Arab Anger Triggers Boycott Of Starbucks And Pepsi

Independent (UK) ^ | 5-11-2002 | Andrew Gumbel

[blam]

Arab anger triggers boycott of Starbucks and Pepsi

By Andrew Gumbel
11 May 2002

Arab anger triggers boycott of Starbucks and Pepsi An informal boycott of American goods is gaining momentum in the Arab world, leading to a drastic drop-off in business for fast-food outlets, Starbucks coffee shops and basic groceries from Pepsi to Pampers.

Driven by anger at US support for Israel's military incursions into the West Bank, the boycott is taking on dimensions unseen since the Arab League embargo on companies trading with Israel trailed off in the early 1990s, according to a report in yesterday's New York Times.

The call is going out in mosques, on the street and over the internet, and lists are circulating in many countries to suggest alternatives to popular American brands. One list mistakenly says Domino's Pizza is non- American, presumably due to its Italian-sounding name.

Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a cleric with a show on the Qatari al-Jazeera television channel, has a banner on his website reading: "Boycott America, from Pepsi cans to Boeing." In Damascus, billboards show scenes of devastation in the Jenin refugee camp, with the slogan in Arabic and English: "Boycott American products: Don't be an accomplice."

One supermarket chain in Bahrain has already replaced about 1,000 US products on its shelves. In Tripoli, in northern Lebanon, a bomb exploded in an empty Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet on Thursday. Nobody was hurt.

Some of the anti-American ardour has been fuelled by rumours, such as the widely circulated but untrue tale that McDonald's is donating a percentage of the cost of every meal to Israel. A pro-Israeli speech by Starbucks' chief executive, Howard Schultz, led to a wave of anger at the coffee chain, although it is so popular in Arab capitals that custom has diminished only slightly.

However, there is only so much commercial harm even a complete boycott could do since US exports to the Arab world account for just 2.5 per cent of its trade revenue. Nevertheless, analysts cited by The New York Times said sales of fast food and other consumer items were down by 20-30 per cent.

[blam]

Idiots.

[galt-jw]

i would boycott their goods, but i dont need any stupidity and hatred.

[IronJack]

Let's play the "Economic Clout" game. America, the world's largest consumer nation, decides to boycott Arab products, versus Arabs, who deal in goat skins and sand. Which will be harmed by mutual boycott? Of course, there's always the oil issue, but we actually do have some options in that arena as well, if the stinking Senate had the stones to let us drill in ANWR.

[Robert_Paulson2]

Nevertheless, analysts cited by The New York Times said sales of fast food and other consumer items were down by 20-30 per cent.

And that fact is due to the large number of arabs working in american fast food joints. Most americans don't want to go and eat, where abdul pees in the secret sauce.

Fear of public markets, brought on by islamic terror, CAN impact our economy... It is a nonspecific form of warfare that not only kills people who are innocent... it also destroys the jobs of the innocents who work with the public. Islam is evil and must be destroyed. We should start with the mosques, and the imams. Take those two out of the equation, and the pukes won't have their "terrorist" command and control system any longer.

The islamic religion has become a low-tech, form of military command and control as well as logistics. They falsely assume we wont kill them in mosques, or kill religious leaders... wrong. They think their arms are safe stockpiled in charity headquarters and hospital facilities... WRONG AGAIN.

We have, we still can and we will soon do whatever it takes to end the "behind women's skirts" warrior tactics of the muslidiots.

Soon.

[Noumenon]

Cool. I much prefer the company of those who have at least a passing acquaintance with the concepts of personal hygiene.

[galt-jw]

me too.

[mn12]

Arab Anger Triggers Boycott Of Starbucks And Pepsi

Note to self: Pick up some Starbucks coffee and Pepsi.

[jonatron]

Let them eat sand!

[rageaholic]

The call is going out ... over the internet

I guess nobody told them Al Gore invented the internet.

But I am happy they are boycotting our stuff. They can use domestic arab products made from sticks and goat turds.

[aBootes]

Are they boycotting Viagra yet? I saw a comment about a week ago to the effect that if the Arabs embargo their oil and we embargo our Viagra, then the world can watch to see who blinks first. My guess is that the wait could be timed with a stopwatch...

[Mark17]

I would boycott their goods, but i dont need any stupidity and hatred.

That really is about all they are capable of producing, those scum sucking dirt bags. Sorry, I didn't mean to insult dirt bags who suck scum, but they do.

[Edmund Burke]

Are Starbucks and Pepsi both Jewish controlled companies?

[Mark17]

Let them eat sand!

And drink oil.

[Restorer]

I much prefer the company of those who have at least a passing acquaintance with the concepts of personal hygiene.

For whatever it's worth, Islam is probably more insistent on personal cleanliness than any other religion I can think of.

[tututango]

Now's the time to start big time oil conservation efforts. It'll hurt the arabs where it counts. We could do it voluntarily without government regulation if we applied ourselves to the task.

[tututango]

I guess it depends on what the meaning of 'personal cleanliness' is...

[cowgirlcutie]

Good! Let em boycott! Even better...they can boycott by not coming here anymore. It's a funny thing, they like to say that Americans are hypocrits. They wrote the book on hypocrisy! They hate us, but they like our schools and our products. Jerks!

[MarMema]

I was buying more Pepsi just this morning.

[tututango]

if the stinking Senate had the stones to let us drill in ANWR.

We should really cut back our consumption first. ANWR will take a few years to bring online, but I agree that the senate should do that. I filled up my car tonight and it made me really angry that I'm funding the saudis.

[Steve Eisenberg]

Notice that Starbucks business is still strong. From what I have read, many of the U.S. headquartered food businesses lack good quality control for products sold in the third world. For example, the quality of U.S. branded soda is reputed to be much worse. Just maybe if Pepsi can keep their Arab bottling plants from watering down the stuff, they'll do as well asf Starbucks.

I didn't mean to pick on Pepsi, since I do not know how their quality control compares to, say, Coke. Needless to say, they are hurting themselves more than us and discrediting their cause.