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Britain's Muslims To Boycott American Products Over Israeli Atrocities
LONDON (IslamOnline) - Britain's only Muslim Party said on Saturday it was joining a pan-Muslim effort to boycott American products in protest over Israeli brutality towards Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The Islamic British Party, Britain's only licensed Muslim political party, said it was taking part in the anti-American campaign in response to a call by the Arab Gulf-based International Muslim Rights Forum (IMRF) urging Muslim nations to refrain from purchasing American products.
"Islamic nations will not remain silent towards the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians, because silence becomes a crime itself," said Daoud Bedckook, head of the Islamic British Party.
The American Boycott Campaign (ABC) would avoid companies like TWA Airlines, Levi and Wrangler jeans companies, and the U.S. giant Citibank.
There have been similar calls among Muslims in Austria, France and other European countries.
Muslims in Europe said they were boycotting Coca Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Maxwell House drinks, Pampers baby care products, McDonalds restaurants, GM, Ford, and Chrysler Motors, Revlon/Estee Lauder cosmetics and perfumes, AT&T telecommunications, Marlboro cigarettes and Ariel detergents.
The party said it picked American products for boycott especially because of their popularity in Muslim countries. It said sales of American goods in Muslim countries represents 30% of U.S. companies' profits.
Bedckook, who has been outspoken in his statements against Washington, criticized the U.S. stand towards the Israeli violence. He said that U.S., as the world's only superpower, did not react to halt Israeli war crimes against the civilians who live under Israeli occupation in Palestine.
He also blamed the U.S. for blocking U.N. moves to investigate Israeli war crimes, or to condemn the Israeli massacres in the Occupied Territories.
At the same time, the IMRF said that Muslim nations would prove to the world that the blood of Palestinian children would have dramatic economic consequences on Israel and its allies.
The sponsors of ABC affirmed that the campaign would spread through the Islamic world in a communication network plan targeting the largest number of Muslims worldwide.
"The campaign won't stop until the International Court of Justice brings to trial Israeli war criminals beyond U.S. interference," IMRF chairman, Manal Tazidan declared.
"We are certain that all the Muslims would contribute to that campaign and many Muslim nations have already launched effective boycott campaigns for American
products," Tanzidan added.
ABC sponsors said that it was unacceptable that Israeli criminals remain without trial to commit more outrages against Palestinian children and civilians without any interference from the U.N. or any human rights groups.
Earlier, the IMRF issued a statement distributed on the Internet urging the U.N. to investigate Israeli crimes in the Occupied Territories since the start of Palestinian uprising in which more than 240 Palestinians have been killed.
More than 10,000 Muslims and non-Muslims from Arab and non-Arab countries have signed the decree.
Bedckook, addressing the international community, said, "Aren't the Palestinians human beings? If yes, we should then reveal the ugly face of Israeli criminals before the world nations."
"Amnesty International human [rights] organization [has] condemned the Israeli violations as war crimes. Then, what is the world waiting for?" Bedckook wondered bitterly.
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