Egyptian clerics say importing Israeli, U.S. products forbidden

The Associated Press

Egyptian Muslim clerics said importing Israeli and U.S. products is

religiously forbidden in the light of the violence in Israel and the

Palestinian territories, giving momentum to angry calls for boycotts of all

Israeli and U.S. goods.

Egypt's chief Muslim cleric, Grand Mufti Nasr Farid Wasel, told the

opposition Al-Arabi newspaper that importers of Israeli and U.S. products

are committing a great sin and that all imported Israeli and U.S. goods are

haram , or religiously forbidden. Sheik Wasel added in the interview that

both the public and the government should be boycotting U.S. products. Sheik

Wasel was unavailable for comment, but his aides told reporters that the

published comments were in line with the mufti's thoughts and with Islamic

law.

In a meeting with members of the U.S. chamber on Thursday, the chief

political adviser to President Hosni Mubarak

<mailto:webmaster@presidency.gov.eg>, Osama el-Baz, said the boycott was not

encouraged by his government, which seeks more cooperation with the United

States.

U.S. products are widespread in Egyptian markets - from cars to jeans and

from wheat to franchises of hotels. Israeli imports to Egypt include

agricultural, technology and textile-industry products.

Boycott calls have been widely circulated through emails and flyers handed

out in the streets. The calls were causing a sales drop of about 20 percent

at many fast food restaurants, said Mahmoud el-Kaissouni, vice chairman of

the Chamber of Tourist Establishments.