A grey-bearded Egyptian cleric, Safwat Higazi, has called for a boycott of all Starbucks franchises in the Middle East in a protest over the coffee shop's logo. According to Higazi, the logo is a Jewish political statement and he wants to shut down all Starbucks coffee shops in the Arab world.
"The girl in the Starbucks logo is Queen Esther," he insisted. "This queen is Queen of the Jews."Rumors about Starbucks in the Arab world are not new and other name brands are not immune. A number of familiar corporate brands, including Sara Lee and Coca-Cola, have been targeted in smear campaigns tied to anti-Israel sentiment.
And the crown she wears?
"This is the crown of the Kingdom of Persia. This girl you see is Esther, Queen of the Jews in Persia."
The cleric, whose four-minute polemic may be viewed online on YouTube, goes on to summarize the Old Testament story of Esther, a beautiful virgin who is manipulated by her cousin Mordecai to win the heart and hand of the Persian king Ahasuerus (believed to be Xerxes I) without revealing to him that she is a Jew.
"Can you believe that in Mecca, Medina, Cairo, Damascus, Kuwait and all over the Islamic world hangs the picture of beautiful Queen Esther with a crown on her head and we buy her products?" exclaimed Higazi. "It is inconceivable."
In response, Starbucks has stated that its logo was derived from a 16th-century Norse woodcut and assertions otherwise are totally inaccurate.
Companion post at The Jawa Report.
No comments:
Post a Comment