Muslims in Thailand favor Iran’s Zamzam-Cola to American soft drinks

Kazi Mahmood, IOL Correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR, January 25 (IslamOnline) - Muslims in the southern province of Yala decided to boycott all U.S. products, erecting sign boards and bill boards calling the province “U.S. product free zones”, news agencies said Saturday January 25.

The boycott is organized by the National Association of Muslim Youth (NAMY), together with Muslim communities and schools across southern Thailand the Oana/TNA news agency reported.

Muslims are boycotting U.S. products in protest of the looming U.S.-led war on Iraq just as they did at the time of the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan.

The concerted effort by Muslims was made necessary in order to curb the influence of U.S. based products.

They called on shops in the province to cooperate in refusing to sell U.S. goods, particularly soft drinks.

NAMY deputy president Wisit Tadein said Friday, January 24, that the boycott would begin in the Yala districts of Talaat Kao, Talaat Seri and Marakas Yala, where signs had already been erected.

In the meantime, the locals involved had signed documents declaring their intention to cooperate in refusing to stock U.S. goods.

Over 150 grocery stores in the three areas would also post signs saying that they would not stock Coca-Cola in particular.

During the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan in 2001, the sales of U.S. soft drinks plummeted in Thailand's Muslim communities, affecting sales from Bangkok to Southern Thailand.

A major Coca Cola vendor in Pattani had banned all U.S. soft drinks sale from his outlets, leading to a shortage of U.S. made soft drinks in the region.

NAMY is spearheading a campaign to create a surge of protest against the imminent U.S. war on Iraq among Thailand's Muslim population, through a series of speeches and radio program.

Activities are also being organized in conjunction with Muslim groups in neighboring countries.

Wisit said that profits from the sales of the soft drinks would go to the U.S. and Jews, and that as a result this money would be used to kill Muslims.

Indonesian Ulama’s last year called for a boycott of U.S. soft drinks for the same reason, calling on Muslims to show support to their brothers in Palestine by boycotting these products.

In Malaysia, an association of Muslim restaurants has officially called for the removal of Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola and other U.S. based soft drinks from the shelves of its member restaurants.

The campaign is biting in some areas where the new comer Zam Zam cola has made an impact, though its sale is hindered by lack of stocks, a supplier of the product from Iran told IslamOnline.