US products are being removed from supermarket shelves in Bahrain as a consumer boycott of American brands gathers steam.
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Leading Bahrain supermarket chain Al Muntazah Market has spearheaded the anti-US campaign, in a move to show support for the Palestinians caught up in hostilities on Israel’s West Bank and the Occupied Territories.
Abdul Monem Al Meer, general manager and a main shareholder at the company, told Gulf News: “We took a decision, before the anti-US demonstrations began in Bahrain, to remove all American products from our outlets [be they produced in the US or those produced by US companies abroad].
“But after what the Israelis have been doing in Jenin during the past week, and that too with the complete support of the US government, we have decided to remove all American products with immediate effect.
“There was a demand from the customers not to sell US products.”
Throughout the country, according to Gulf News, consumers are also avoiding popular US-made soft drinks and US fastfood chains such as McDonald’s. “The support to the Palestinian people has been spontaneous and from all quarters,” said the newspaper.
Religious leaders in Bahrain have supported the boycott, but some, including Sheikh Abdul Amir Al Jamri and Sheikh Isa Kassim have urged people not to damage any property.
A total of US$4m has been donated to the Palestinian people by Bahrain’s King Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the country’s Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and its Crown Prince and BDF Commander-in-Chief Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
