ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – The Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) fatwa issued in response to the Gaza crisis in November 2023, has reached a significant level of awareness among Indonesian society.
Populix research found that 65% of Muslim respondents stated their compliance with MUI Fatwa No. 83 concerning the Law of Support for the Palestinian struggle.
After the latest escalation of the Gaza conflict, the global movement to boycott products as a form of protest against the impact of loss of human life has gained momentum. This boycott movement has received widespread support throughout the world, including in Indonesia.
Respondents stated that the main motivation behind their intention to comply with the fatwa was to show solidarity with Palestine, express a response to humanitarian issues, and as a form of protest against Israeli military aggression.
According to the results of a Populix study entitled “Understanding Public Sentiment on the Boycotts Movement Amid the Palestine-Israel Dispute”, the existence of this MUI Fatwa has reached a high level of awareness, reaching 94% among Indonesian society, both Muslim and non-Muslim. .
“The call for a boycott is very strong, so that awareness of this fatwa is not only from Muslims, but also non-Muslims. In fact, non-Muslim respondents also expressed their support for the boycott. This may happen because this issue is a humanitarian issue that does not recognize religious barriers,” said Vivi Zabkie, Head of Social Research at Populix, quoted on Wednesday, February 21 2024.
On the other hand, the impact of this boycott movement has begun to be felt by companies and brands that are associated with affiliations with Israel.
In the fourth quarter of 2023, McDonald’s faces a decline in total global revenue of 4% compared to the previous quarter. One of the largest restaurant franchises in the world is one of the targets of the boycott movement.
Looking more specifically at the Indonesian market, a significant decline in sales occurred for brands under Unilever. In the fourth quarter of 2023, Unilever’s revenue was recorded to fall by 20% compared to the previous quarter. Apart from the income side, there was also a decline in share prices experienced by companies holding brands affected by the boycott, such as Starbucks, which fell by up to 12% after this movement.
Although the majority of Muslim respondents stated that they agreed with the fatwa and were committed to obeying it, this fatwa was also not fully accepted by Indonesian society. This is reflected in the 26% of respondents who are still unsure about compliance with the fatwa. Respondents who remained undecided expressed their uncertainty about the practical implications of the boycott and felt insufficiently informed to make a decision at this time.
Meanwhile, there were also 9% of respondents who opposed the fatwa. Respondents indicated their rejection because they lacked confidence in the effectiveness of boycotts to address social and political issues, and expressed a desire to have autonomy in product selection. This dynamic reflects society’s views on the Palestine-Israel issue and shows that there are various views that need to be further understood. (AT Network)
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