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by Emad Mekay CAIRO (IslamOnline) - A group of influential Islamic scholars issued a statement Wednesday urging Muslim and Arab leaders due to meet in Cairo on October 21st to "boycott American and Zionist products" in a bid to stop Israeli atrocities against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Territories. "If it wasn't for American political, economic and military backing, it [Israel] would have never been a force to reckon with, nor it would have carried out its abuse [against the Palestinians]," said the Al-Azhar Scholars Front (ASF), an independent watchdog comprised of thousands of graduates Al-Azhar University, Sunni Islam's most prestigious learning institution. Anti-American sentiment has been running high in the Muslim and Arab worlds after what many here say is a "blind American bias" towards the Jewish state. Many cite the U.S.'s failure to condemn Israel for excessive use of force against Palestinian protestors in a United Nations Security Council referendum vote last week as an example of the bias. Many editorials and columns in the Arab and Muslim press note that the U.S. came close to sanctioning Israel's excessive use of force in more than two weeks of clashes with Palestinian civilians. Some 98 Palestinians have died in the clashes with thousands injured. Five Israeli Jews have also died as a result of the clashes. Some Egyptian writers also noted that American Jews, including Martin Indyk, the U.S. ambassador to Israel; Daniel Kurtzer, the American ambassador to Egypt; and special envoy to the Middle East, Dennis Ross, disproportionately staff the Middle East desk at the U.S. State Department. Calls in mosques and on the Internet came out in favor of a boycott of American goods and products. Demonstrators noted that the Israelis are using American weapons including helicopters, rockets and boats. ASF's statement came only two days before 22 Arab leaders hold their first summit in four years to form a unified position against Israel. "You [Arab leaders] can prove to the U.S. that she has more interest in dealing with Arabs and Muslims than in dealing with Israel," the statement called on Arab leaders. The ASF is self-governing and commands great support and admiration among the public here. The group has previously opposed the official religious establishment in Egypt over controversial issues like allowing bank interest and receiving Israeli rabbis at al-Azhar. The group, whose leading members often take to mosque pulpits for sermons, also invoked a religious spirit among the leaders. "The Jews face us with their religion," said the statement. "We, too, need to abide by our religion in our fight against the Jews." |
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