Bahraini.TV

Shoppers in Bahrain are gradually starting to buy Danish and Norwegian products again, as support fades for a boycott spurred by the publication of insulting cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed.

Muslims around the world were outraged in February by the publication of the cartoons, first in a Danish newspaper then in Norway.

At one point the boycott was costing Arla foods, which exports dairy products to Bahrain and across the Middle East, up to BD645,000 a day.

But the company says there are signs the boycott is coming to an end.

The firm’s comments were backed up in Bahrain by the Jawad Business Group, which runs one of the country’s leading supermarket chains.

“From our side we have Danish products that are of Middle East origin and they were not really affected by it all,” said Budaiya store manager Kareem Jawad.

“People that shop with us buy them (Danish products) whether other people are buying them or not.

“Danish Blue cheese is down and maybe the Lurpak was affected, but I think it is picking up again because it has calmed down a bit.

“There are those who will boycott forever and those who have never stopped buying them.

“We are kind of waiting to see what everyone is going to do.”

But the Al Jazira supermarket chain, which has five branches across the country and stocks a variety of dairy and meat products from Denmark and Norway disagreed support for the boycott was waning.

Management previously told the GDN the consumer action would cost them up to BD70,000 for every month it continued.

However, officials are now more reluctant to discuss the issue.

“It is still going on,” admitted general manager K P Rajendran.

“We have not seen any change in the situation but I don’t want to discuss it further.”

An Arla Foods statement said shops in Bahrain, Qatar, Lebanon, the UAE and also a couple in Saudi Arabia were beginning to put its butter and cheese back on the shelves.

“So far only relatively few customers have chosen to lift the boycott, but we’ve had positive signals from others and we’re hopeful that one of the large chains will decide to list our products again,” said Arla Foods executive director Finn Hansen.

“This could well create a chain reaction.”

But while the company’s staff in the Middle East remain cautiously optimistic, Mr Hansen warned against expecting an early recovery. “While we may be seeing a slow lifting of the boycott by retailers, it remains to be seen whether consumers will, in fact, buy our products,” he added.
GDN :: Geoffrey Bew :: 2 Apr ’06