Saudi Gazette reports that a boycott of American products in support of the people of Gaza is beginning to take hold in Saudi Arabia. As with earlier, similar boycotts, this one is likely to a) assuage Saudi feelings of impotence and b) hurt the Saudi franchisees and their employees, without actually doing much damage to the US economy, contrary to what a professor from King Abdulaziz University states.
It’s clear that the idea of a boycott has strong popular support, though.
Boycott of US products taking root in Kingdom
Diana Al-Jassem and Farah Mustafa WadiJEDDAH – 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.
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January:13:2009 - 13:31
These boycotts somehow stir hatred towards America which is a fuzzy thing. Because for one, when I am American that makes me wonder (scratching my head) what I ever did wrong?
Better to assuage impotence via boycotts than have people act out in other ways like biting their fingers off or what is that word again mu til ation in the name of self autonomy or something along those lines.
January:13:2009 - 13:34
It is amusing that a boycott of American products is being untertaken by e-mail, when such e-mail software is likely developed by American firms.
A boycott of American products would seem to be as unlikely to succeed as an American boycott of petroleum.
January:13:2009 - 16:45
Yes, but like (it seems) half the laws passed by Congress, it makes people feel good about themselves. They’re seen, and feel, as though they’re actually doing something useful.
So, do we condemn things that make people feel good, even though they’re useless, or applaud them for at least feeling something?
January:13:2009 - 17:55
It seems boycotting is the only sign of protest Saudis have at the moment. It became at least an indicator for their dissent against many topics. From the Danish boycott, to vehicle dealership boycotts.. to consumer commodities boycott.
If you are angry about something, since you cannot protest in Saudi soil, boycott! Seems like a good idea to feel that you done something, it certainly makes the news.. it might be not as damaging as Saudis who contribute in it think. But it is one of the few forms of Saudi activism movement… and we do need more freedom to see more of that, activism that is.
January:14:2009 - 01:41
I have mixed feelings about boycotts. On one hand, they are a legitimate way of showing displeasure (as opposed to bombs anyway), on the other hand they hurt the local economy especially when it’s a blind one.
Here’s a little story. A small burger shop opened in Jeddah recently. It’s owner was a small enterpenuer, not a franchise at all. When I visited the place was empty. Then a man and his daughter entered, the father intent on treating his little girl. Just after they order the little girl whispers to her dad. The father then cancels the order saying that his daughter has decided to boycott American products.
In the last mass scale boycott (over the Dutch cartoons incident) many companies were wrongfully branded as Dutch and were boycotted in the process. Even after a slew of correction announcements, some people persisted, convinced that they were not going to be fooled by “Zionist media”.
January:14:2009 - 07:58
I think you’re right, but you provide an inadvertent example of the misguided ire: The cartoons were Danish, so punishing the Dutch? Well, same continent, anyway…
January:14:2009 - 09:48
John, Danes, Dutch.. Denmark, Netherland and Germany.. Many people confuse those here. I personally have a question in my recruitment English test that asks to choose the correct way to address a person from Germany citizinship.. Many select Dutch.. even those who are fluent English speakers.
January:14:2009 - 10:00
I know… I was just pulling your leg. I’ve been known to make that kind of mistake as well, so I’m certainly not throwing any stones here!
January:15:2009 - 04:27
Oops. Yes I meant Danish. Bah! You white folk all look alike
January:16:2009 - 18:25
[...] Glassman first acknowledged that all available evidence — including reports from the field, Arabic media hubs, and embassies — shows that the Gaza crisis is indeed generating tremendous hostility to the United States. He also mentioned two manifestations of which I wasn’t aware – the cancelation of applications for grants and exchange programs, and a disturbing decline in invitations to U.S. officials to speak. (He might also have mentioned the reappearance of 2002-vintage campaigns to boycott U.S. products in countries such as Jordan and Saudi Arabia.) [...]
January:21:2009 - 16:05
The boycotts of American goods is dubious because of the way the world’s interconnected economies work. It is difficult to calculate truly what is an American good, is a Ford an American good, surely it is, but most of the individual parts are not made in America, only assembled there. Boycotting buying most American manufactered goods hurts the american company but probably hurts the 3rd world manufactering that recieved the oursourcing contract in the first place. What constituites an American company? Does it have to have its HQ in the US, if that is the case than Halliburton should not be boycotted because its HQ is now in Qatar. The problem with the boycott is that it is one size fits all and it is impossible to disentangle all the global players from the whole life cycle of an individual product. The apple Ipod, is built totally overseas by a whole series of manufacters across Asia each one creating different subcomponents to be later assembled (also in asia).
January:21:2009 - 17:13
Don’t neglect the people in the local economy–i.e., the franchise holder, the agent, the broker, the guy who sweeps the floor at the local McDonalds–who lose money, if not jobs, with these boycotts.
I do understand the need to ‘do something!’, but something effective would be better.
January:21:2009 - 19:45
Something better would be for Muslims to live by the golden rule and love as true Muslims…and Jews to live by the golden law and love as true Jews…And every non Muslim and Jew can live by the Golden rule.
As cheesy as it may sound “Only Love can Conquer”.
Does God intend one religion to obliterate the other or a people to obliterate the other?
I agree “Enough is enough”
January:22:2009 - 18:18
[...] on the other hand some others, like Crossroads Arabia were not that much into the boycotting: Saudi Gazette reports that a boycott of American products [...]
January:22:2009 - 20:35
[...] zoals Crossroads Arabia [En], waren niet zo enthousiast over de boycot: Saudi Gazette meldt dat een boycot van Amerikaanse [...]
January:25:2009 - 18:32
[...] fronte opposto, qualcun altro, come Crossroads Arabia [in], non appoggiano la campagna di boicottaggio: Il giornale Saudi Gazette riferisce che anche in [...]