No Muslim with a spine buys Israeli products: Saudi scholar

Acclaimed religious scholar Sheikh Assim Al Hakeem has said it's not a sin to buy Israeli products unintentionally, "but no Muslim with a spine would do that."

The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement is a global, pro-Palestine initiative promoting boycotts, divestment, and economic sanctions against Israel over its military onslaught in the Gaza Strip. 

The boycott list includes Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Puma, Starbucks, McDonald's, Zara and other prominent global brands. These companies are accused of either expressing open support for Israel or having financial ties with the country.

In a question-answer session on the microblogging site X, a user asked the Saudi scholar whether it is sinful for a Muslim to knowingly or unknowingly buy an Israeli product.

“It is not sinful to do so unwillingly! However, no Muslim with a spine would do that unless there are traces of hypocrisy remaining in his heart,” he responded.

There is a growing global trend of consumers making conscious decisions to avoid economically supporting brands that back Israel.

As a result of the boycott of companies perceived as supporting Israel, major food chains like US coffee giant Starbucks and fast-food chains McDonald's and KFC have lost revenue and been forced to shut down operations in several countries.