By Linda Hindi

AMMAN - Although a campaign to boycott Danish products is gaining momentum, some Jordanians are questioning whether it will hurt Denmark or local consumers and businessman.

The campaign was launched in response to the republication of offensive cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad by 17 Danish newspapers.

Many of the Kingdom’s major supermarkets such as Food City, C-Town and Highland no longer sell Danish products, with some of them deciding to never purchase Danish goods, regardless of a formal apology.

Food City General Manager Hani Ashour said his decision not to sell Danish products six-weeks ago, was final.

“It is a matter of opinion; they can choose whether to take action against a massive insult to hundreds of millions of Muslims and we can choose what we want to sell,” Ashour said.

He stressed that insulting a prophet, no matter from which religion, is unacceptable for both his Christian and Muslim customers, who strongly support the decision.

“This is not a matter of money, our Prophet is more important than us… there is always an alternative to any product,” he told The Jordan Times.

Not just supermarkets are involved the boycott; a full fledged “Messenger of Allah Unites Us” campaign has the support of tens of parliamentarians, around 40 media outlets, thousands of volunteers and professional associations.

The media campaign has decided to institute legal action against media outlets that were involved in “demeaning Prophet Mohammad”, arguing that the actions violated the universal declaration of human rights and several articles of the Jordanian Penal Code.

But because of Jordan’s close ties with European countries and larger issues at stake, many have questioned the selective method of the consumer boycott and its adverse affect on local businessman.

Khalil Haj Tawfiq, president of the Foodstuff Traders Association, said wholesalers will not gamble with new orders that sit unsold on shelves or are not displayed by stores since the market is already saturated with Danish goods that have been paid for by local businessmen and need to be sold.

“Some major supermarkets and countless smaller stores have decided to remove Danish products from their shelves, but how long will the fervour last and who will this really affect but a few individual Jordanian importers?” Tawfiq asked.

He said the association members are united in denouncing any insults towards Islam, but wondered if the boycott will make any difference, noting that the Kingdom imports large quantities of medicines and water pumps that cannot be removed from the market.

Akram Qadoura, a local importer of Danish products, (mainly Lurpak butter and Dano dairy foods), agreed.

He believes the boycott as a whole is disingenuous since the public is eager to boycott dairy products, but would be more reluctant to change their brand of insulin.

Qadoura said most of the consumers who support the boycott probably don’t understand the whole picture, since food is only a small fraction of Jordan-Denmark trade.

“You cannot half-boycott a country. The vast majority of our imported goods are transported by a major Danish shipping company… we also import important medicines. Why dampen our friendly European relations in general? It is just not in anyone’s interest,” he said.

Qadoura, who said he was insulted by the cartoons on a personal level, felt this “superficial” approach is confusing to Danish businessmen that do not necessarily support the cartoons and have good relations with their Middle East importers.

“I believe retailers who take items off the shelves are deviating from their role as suppliers that must offer a choice to the end-consumer. It should be up to consumers whether they want to buy the product or not,” he noted.

Jordan imports 80 per cent of its insulin stock from the Nordic country as well as the widely-used warfarin (heart medication) and the majority of its anti-psychotic drugs.

The Kingdom’s medical, pharmacists and dental associations are planning to hold a joint-conference to discuss support for the campaign, but the heads of these associations told The Jordan Times they doubt any major actions will be taken.

Jordan Medical Association President Zuheir Abu Fares explained that any major moves would need serious thought because “as professionals there are no plans to make emotional decisions” and public health is what matters most.

“The equation is not so simple, you cannot just transfer patients from one medication to another… we will look into a suitable response,” Abu Fares said.

Jordan Pharmacists Association President Taher Shakshir told The Jordan Times that he is sure all members will support finding alternatives to all non-essential medicines like vitamins, noting that the professional association stance could take months to make any real impact, but there is still willingness to support it.

Meanwhile, leaders of the world’s Muslim nations are considering legal action against those who slight their religion or its sacred symbols.

This was a key issue during the 11th Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) summit, which ended Friday in the Senegalese capital, Dakar.

The plan represents an attempt to demand redress from nations like Denmark, which allowed the publication of cartoons caricaturing the Prophet Muhammad, Agence France-Presse reported.

“I don’t think freedom of expression should mean freedom from blasphemy,” Senegal’s President Abdoulaye Wade, the chairman of the 57-member OIC, said on Friday.

“There can be no freedom without limits,” AFP quoted him as saying.

Some delegates pointed to laws in Europe criminalising the denial of the holocaust and other anti-semitic rhetoric. They also highlighted articles within various UN charters that condemn discrimination based on religion and argued that these should be made stronger.