Boycott McDonalds!

[N.O.R.F]

Boycott Macdonald's?? Yeah right!!

[Ibtisam]

Ngonge, I swear to you that M&S get most of their money from st*upid rich Muslims, particularly in the summer month (free tax) and load up. I use to hang out with Socialist as a child, handing out leaflets outside M&S. It was always Muslims going in. (In London anyway)

 

NGonge; You know what I hate about you?? You never want to do something if it seems too hard, or if the odds are against you! Get a back bone dude. Sometimes it is okay to try, you might fail, but then again people might join you. But no, you always want to sit on the fence till the matter is decided and then be the last one of the masses to stroll threw the door. Your negativity give me a headache. Bloody passive Muslim.

 

P.s. They maynot go bankrupt because of me and like minded people, but at least they won't get any richer or use my money (however small) to abuse people. So no it is not an empty gesture. I sleep well knowing that my money did not help kill anyone. And when i watch TV and see them [Zionist] target practicing on kids, I don't feel sick and guilty thinking maybe my money contributed towards that gun or uniform or his training. I just feel sad and bitter that I'm not doing enough.

[NGONGE]

Don't swear to me or anything, Ibti. Show me figures and statistics. I also hung around with the socialist worker party in my younger days but now I'm grown and know better.

 

M&S is a British company that is adored by the middle classes. In fact, until a few years ago it did not even advertise itself. That was the strength of the brand name.

 

As for the Arabs, M&S has a branch in Dubai and, guess what! It is thriving.

 

This is not about a task being hard or the odds being stacked against me. Heck, the odds would be stacked against me if I were to fight a lion unarmed but I would still try it if the goal at the end of it was worth the attempt. Boycotting M&S is nothing but an empty gesture to make one feel good. It has no tangible goal (for the whole effort) nor is it realistic (seeing, as I already told you, that most of their customers are NOT Muslim).

 

ps

Passive Muslims are the way forward. Look what busybodies like you did to us and our faith.

[Ibtisam]

You just contradicted yourself dear NGonge. My point was that Muslims both here and in the Muslim world contribute substantial to M&S. I did not ask what its original base was.

 

Yes, M&S has a strong middle class customer base, but in recent years they branched out. The new customers are largely made up of Muslims and foreigners in general. This has allowed M &S to reach levels it has not reached before in terms of profit, number of branches. Which is fine to a certain extent. BUT my problem is not with the white Middle class English customers. My problem lies with the Muslims who have contributed to this expansion and continuing to sustain the growth of M&S.

 

If M&S still relied on its grassroots customer (i.e. the British Middle Class) It will not have enough profit to be throwing away percentages to the Israeli defence budget, like they are doing now. They will go back to their strong hold areas.

 

How much would you estimate the Branch in Dubia contributes? or the one in Edgeware Road for example. If they spent their money else where will it not have an impact? is that a realistic goal?

 

P.s. Passive Muslims is the reason Muslims are humiliated across the world. It is the reason why anyone can do and say what they like about Muslims without blinking. It is the reason the essence of our faith is disappearing. Passive Muslims are the enemy within.

[NGONGE]

^^ Do you want to read their recent financial statement (came out last month)? They made a profit of ONE BILLION pounds (before tax). They've opened branches all over the world (including Saudi Arabia). It does not sound like your boycott is making any difference.

 

It is not only Arabs that buy M&S products. They form a small percentage of their total consumer base (the main group being those in the UK).

 

By all means, hate the company for its actions but don't go down the cul-de-sac of thinking that your pointless boycott will make any difference.

 

I do truly admire your sentiment and envy your activism. Alas, it pains me to see you flailing about like a headless chicken on all these pointless causes. Choose your battles carefully and don't jump on every bandwagon, busybody.

