cnn.com
January 09, 2009
PARIS (AFP)--Protests against Israel's offensive in Gaza were held Friday across a vast swathe from Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim nation, to Italy where a call to boycott Jewish traders drew wide condemnation.
Some 200 women protested outside the Egyptian Embassy in Jakarta, brandishing posters of dead and wounded Palestinian children, and urging Egypt to open its border with Gaza to ensure the passage of humanitarian aid.
Israel's bombardment of Gaza has sparked claims by Indonesian Islamists that they are recruiting "holy warriors" to help stop the onslaught.
In nearby Malaysia, which is also predominantly Muslim, Islamic groups Friday urged a boycott of U.S. goods and firms such as Coca-Cola Co. (KO), and an influential former premier said people working for Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) or McDonald's Corp. (MCD) should quit.
The salvos against the U.S., Israel's staunch ally, were fired outside the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur after Friday prayers by some 300 protestors.
The boycott is spearheaded by the Malaysian Islamic Consumers' Association and the Muslim Restaurant Operators' Association, which has removed Coca-Cola from the menu at thousands of restaurants.
In Italy, a minor traders' body sparked uproar by calling for a boycott of Jewish-run businesses in Rome, drawing immediate condemnation.
The head of the Jewish community in Rome, Riccardo Pacifici, said he would file a suit against the organization for "inciting racial hatred." more>>
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