Federal Territories mufti Luqman Abdullah has urged those boycotting brands linked to Israel to act within boundaries of the the law.
He pointed out that extreme behaviour goes against Islamic teachings.
“I advise the people to maintain good manners and morality in everything they do,” he said, before stating that it was consumers that should decide as to whether or not they wish to boycott brands like McDonald’s based on their evaluation of facts.
The Mufti’s call comes on the back of news of netizens on social media calling customers who had patronized fast food chains like McDonald’s and KFC as “dogs”, after viral pictures emerged of these outlets being patronized heavily during the Aidilfitri season, when many other halal outlets were closed during the festivities.
Last weekend, a patron of a McDonald’s outlet in Kuantan had even reported that a group of men had insulted and threatened him and his family, for patronizing the said outlet. One of the men even allegedly threatened to hit him with a helmet as he was leaving the outlet. Five people have since been arrested over the incident and they are currently being investigated for criminal intimidation under Section 506 of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of two years’ jail, a fine, or both, upon conviction.
In commenting about the incident, Luqman advised Muslims that such extreme behaviour is not condoned by the teachings of Islam.
He has cautioned those who are participating in the boycott campaign against brands like McDonald's, which are alleged to be supportive of Israel's military action against the Palestinians in the war in Gaza, to not go beyond moral boundaries or transgress the boundaries of the law.
Nehru Sathiamoorthy is the author of “While Waiting for the World to end”. He was a columnist at FMT and a frequent contributor to the South China Morning Post, The Star, Malaysia-Today, MalaysiaNow, MalaysiaKini and Focus Malaysia.
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