The call for a boycott of American products in protest against Washington's unflinching support of Israel's killing of unarmed Palestinians is taking root in the Kingdom. The call for a boycott is a spillover from a series of anti-US campaigns currently underway in several non-Arab countries. The boycott drive, started in Malaysia for instance on Jan. 9, is finding support in all parts of the Kingdom. Many Saudis have begun getting emails urging them to boycott American products in order to indirectly harm the American economy. Saudi and expatriate citizens have reportedly taken several steps to fight America and Israel. Though these campaigns are being taken on individual initiative, religious officials have confirmed the necessity of helping Gaza by waging a boycott campaign against American products. Saudi Gazette visited American restaurants such as Burger King, McDonalds, Hardies, KFC and Starbucks and found them almost deserted. These food outlets were invariably crowded prior to the recent boycott call. A huge drop in customers at such places is perceptible. “In the last three weeks, the number of customers has dropped by about 25 percent,” said a Starbucks employee requesting anonymity. “The customers think that buying one cup of coffee will help in killing a Palestinian child,” he said. An official at Hardies, however, said that the restaurant did not face any problem. “Customers are coming every day taking their meals without any noticeable decrease in their numbers,” said Mohammed Haroon, Hardies branch manager. Marketing analysts however agree that such a campaign would have a big effect on the American economy. “The campaign will badly affect the American economy, especially if we stop buying American cars, for which the Kingdom is a major market,” said Dr. Habib Allah Turkestani, marketing and business management professor in King Abdulaziz University. According to him, it is very difficult for the government to involve itself in such a campaign. Saudi citizens and residents however are divided on the campaign to boycott American products. “We should have a boycott against American products that will affect the American and Israeli governments negatively,” said Mo'men Abo-Shwareb, a Palestinian engineer, 24, who works at a private company in Riyadh. Doa'a Al-Madani, a Syrian housewife, supports the boycott. “Paying one riyal for these US products is a big loss for us.” A Lebanese engineer, conversely, was against the boycott, which he thinks, will not be important. “I think my participation in this boycott is not important, especially when I cannot ensure that all the people will do the same thing,” said Wissam Al-Sa'ati. A Saudi businessman, Sami Hussain, considers it as being too late to be effective. “Having such a boycott campaign would have been helpful if we had started it when the blockade against Gaza began, but now it is too late,” he said. “We need a quick and urgent way to stop the war,” he said. Such a boycott will be appropriate, but it would be wrong to do so officially, said Sheikh Asem Al-Hakim, Imam of Jaffar Al-Tayyar Mosque. “We should fight Israel directly and should not direct our anger against other nations such as America,” he said. “The boycott campaigns are being organized randomly without taking permission from government officials, so we are not going to support or encourage them,” said Dr. Khalid Al-Ramaih, General Secretary of the National Association for New Muslims.
