Egypt's Mufti: American goods are prohibited by Islam

Calls have continued in the Arab and Islamic worlds on Monday to boycott the American goods, in support of the Palestinian uprising when Egypt's Mufti Sheikh Naser farid Wasel announced that the American goods are " prohibited by Islam because of the US stance in support of Israel."

Sheikh Wasel told the Egyptian weekly " al-Arabi" that " every imported produce from the US or Israel are prohibited and we have to rely on local production," adding boycotting these goods is the " least kind of Jihad that we, as Muslims, have to do for liberating al-Aqsa mosque Sheikh Wasel, whose statements are considered the strongest so far by a remarkable religious figure, in the course of the continued calls since weeks to boycott the American goods and production, Sheikh added: " America and Israel are but a united unit and boycotting its product is a duty for all on the people's level and also prescribed at the level of governments."

However, sources at the Egyptian- American chamber of commerce said that the calls to boycott the American foodstuffs might be behind the reduction in the sales of the American take-away restaurants, which reached 20% since the beginning of the Intifada.

Last Thursday the Egyptian President political advisor Osama al-Baz criticized these calls saying: " they do not represent the government's view point regarding the American commodities which are manufactured in Egypt in which Egyptian investments are taking part and are produced by Egyptian hands."