Several Muslim shopkeepers in India are no longer stocking Israeli and US products in support of the people of Palestine and this move has started a movement amongst the local community.
A video production by Al Jazeera English featured Mohammad Nadeem, a shop owner in India. During an interview to the channel, he said, “Our income will decrease a bit, we can’t really fight them, but we can boycott their economy…The demand that used to exist earlier has also disappeared now, when we boycott this, it will have an impact somewhere and it has already.”
These Muslim shopkeepers in India are no longer stocking Israeli and US products in support of the people of Palestine, starting a movement amongst the local community ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/3m0Nf5gE4k
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) November 13, 2023
Al Jazeera also reported that Mohammad is one of a few shop owners in India taking part in the boycott. It was stated that products like Pepsi and Coca Cola are no longer stocked in his shop. The boycott has started a movement in this Muslim neighbourhood, a number of families said, adding that they are also boycotting these products.
Ashar Imteyaz, a nine-year-old boycotting participant said: “after when I heard of this I stopped buying these products. Iconic brands that you used to love as children have become vilest. The money they are using is supporting Israeli government and I don’t want any more violence to happen. So we need to stop buying these products to save Gaza.”
Nikhat Rehman, another participant said in the video: “This is our small contribution because we, the common public here, we don’t have any other way to show our support. So, I thought if we boycott Israelis and American products in this way, it will be a small contribution from us for the people over there.”
Al Jazeera reported that shopkeepers say their customers are now seeking alternative brands. Moreover, it was stated that India’s government is accused of cracking down on pro-Palestine protests whilst allowing pro-Israeli demonstrations to take place.
To view the entire Al Jazeera production click here.
Background
Worldwide, as Information Clearing House has so succinctly analysed here, the axis of United States-Israel were fearful of the creative and impressive US-based Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, that was increasingly attracting students, academics, human rights defenders from across North America, dispersed all over the country, with twitter motofs as bullhorns. The aim was to ensure that more and more people boycott, divest from and sanction Israel to ensure it ends its brutal, racist occupation of Palestine. The BDS had modelled itself on the international boycott campaign that had successfully rallied thousands against the apartheid regime in South Africa. Netanhayu (in 2015) lobbied heavily and secretly with US-multi billionaires to strategise how to cut the influence of BDS that was influencing more and more Americans to acknowledge the truth of Israeli oppression.
Interestingly among one of the BDS movements most staunch supporters was the late South African archnishop, Desmond Tutu, who along with Nelson Mandela had for decades, battled the white apartheid regime in Pretoria. At a historic public address in Boston in 2007, Tutu dubbed the Israeli regime even “worse” than South African apartheid in some respects and strongly criticised the illegal use of “collective punishment” of Palestinians. Mandela too was outraged by Israeli apartheid and claimed time and again that “our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of Palestinians”. (This was during an address in Pretoria at the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in 1997).
(This report relies heavily on Al Jazeera English and Information Clearing House—Editors).
Related:
How Does International Humanitarian Law Apply in Israel and Gaza?
Church unites in prayer, condemns massacre at Gaza, hospital bombing