Muslim coalition fight US back on economic plot

Maciamo

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The Muslim world can't wage an open war against the US, but they can harm its economy by not buying US productsanymore. This is not a boycott decided by governments, but a spontaneous action of the population, so the US can't object officially. :D What's more Muslim living in Western countries (Europe especailly) are likely to follow suit. Will Zam Zam Cola become a world-class rival for the famous American soft drink company ? When are we going to see MeccaDonald burgers and Crescent-bucks coffee ? That might be an early form of Middle-Eastern international capitalism and economic mutation...

From the Mainichi Daily News

Muslims wage war on U.S. cola giants

THE U.S. may be girding for war with Iraq, but it is already fighting "cola wars" throughout the Middle East.
As a boycott of U.S. products spreads across the Islamic world, Muslim manufacturers are taking on the big U.S. brand-names by producing their own fizzy drinks.

Factories in Iran making Zam Zam Cola are struggling to keep up with demand for their version of Pepsi and Coca-Cola.

Ten million bottles of Zam Zam have been exported to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries in the past four months, and the Iranians are working overtime to churn out enough of their cola to slake the thirsts of the 2 million Muslims expected in Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

The soft drink has been so successful that others are racing to get in on the act. Tawfiq Mathlouthi, a French-Muslim entrepreneur, will launch Mecca Cola in Paris next month. No superstar is being paid millions to sing its jingle, but there will be an advertising campaign promising that 10 per cent of the profits will go to a Palestinian charity for children.

Mr Mathlouthi admits he has taken the idea from the producers of Zam Zam, but says he has had inquiries from interested parties in Belgium and The Netherlands.

His launch is being timed for the start of Ramadan, when the call for a boycott of all U.S. brands will be stepped up. U.S. companies such as McDonald's, Starbucks, Nike, as well as the cola giants, admit the campaign is hurting them. Sales of Coca-Cola have dropped by up to 40 per cent in some countries, and are still falling.

In Morocco, a government official estimates sales of Pepsi and Coca-Cola could fall by half in the north, a stronghold of Islamic groups. In the United Arab Emirates, sales of the local Star Cola are up by 40 per cent over the past three months.

The Islamic cola companies say this is an easy way for Muslims to punish U.S. President George W. Bush for his Middle East policies.

Mr Mathlouthi said Mecca Cola would "answer the needs of world citizens by contributing to the fight against American imperialism and the fascism of the Zionist entity". The advertising agents promise to come up with a snappier slogan.

Advertising chiefs say the cola campaign represents a new attack on the U.S. grip on fast food, soft drinks, leisure wear and cigarettes.

Rita Clifton, chairman of Interbrand, a global brand consultancy, said: "Coca-Cola is the world's most valuable brand - worth $128.5 billion - so it's not going to be put out of business. But no company wants to be boycotted, or have its product poured out in the streets by protesters."

Zam Zam's executives are delighted at putting one over on the "Great Satan", but are careful not to gloat in their advertisements. Similarly, while Coke and Pepsi are stepping up their promotions in the Gulf, they do not want to get dragged into a war of words with Zam Zam.

The cola is named after the waters that flow from the Zamzam holy spring in Mecca. The drink exceeded all expectations by selling 4 million cans in its first week. After the success of its original cola, Zam Zam now comes in other flavours such as orange, lemon and lime.

For many years Zam Zam was Pepsi's Iranian partner until its contract was ended after the 1979 revolution. Zam Zam was taken over by the Foundation of the Dispossessed, a powerful state charity run by clerics, and today employs more than 7000 people in 17 factories in Iran. It plans to build factories in the Persian Gulf.

Its cola is already exported to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq, and the company says it will soon ship its drinks to Lebanon, Syria and Denmark - its first European client. Zam Zam marketing manager Bahram Kheiry rattled off the inquiries he has handled in recent weeks from France, Canada, Norway, The Netherlands, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and several countries in Africa.

Coca-Cola executives distanced themselves from U.S. Middle East policy. A spokesman said: "We are a business, so we do not get involved in political issues."
 
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that's a pretty interesting issue!

here in Brazil there's a lot of soda's brands besides the most famous/traditional and the most selling ones - Pepsi, Coca-Cola and local brands (Brahma, Antarctica). but that happens for another reason. it's not about boycott, but the high prices. you can buy the cheaper brands for even less than half of the Coke price, for instance! so in a country where the per capita income is USD 2,200.00 it makes a huge difference.
 
In Egypt, generally considered a moderate Islamic country with close ties to Western countries, people are boycotting U.S. food chains since long - mainly as a protest against U.S. support of Israel. Chains like McDonalds, Burger King and KFC are in the red while local food stores thrive.

I remember that a few years ago American Muslim organizations boycotted Nike, because the company's logo resembled to the term "Allah" in Arabic.

Will Zam Zam Cola become a world-class rival for the famous American soft drink company?

That's not the point. Drinking Zam Zam will be seen as political statement. Economic boycott by consumers can be pretty effective.
 
Just found the image below. Very convincing, isn't it? :D
 
Thats like saying that Marlboro endorses the KKK since the 3 capital K's can be found in each cigarette pack. My opinion is that people will see what they want to see.
 
So why don't they always print this logo flipped in Muslim countries in order to educate the population. It's high time they realised the basic philosophical thruth : there is no god.
 
And you can prove this? I think you can't. No, their views are just as legitimate as yours.
 
Uhm, I didn't intend to unleash a debate about whether god exists or not, I just wondered how far ostensibly religious people go in order to "protect" religion, assuming that their true motivation lies in fact somewhere else.

The Nike and Cola cases are just two examples for such paranoia. Similar cases can be found in other religions as well.

We can always demand evidence or counter-evidence, but religion is faith. Faith is a personal issue and should be respected as such.
 
Sorry. I shouldn't have started an argument that will lead nowhere. I know it pertinently well, but I just couldn't resist. I agree with you Thomas that faith is personal and should be respected as such. The only thing that troubles me is when someone want to convert me or convince me there is a/some god(s). I guess the problem lies in the definition. If anyone really want to prove me anything logically, I am totally open (please start a new thread in the chit-chat section). I have been reflecting on metaphysical issues since my early childhood (I was rather precocious on that matter) and have awaited the day someone could come with solid arguments to give me the faith, but so far I have never lost - and made other people rethink their deep-rooted convictions, even at my Jesuit college. :D
 
Maciamo, I understand your point very well, and I subscribe to what you have said about imposing ideas onto others. I really couldn't agree more.
:)

I have lived more than one third of my life in Islamic countries where I've learned, better yet, internalized two things: it's no use arguing with a person living in a metaphysical world that's hermetically sealed, secondly and more important, respect the fact that this person is happy in his/her world.

Just to make my point clear: Islam for instance is not "hermetically sealed", but there are a lot of believers who refuse to look beyond the dogmata of their religion. They are entitled to their views as long - and now we're back to where we started - they do not impose their views onto others.
 
hmm ... I like some of what marvel comics have to say about this subject. They don't touch on God specifically but they sure do make you think. I think they tap alot into Norse Beliefs.

Mark Twain also blew the 7 days and 7 nights theory to bits.

Is it not possible to have an entity that let's say farted of which the reaction caused the big bang to happen and humans have just given that entity the name God by chance?

hehe, well, my thoughts are not that low but I do believe in a force.

This is anakin skywalker, and I'm a Sith lord!
 
Blast, reminds me that I still have to install my sound card! :)
 

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