 

Edit:

You're wrong on the passive Muslims point. It's actually the busybodies that try to defend Islam their own way who give the faith a bad name and holding us all back. They're the ones creating the bad press that you're trying to fight against now. They're the ones that blow up buildings, trains and embassies. They're the ones kidnapping and beheading innocents.....

[Ibtisam]

Ngonge, don't worry about feeling sorry for me wallalo. And stop patronizing me!

 

So your reasoning is that M&S are too big, well placed in the world market to make a dent n their profit. My reasoning is that every Muslim has a conscious, and if you remind them often, and bug them enough, they will follow you. I know that ethical consumerism is on the rise within the non Muslim population, my campaign is aligned with that. In time inshallah it will make a difference. If it does not, then at least I did not contribute.

 

Your objection is based on you being too lazy and too aware of corporate power of M&S. Hence you decided it is impossible before you even tried to do anything. The typical mind of a defeatist. You said it was not because the task is too difficult that makes you sit on the fence, but when I directly asked you about the contribution of Muslims and whether that has a direct result or not, you side stepped the issue. The difference is, I think Muslim support and contribution to M&S can make a difference, you don’t (although you realize this logically flawed as I explained in my last post (i.e. M&S will shrink again))

 

 

Edit: No Ngonge. The reason people go blowing up buildings is because passive Muslims give them no alterative ways to channel their angry. They tell them everything is pointless and worthless and they only thing they can do is make dua and stand by and watch. Passive Muslims stand around screaming it is Xaram to get involved in politics, or Xaram and pointless to do campaigns or engage with non Muslims. We should just keep our head down and take shid from the society they say. Some say we should blend in, others say lets create a society within the western society. Let them mock us in this world and Allah will avenge for us in the hereafter. They will murder, kill and torture Muslims because what do you expect they are Kufars. We will sit here and cry and make dua, because there is no point doing nothing else, what else is there to do brother? Oh I know lets have a debate about it, yes we'll debate about anything and everything over some tea, but lets do jackshid. THAT is what ruined Islam, that is why people blow themselves up. Because the young generation lacks the basic Islamic education, so when people come to them and say Oh I do have something you can do as well as making dua, they do it without a second thought convinced that it is better than doing nothing. Passive Muslims gave extreme Muslims a void to fill, Passive Muslims make active Muslims job harder, because they work against us and under mind us.

 

P.s.s. Speaking about Campaigns, I'm doing one against Israeli dates sold in all Muslim shops during Ramadan. I’ll be in your area, I better not see you buy any!

[Johnny B]

Ibti, not patronizing you ( Ngonge is horrible), but i coulde't let a tiny but intresting inference there pass un-interrupted , namely, in your reasoning around why 'people go blowing up buildings', you came acroos as one who blames the passive majority for the actions of the few, something ala Dubya. are you serious?.

[Ibtisam]

Johnny B.

 

No I don't blame the passive Muslims fully, but along with few other factors, I blame passive top dogs (i.e the Muslim insitutions & leaders, parents) who have largely negelected the Muslim youth and allowed the gap, which has allowed extremist to take advantage of young ignorant youths.

 

I blame all the failure of Muslims at the feet of Muslim institutions and leaders. AND I blame the Masses for not fighting for better leaders and better institutions which are capable of providing directions and defending them if need be. So in my view at some stage, it is everyone’s fault.

[NGONGE]

First of all, lets get this patronising business out of the way. I don’t patronise, Ibti. When I mean it, I say it and when I don’t I put you down.

 

My objection is not based on me being lazy, Ibti. Now stop thinking for me, you busybody, I can think for myself, thank you very much. My objection is against things which I deem impossible. You will NOT bankrupt M&S. The company will still make money and will diversify into many other areas and sectors. They will not lose their Muslims customers because most people don't equate underwear and food to politics.

 

Yours is an empty gesture to make yourself happy (as your little speech about sleeping happy at night shows). In fact, I don't even think you fully boycotted M&S (you think you did) but, what with the current way the world works, you're probably still buying some products from one of their subsidiaries or companies they own shares in.

