Social media campaign calls for boycotting French products

AMMAN — Social media users have launched a campaign in Jordan calling for boycotting French products after French magazine Charlie Hebdo published a new cartoon of Prophet Mohammad.

Under the “Boycott France” campaign, activists are calling for boycotting several French investments in the country including Total-affiliated gas stations and Carrefour markets.

Organisers of the initiative, which has so far attracted more than 4,000 fans on Facebook, said the campaign seeks to place pressure on France to put an end to the publication of “offensive cartoons of Prophet Mohammad”.

“The least that we can do as Muslims to defend our Prophet Mohammad is to boycott French companies, including Total,” Wasim Ajjouri said in a comment on the campaign’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B7%D8%B9_%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%A7/780655651972024?ref=ts&fref=ts).

Mohammad Al Hourani, another Facebook user, called for peaceful protests and denounced resorting to violence.

He also criticised the French government’s silence over the repeated offences against Prophet Mohammad via the publication of such cartoons, calling for boycotting Carrefour and Total.

Facebook user Thaer Refaei noted that although such a campaign is not likely to make a significant impact and will not harm France’s economy, it will still send a message.

But some users, including Ahmad Kurdi, pointed out that such a campaign will only harm Jordanians.

“You need to think of the employees at Total for example and how this will affect them. This will negatively affect Jordanians working at Total gas stations; there is a need for smarter means to face this issue,” Kurdi said.

However, Dojanah Qasho said calls for a boycott represent one of the most efficient and civilised means to respond to the publishing of the cartoon. 

“This is a way for pressure only,” Qasho added.

The latest edition of Charlie Hebdo, which went on sale last week featured an “insulting” cartoon of Prophet Mohammad, also mocks the Islamist gunmen who murdered many of its staff last week, according to news reports.

Earlier this month, an attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo resulted in the death of 12 people. Two police officers were among the fatalities, according to news agencies.