Boycott is now a major tool in global politics

There is an ongoing debate on social media about the boycott of Coca-Cola. A survey was conducted in Bangladesh to determine the number of people in favor and against the boycott. The survey revealed that 89% of people are in favor of boycotting Coca-Cola. The call to boycott Coca-Cola was made after the Israeli attack on Gaza last October, but it did not receive much response initially. Recently, a Coca-Cola advertisement has reignited the subdued boycott campaign. The advertisement claimed that Coca-Cola's owner is not Jewish and that they have a factory in Gaza. Following this, renewed calls to boycott Coca-Cola have emerged. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the emotions of Bangladeshi citizens are being leveraged to boost the sales of local soft drinks. The company behind the local brand 'Mojo' has launched a campaign called 'Mojo Support Palestine' to stand by the affected people of Palestine.

Coca-Cola, the world's largest beverage producer, is not an Israeli product; it is an American product. Coca-Cola does not have a specific owner; it is a publicly limited multinational company. Coca-Cola has been publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange for over a hundred years, so its shareholders are the owners of Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola began its marketing in 1886, long before the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Coca-Cola is sold and manufactured worldwide, except in Cuba and North Korea. There are Coca-Cola factories in both Israel and Gaza. At one time, Coca-Cola was considered anti-Semitic for refusing to do business in Israel.

In 1966, a Zionist group in America boycotted Coca-Cola because it did not have a factory in Israel, accusing the company of supporting Arab countries. To counter this reputation of ethnic bias, Coca-Cola established a factory in Israel in 1966. Consequently, the Arab world boycotted Coca-Cola because of its factory in Israel. Pepsi seized this opportunity by avoiding the Israeli market and entering Arab countries, leading to a boycott of Pepsi by Jews in Israel. To address such issues, the U.S. Congress declared in 1977 that discrimination against individuals or businesses based on race, religion, gender, nationality, or national origin was illegal. As a result, Pepsi was compelled to enter the Israeli market in 1992.

Why is there a call to boycott only Coca-Cola and not other American products? It is said that, first, Coca-Cola sponsors the American-Israeli Chamber of Commerce Awards, which helps strengthen the Israeli economy. Second, in 2009, Coca-Cola sponsored an award through AIPAC, which rejected the UN’s call for a ceasefire in Gaza. AIPAC's role is to lobby the U.S. Congress on issues and legislation related to Israel. Third, in 2009, Coca-Cola honored Ben-Eliezer, who had sentenced over 300 Egyptians to death under Israeli custody. Fourth, Coca-Cola’s major shareholder, Warren Buffett, is a strong promoter of Israeli bonds and has investments in major Israeli companies.

Although investigations into Coca-Cola’s connections with Jews are ongoing, no one is firmly stating that Coca-Cola should be boycotted simply because it is an American product. Boycotts have become a major tool in global politics, and recently, boycotts are happening worldwide. The United States frequently imposes bans on the use of products from various countries, not only for its own use but also preventing others from using those banned products. During Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's era, America inflicted a devastating famine on Bangladesh in retaliation for selling jute bags to Cuba. The United States not only boycotts products from countries like Cuba, Nigeria, North Korea, Iran, and Afghanistan but also imposes various forms of pressure on other countries that engage in trade with these nations. By imposing sanctions on various Chinese products, the U.S. has cornered China in global trade, and meanwhile, China’s growth continues to decline.

Currently, Russia is under comprehensive sanctions. The United States and its allied countries are implementing various boycott strategies with the aim of weakening Russia economically. During the Indian independence movement, the Swadeshi movement called for the boycott of British goods and the use of domestic products. The boycott strategy was a key tool for the success of the Swadeshi movement. In the Swadeshi movement, the sale of British goods fell by 20%. Popular anti-British movement posters featured Mahatma Gandhi spinning thread on a charkha, symbolizing the increased use of domestic khadi cloth. Khadi became the sole garment worn by political activists and leaders.

While there was some progress in the handloom industry towards self-reliance in domestic products during the Swadeshi movement, success was not achieved in other sectors. Despite the lack of success, the Swadeshi movement increased Indian interest in establishing domestic industries and factories. However, in the current global context, boycotting Jewish and Christian products and technologies could render our lives untenable.

With American support, Israel has become reckless. Due to American weapons, 38,000 unarmed civilians have been killed in Gaza, and with U.S. backing, Israel is seizing Palestinian land and building illegal settlements. Therefore, it is necessary to boycott all American products, not only Coca-Cola. However, this is not feasible. It is precisely because of this impossibility that Coca-Cola has been chosen for the boycott campaign. This product is well-known among the general public, making it possible for ordinary people to participate in the boycott movement.

Moreover, the product is not essential for human sustenance and is, in fact, harmful to health. Nevertheless, there are alternative beverages available in the market if one craves something like Coca-Cola. It is unfortunate for Muslims that their only weapon of protest is the boycott of the opponent's products, while they lack any effective means of redress. Muslims are still lost in the heroic tales of the great warrior Gazi Salahuddin. But they must remember that, unlike in the past, there are no longer religious wars in the world. Today, the battle is fought through knowledge, science, and technology. Without success in this domain, Israel—a country with a population of 7 million—will never respect the 56 Muslim countries with a total population of 200 crore. Israel is also disregarding the United Nations' resolutions. The main reason for this defiance is the silent acquiescence of the Arab League to the plan to eliminate Hamas.

Ordinary people are boycotting Coca-Cola, while the Arab League is engaging with the U.S. Secretary of State. Christian-majority countries like Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, and South Africa have boycotted Israel, but the Arab League has not. Instead, most Arab League countries have silently acquiesced to Israel’s campaign to eliminate Hamas. The Arab League has not been seen taking any action to protect Hamas. The President of Brazil has referred to the Israeli Prime Minister as a "madman." However, no Muslim country has filed a lawsuit against Israel; it is South Africa that has taken legal action.

On the other hand, Turkey has only severed trade relations, making grand statements but not taking concrete actions. While Turkey has stopped exports, Egypt and Jordan have increased their exports to Israel. The boycott of Coca-Cola would not have been necessary if all Muslim countries had united to boycott Israel. Instead of boycotting Israel, Jordan has protected Israel by destroying missiles fired from Iran. Bangladesh is perhaps the only country that has consistently boycotted Israel since its inception.

Author: Former Executive Director of Bangladesh Bank and former Managing Director of Mint.