 

I'd rather be passive than a busybody. When you don't know what you're doing, it is better not to do anything at all. Like I said and keep on saying; choose your battles and leave the date sellers alone.

[Ibtisam]

NGonge, it is not all or nothing. The aim is not necessarily to get them bankrupt. The aim is to stop them contributing financial assistant.

They will not lose their Muslims customers because most people don't equate underwear and food to politics.

So that is your campaign then is it not? once people equate the two and they understand the connection, your job is done, they can either continue buying or they may spend their money elsewhere. But if people fail to make the connection and you don’t tell them, how can you blame them for buying food and underwear?

 

Lastly Ngonge. Don't insult my intelligent, I do not buy M&S subsidiaries or companies they own shares in or with. And I know exactly what I am doing, just because you don't understand or it makes no sense to you, it does not mean it is pointless. :cool:

 

P.s. Everything seems impossible at first!

[NGONGE]

I fully understand it and I tell you it IS pointless. All forms of boycott, in this day and age, are pointless. Go on, tell me where you buy your stuff from and I will happily show you how they link back to M&S or MacDonalds.

 

Again, I tell you that you will not convince most people because they don't equate brand names with politics. It is all about business supply and demand. M&S's marketing will far outweigh anything you and the small band of busybodies could ever muster.

 

Lastly, with respect of course, I happen to know a bit more than you do in the area of shares and subsidiaries. I FULLY know what I am talking about here and it is why I fully believe your campaign is nothing but a pointless nuisance. I am not insulting your intelligence; I am highlighting your ignorance of the subject you are fighting for.

[Ibtisam]

Ngonge, what is pointless is arguing with you instead of doing something worthwhile with my time.

 

While I don't doubt you have tons of knowledge about shares and subsidiaries even with particular references to M&S and McDs, I just told you, and I'm tell you again; NO sir, even in a globalised interlinked market, I don't and I will not. Do you know why?? BEcause I make it my business not to and while most people can and may get confused by the package I don't. OK.

 

Now Mr. Know it ALL/ FULLY. I don't really care what you know, but what you don't is that people perception and taste changes all the time. M&S knows that too, hence their image clear up and marketing campaigns. You say it is pointless to go against this, because it is a waste of energy and you are bound to fail. I say I can’t fail till I try, and if I do, it is not a problem, I will try something else.

 

I am highlighting your ignorance of the subject you are fighting for.

You highlighted nothing but your fear of failure. I already told you I was aware they are ot a corner shop. I understand their scope and grip, yet I still choice to go ahead because I know M&S supports Israel with approximately $233 million in trade every year as well as their contribution to the IDS. My aim is to a but a dent in it.

 

 

P.s. Do you know M&S started an ethical marketing drive to counter the negative impact of the boycot camapign?

 

p.s.s.

[Thierry.]

Boycotting McDonald or any product is not going to solve the problem after all our Messenger traded with the Jews in Medina and they were the same people that broke the treaty to secure Medina from any outside assault.

Also someone posed a similar question to Br Khalid Yasin in one of the lectures I watched and he stated that such acts might backfire as Muslim products might be boycotted.

[NGONGE]

^^ I was not for one minute expecting you to stop, busybody. I was merely making sure that others don't follow in this madness. Until we meet in another pointless campaign of yours, I think my job is done here.

[Ibtisam]

Boycotting McDonald or any product is not going to solve the problem after all our Messenger traded with the Jews in Medina and they were the same people that broke the treaty to secure Medina from any outside assault.

DO you really want we to tell you how silly and flawed this argument is??? Do you want to explain to me how that is even a logical argument? Remember the boycot is not because they are Jewish.

 

Also someone posed a similar question to Br Khalid Yasin in one of the lectures I watched and he stated that such acts might backfire as Muslim products might be boycotted.

What Muslim products are sold in Isreal? I would like to know, so Please do tell?