Yasser Arafat cheese snack is big hit in Egypt

Ha'aretz ^ | Last update - 17:32 27/05/2002 | Reuters

[Cinnamon Girl]

CAIRO - Yasser Arafat cheese puffs are the new hit snack on the streets of Egypt's capital.

A cartoon of the Palestinian leader salutes consumers from each 25-piastre ($.05) bag of Abu Ammar chips, beckoning them to buy the snack and support the Intifada.

"Abu Ammar, hero of the struggle," the cover reads in bright red letters, referring to Arafat by his nom de guerre.

"The more you buy, the more you build," the bags say. "Heartbeat by heartbeat, hand by hand, we'll build a new era."

The bags feature a cartoon of an open-mouthed Arafat in khaki military dress and his trademark black-and-white checked headscarf against the backdrop of a Palestinian flag. The cheese-flavored corn puffs lie at Arafat's feet.

One Cairo shopkeeper said demand was high for the snack, launched two weeks ago by Egyptian food group al-Jawhara.

"They [Egyptians] buy it because they see Abu Ammar, and they are sympathetic with the Palestinian people," said shopkeeper Mursi Mahmoud Mohammad on Monday."They love this man. They love the people of Palestine," he said.

A company official said three percent of profits from sales of the snack would go to help pay for medical care of Palestinians wounded in the uprising that broke out 20 months.

Thousands of Egyptians have demonstrated in support of the Palestinians, demanding Egypt cut ties and expel Israel's ambassador.

They have also called for a boycott of U.S. goods and have urged consumers to buy Egyptian. Palestinian scarves have become a must-have accessory for many young Egyptians, and Palestinian flags have started appearing in shop windows in a country where public political protest is rare.

[Cinnamon Girl]

How appetizing. So many astounding ideas come from our $3 billion dollar a year friends in Egypt.

[MarineDad]

They do seem to be a far cry from their pyramid-building forebears, don't they?

[Cinnamon Girl]

FYI.

[cmsgop]

Infintada Puffs??????

[SamAdams76]

[Cinnamon Girl]

I think we can all safely blame President Bush for these cheese snacks. ;)

[SamAdams76]

[cmsgop]

Yassir's Crusty Puffs

[TheOtherOne]

Those chips support this crap!

Israeli paramedics and religious volunteers remove body parts from a baby stroller at the scene of a suicide bombing at an outdoor mall in the city of Petach Tikvah near Tel Aviv Monday May 27, 2002. According to police, the bomber killed himself, a woman and a two-year-old girl, and wounded some 20 including several babies. Reports on the Lebanese TV station Al-manar broadcast a claim of responsibility from the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, affiliated with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.(AP Photo/Barak Pachter)

[SamAdams76]

Considering that in order to raise just one million dollars, that the Muslims will have to consume 20,000,000 bags of these hideous cheese curls, it is likely that the next "holy war" will be fought by 400-lb fatsos with turbans. Those Arabs are going to end up with more chins than a chinese phone book.

[doug from upland]

I never thought I would say this. He is even uglier than Rosa DeLauro, Donna Shalala, and eschoir.

[FreedomPoster]

Another famous purveyor of Cheesy Poofs:

I'm trying to think of what they have in common, other than Cheesy Poofs. As much as I dislike Cartman, I find him much preferable to Arafat, who is long overdue to meet his maker.

[CWRWinger]

Absolutely correct.
Mr. Bush should have taken out Arafat and the snack food bag should read, "In memory of..."

[Bommer]

But are they Kosher?

[teeman8r]

if one were to look closely, there is something hanging out of the crotch of general arafat.... don't look now, but his intifada is showing.

[skr]

What a difference in culture. I wouldn't dream of putting a cartoon version of ANY of our presidents on a food product, as it's disrespectful to the Office.

[AmericaUnited]

9 out of 10 ararats prefer cheese as their snack.

[StriperSniper]

Cheesy Bump.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Egypt and the rest of the Muslim world quit contributing intelligence and technology to the world 1500 years ago. Their only export is death, destruction, and hate.

[Alouette]

It should go well with this "Happy meal"