Author:
Publication: Mid-Day
Date: November 20, 2001
Introduction: "City Muslims to continue
ban on US goods despite Taliban'' defeat
The happy images on television of
Afghans celebrating the flight of the Taliban from Kabul have not convinced
Mumbai's Sadik Ali to give up his boycott of American soft drinks and food
products.
As far as he is concerned, the celebrations
will start only after the US-led forces leave the war-torn country alone.
"Until then, I am sticking to the boycott of American products," says this
owner of a soft-drinks stall on SVP Road.
Ali has stopped selling soft drinks
with American brand names for the last two weeks, following the call by
Muslim organisations to boycott the products to protest the killing of
innocent civilians during the bombings in Afghanistan.
The images of Afghans rejoicing
after being freed from Taliban rule have not yet caught the eye of Ali's
neighbour, Yunus Abdul Rahim, manager of Paramount Restaurant. Rahim does
not watch television during Ramzan. But from whatever information he has
gleaned from newspapers, he is convinced that innocent people are still
dying in Afghanistan.
Before the boycott call, Rahim used
to sell five to six crates of soft-drink brands like Pepsi and Coca-Cola.
But even the loss in sales cannot convince him to sell the products again.
"Till our association tells us to stop the boycott, we will not sell American
food products," says Rahim.
Adam Ibrahim, of Tipu Sultan restaurant
on Masjid Street, too, says "We will reconsider the boycott only if our
association gives us the order to do so."
The Indian Hoteliers' Association
(IRA), comprising a group of Muslim restaurateurs, is leading the boycott.
They say it is still too early to call off the boycott.
"We will continue with the boycott
till America stops bombing Afghanistan. Innocent civilians are still being
killed. We will continue with the boycott till the war ends in Afghanistan,"
says Shahabuddin Shaikh, IHA president and owner of Shalimar restaurant
at Bhendi Bazaar.
"We are in touch with the American
consulate. We have told them that we will continue with the boycott till
the bombing stops. They have indicated that there could be a change in
American strategy and that the bombings would stop. "Once the bombings
stop, the association will meet to decide our future course of action,"
Shaikh adds.
According to the association, around
2,000 restaurants in the city are boycotting American and British products.
"During Ramzan, the number will increase to 2,500," says a member.
Meanwhile, the Muslim Medicos Association,
a group of Muslim doctors boycotting American medicines, says it too is
continuing its boycott. "I have even stopped meeting medical representatives
from the banned companies," says Dr M Ameen Kitekar, a pediatrician from
Kurla and member of the association.