Indonesian Islamic leader urges continuous boycott against companies over Israel-Gaza war

The call by Cholil Nafis, chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulema, comes as the war in Gaza nears its one-year mark

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Indonesian protesters demand the closure of McDonald’s, KFC, and other restaurant outlets over their perceived support of Israel in the Gaza war. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 3:14pm, 1 Oct 2024Updated: 3:25pm, 1 Oct 2024

Indonesia’s main Islamic scholar body has urged citizens to keep up the fight for “Palestinian independence” by continuing to boycott products over their perceived links to Israel as the war in Gaza nears its one-year mark.

Cholil Nafis, chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulema, called on Indonesians to “never stop the boycott movement because the genocide has not stopped either”.

“We help Palestine according to our respective abilities. This is a matter of our common humanity, and we must not remain silent,” Cholil said in a statement on Monday.

In Indonesia, several Western brands, including KFC, McDonald’s and Starbucks, have been caught in the cross hairs of the boycott movement that has hit their revenues since the start of the Israel-Gaza war.

Neighbouring Malaysia, where Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has steadfastly backed the wider Palestinian cause, also joined the drive shunning goods supposedly affiliated with Israel.

A protest in Kuala Lumpur against arms makers supplying weapons to Israel. Photo: EPA-EFE

McDonald’s in February said international sales rose 0.7 per cent during the fourth quarter of last year, significantly lower than a 16.5 per cent rise in the same period in 2022. McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said during a February earnings call that the company saw the “most pronounced impact” on its sales in the Middle East and in Muslim countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, citing the war as a factor.