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For the past month, the world has
watched in sick fascination the latest reality series — the
war on Lebanon. The kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by
Hizbullah fighters was met with the systematic destruction of
Lebanon. And while the world's attention was focused on Lebanon,
the terror campaign in Gaza continued. As the Israelis quenched
their summer thirst with overt aggression, the Lebanese and
Palestinians quenched theirs with tears. And elsewhere, the
world quenched its thirst with the ubiquitous soft drink, Coca
Cola.
Mothers, as you lovingly bathe your
babies with Johnson & Johnson products, think of the
Palestinian babies who died from Israeli bullets — courtesy of
J & J, who support Israel.
Next time we pop a Nestle's
candy in our mouth, let us savor the taste of the pain of those
who are oppressed by Israel, of those whose land was taken from
them, of those who will never taste the olives they so lovingly
grew.
As we proudly wear our designer
labels, let us ashamedly wear the bitter cloak of
betrayal. For yes, we are betraying those who are oppressed by
Israel by clothing ourselves in designer labels and often
strutting with the same arrogance of the oppressors.
How does Israel get its funds? It
enriches itself economically by companies who invest heavily in
it and support its growth.
And how do these companies gain the
wealth with which to empower Israel? By us, the willing
consumers! We buy their products that support the destruction of
Palestine. We buy their products that enable Israel to grow in
strength. And when we are asked to boycott these products,
we sigh and say, "But it is so difficult. We have no
choice. There are no alternative products for us to buy. Or if
there are, they are not of the same quality."
Is this what matters? Our greedy
stomachs and our love for consumerism? We say we care, but do we
really? If we can't do without a soft drink or a chocolate, how
will we survive if we ever have to undergo hardship? We say we
want to help but don't know how. Well, this is how we can help.
Boycott Israel by boycotting the companies that invest in
Israel.
As Muslims, we are meant to care more
for what is happening. We are meant to protest more and use our
right to boycott as an effective weapon. As a case in point, let
us look at Greenpeace, which is active in many areas of life.
A volunteer for Greenpeace,
Mo'azza Saley, related this story. Every beginner is given
a discourse on which products not to support. One day some time
ago, she bought a Kit Kat on her break. Her team leader went to
her and said, "What are you doing?" She jokingly
replied, "Have a break, have a Kit Kat." He wasn't
pleased. Why not? Because Nestle aggressively markets baby
formula, thereby discouraging breastfeeding. Babies starve
because their mothers can't afford the formula, or they die of
diarrhea because the formula is mixed with non-sterile water.
Greenpeace is against this on
humanitarian grounds, and thus boycotts Nestle. What about us
Muslims? Israel and America are doing everything in their power
to weaken the Muslim world. Do we care?
Perhaps, despite our efforts, the
oppression continues. Palestine has suffered for many, many
years, but this is no excuse to say we are not making a
difference. It is difficult for us to perceive the extent of the
effect of our actions and effort, but rest assured that every
effort counts and that we are making a difference. If we all
stand together, the effect will be more profound.
It's important we don't ever forget.
It's easy to become complacent and be seduced by the consumerist
culture. Let this be our jihad. Let us strive in our efforts to
speak out against oppression. Let us not fail in our duty toward
our brothers and sisters. Let us boycott Israel.
See this link for a list of companies
and products that fall under the boycott:
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