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INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC SYMPOSIUM OF
JAMAAT AL-MUSLIMEEN INTERNATIONAL
WILL BE
HELD, inshallah, June 21, 2003 in Greensboro,
North Carolina to discuss the
future of the Muslim Ummah in America.
Initiating committee:
Kaukab Siddique,
Ameer
Sis. Motisola M. Abdallah,
Secretary General
Imam Badi Ali, local host
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STARBUCKS ACCEPTS DEFEAT: WITHDRAWING FROM
ISRAEL
VICTORY FOR ISLAMIC
BOYCOTT
OF BUSINESSES
CONNECTED TO ISRAEL
[With thanks to Sis. Hamdiyeh, South Carolina.]
April 01, 2003
Starbucks pulls out of Israeli joint venture
The Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee International,
a wholly owned subsidiary
of Starbucks Coffee Company, and the Delek Group
of Israel have mutually
agreed to end their joint venture in Israel. The
decision to dissolve the
joint venture has been due to on-going
operational challenges in the market.
Following this decision, Shalom Coffee Company,
the joint venture between
Starbucks Coffee International and the Delek
Group, will shut down its six
Starbucks stores in Tel Aviv. Under partnership
agreements, Delek paid
Starbucks $250,000 for the franchise rights of
the coffee house in addition
to a six percent turnover.
American coffee house chain is also facing
hardship on the Arab front as a
closely coordinated campaign to boycott
American
goods is underway across
the region. Activists have been seen leafleting
outside Beirut’s four
Starbucks locations, handing out information
detailing the pro-Israel
sentiments of the company’s Chief Executive,
Howard Shultz.
"It was a very difficult decision," said Mark
McKeon, president of Starbucks
Coffee International for Europe, Middle East and
Africa.
"Following months
of serious discussions and market reviews with
the Delek Group, we came to
this amicable and mutual decision. Our commitment
in the market continues to
be strong and long-term and we will return at an
appropriate time."
"As these are still very early days of our
growth, we are committed to
making strategic decisions to help ensure our
future success," added McKeon.
"We are very confident that the acceptance of the
Starbucks brand is
extremely strong, and we remain committed to our
expansion plans and
strategies in the region."
Starbucks Coffee International is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Starbucks
Coffee Company, the retailer, roaster and brand
of specialty coffee in the
world, with more than 6,000 retail locations in
North America, Latin
America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific
Rim.
Established in the United States in 1992,
Starbucks’ Middle East operations
cover Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar
and the United Arab
Emirates and Israel. —
(menareport.com)
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2003-04-04 Fri 08:28ct