What does the BDS movement reveal about Muslim-majority countries?

As I am not one of those Muslims who dream of becoming western establishments’ lapdogs, I don’t see it as a manifestation of anti-Semitism. And yes, I am also one of those people who don’t see anti-Zionism as inherently anti-Semitic. It is not whether you hate Israel or not, it is about why you hate Israel.

Of course, it is not to say the boycott movement is problem-free

I am from Indonesia. Even though it is a growing economy, we are still dependent on foreign corporations and it becomes more obvious when the movement started heating up.

Indonesia has definitely lots of foreign products; Wall’s ice cream, Dove and Sunsilk are among the examples. But, I am surprised there are also Indonesian products which are already acquired by foreign companies (Bango sweet soy sauce and Buavita fruit drinks are now owned by Unilever) and products which I mistakenly thought as Indonesian (I didn’t know Blueband margarine was Dutch and I didn’t realise Royco’s graphic design was the exact same as Knorr’s).

I don’t know about the rest of the Muslim world. But, I do know coke, western restaurant chains and luxury western car brands are also popular elsewhere.

As I am not one of those “might is right” weirdos, I don’t see the global dominance of pro-Israel western establishments as a proof of Israel’s moral rightness.

But, it is a sombre reminder of how Muslim-majority countries have some major weaknesses (you know, apart from the elephant in the room that is Islamic extremism): we are not as economically competitive as the west and we don’t take pride in consuming local products.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the solutions.

I don’t know how to make my fellow countrymen take more pride in local products. I don’t know how to make my country more economically competitive.

I certainly don’t how to be economically competitive and environmentally, culturally and socially sustainable* at the same time. Heck, I am not even sure they can go hand in hand.

Okay, I am overthinking it.

My point is the boycott movement should be a wake-up call for all of us.

If we want to be free from other countries’ control, we have to be economically independent** as well. No matter how collectively idealistic we are, no matter how hard it is to buy our minds and hearts, our economic independence means we still give profits to foreign entities, constantly fattening the wallets of pro-Israel western establishments.

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*The more industrial an economy is, the more it emits C02 and consumes natural resources (even though it is not to say poorer countries are green). When I say social and cultural sustainability, I am referring to equality and commercialisation, respectively; is it possible for a highly-developed economy to maintain relatively low income inequality and commodification of cultures?

**When I say economically independent, I am not talking about banning imports and implementing restrictive protectionism. I am talking how our local products are so high quality, affordable and prestigious, we choose to consume them even when foreign options are readily available.

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LGBT rights AND economic stability

I am certain some of you have seen the video: a conservative content creator asked a random stranger whether he would choose LGBT rights or economic stability…. and not falling for the trap, the stranger answers both, much to the content creator’s frustration. It is so intellectually dishonest that even some fellow conservatives in his Youtube comment section called him out.

And I am certain some of you have encountered this false dilemma before. I certainly have multiple times.

I am also suspicious about virtue signalling. Do some of the people who push this so-called dilemma actually care about the economy? Or do they peddle it simply because they are staunchly opposed to LGBT rights and they want them to “look unimportant” in comparison?

People also have different ideas of what a good economy is. For me, a good economy is one where small businesses and labourers can also economically thrive.

I acknowledge some conservatives do share my idea of a good economy. But, I also know other conservatives (and, let’s face it, some liberals as well; no, I won’t let them off the hook) who measure the strength of an economy solely based on how well big businesses and their wealthy shareholders do.

Some people also believe a good economy is one where it is easy to be rich; they don’t care about some citizens left to rot in poverty, as long as the rest are loaded.

Those who peddle the “dilemma” argue everyone – including LGBT people – must prioritise the economy over equal rights because the former supposedly benefits all of us. But, the fact that inequality and corporate greed are not universal deal breakers, it is clear some people’s idea of a “good economy” is not about benefitting everyone.

It should also be noted that economic prosperity and LGBT rights intertwine with each other.

Let’s just say your country’s economy is booming right now, which also happens to lack legal protections for queer minorities. What happens if you are queer yourself?

Well, unless you are influential, have your own business and/or are self-employed, you are at the mercy of your employers. They can reject your job applications, deprive you of promotions and fire you solely because you are queer…. and because they are legally allowed to, there is nothing you can do about it.

What’s the point of living surrounded by prosperity when you are denied the right to enjoy it?

In fact, even in 2020’s America, queerness is still a contributing factor to one’s chance of being impoverished. While not the only factor, it is definitely still a factor.

It applies to all kinds of marginalised people whose rights are not guaranteed or worse, are intentionally restricted by the laws.

So yes, I am for both good economy and equal rights.

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