce and Industry.
McDonald’s
announced it is closing down some of its operations in the
Middle East due to loss of revenue as a direct result of the
boycott (Oct 2002), and is replacing Greenberg as its chairman
and CEO (Dec 2002). Since the launch of the boycott campaign two
of Jordan’s six McDonald’s franchises have closed due to
lack of business. In Egypt, McDonald’s decided to change its
brand name to Manfoods, in an attempt to dodge the boycott. It
had no effect and Egyptian police forces were ordered to guard
the entrances to McDonald’s restaurants after stone throwing
incidents took place.
In
the face of giants like McDonald’s crumbling under the
pressure of the boycott, smaller companies are wary of
supporting Israel and are steering clear in fear of being
boycotted.
Amidst
calls for a boycott of Amazon.com, the internet bookstore
terminated its association with The Jerusalem Post (Nov 2002).
It was revealed that The Jerusalem Post was donating its slice
of the profits derived from the Amazon.com partnership to
Israeli soldiers returning home after committing massacres and
other abuses of human rights on the occupied territories.
Their
advert, which appeared on most of their pages, read “Buy
Amazon.com & Support Israel.” Inundated with complaints,
Amazon.com severed its ties to The Jerusalem Post, demanding
they remove all the adverts and vowed not to hand over any more
profits.
Other
companies, disgusted by Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians
have themselves actively joined the boycott.
In
May 2002 a US auto part export company refused to do business
with Israel.
In
a reply to a purchase order from Israel, John Harris,
representing Texas Automotive Export wrote:
“We
must inform you that Texas Export will not do business with
Israeli citizens at this time. We urge you to rein in your
military and stop your oppression of the Palestinian people,”
the letter said. “Your country has lost the respect of the
civilized world,” it concluded.
The
success of the boycott has so worried the US and Israeli
governments, both afraid that companies will abandon Israel that
the US threatened to fine US companies that take part in the
boycott. The Department of Commerce issued more than $26m in
fines and turned down export licenses to those companies found
supporting the boycott - so much for democracy and the right to
choose who to do business with!
7.
What else can I do to help?
1.
Tell Others
It’s
essential that others know about the boycott and specifically
which companies to boycott. Talk to people about the boycott;
with non-Muslims, draw the parallels between this boycott and
the one against apartheid in South Africa.
2.
Write Letters
For
a boycott to be effective, it must be followed up with a letter
writing campaign to inform the companies that we are boycotting
their products until they stop collaborating with Israel.
3.
Picket
More
and more individuals are beginning to take direct action against
companies that support Israel. One form of direct action is to
picket the guilty companies.
Picketing
is a form of public protest and aims to draw attention to the
realities of Palestinian suffering by exposing those that help
to sustain it. It embarrasses those shoppers that know they
shouldn’t be shopping there, informs those shoppers that are
not aware of the moral objections as well as irritating
supporters of Israel generally.
The
companies themselves become aware of the protests and news of
pickets goes all the way to the top.
Originally
posted on Innovative Minds’ Boycott
Israel Campaign page. Modified by IslamOnline.net
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