Aamir Latif 

KARACHI, Sindh, Pakistan

Like their counterparts around the world, artists in Pakistan are using their mediums to express solidarity with Palestinians suffering through Israel’s ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Works by young artists Ahsan Shahid and Annem Zaidi, along with veteran illustrator Ali Shah, honor the bravery and resilience of Palestinians – from mothers protecting their children to women who epitomize the spirit of resistance.

Shahid, who is based in the commercial hub of Karachi, told Anadolu that his main aim was to highlight the “steadfastness of Gaza’s mothers in the face of one of the most brutal aggressions in history.”

His painting, titled Gaza, shows the massive destruction caused by Israel’s devastating assault, which has now killed or wounded nearly 146,000 Palestinians and has led to Israel facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.

In the foreground, a mother is shown trying to protect her kid, a mix of distress and defiance visible in her eyes.

“The painting mainly depicts the continued torment being faced by Gaza’s mothers, who are trying to somehow save their kids,” Shahid told Anadolu.

‘Struggles and resistance’

Zaidi used a glazing technique, layering translucent paints to build depth and vibrancy in her works, which shed light on decades of the Palestinian struggle.

Her painting, titled Piece de Resistance, was Zaidi’s way of honoring the Palestinian spirit and make them feel seen at a time when they have been abandoned by the international community.

It shows a faceless woman standing in a large white silhouette in sharp contrast to the black canvas, with a keffiyeh around her neck and her head resting on her arm.

“My art has always been a reflection of my perspectives on subjects that are close to my heart. The situation in Palestine deeply saddens me, and it pushed me to use my platform to shed light on the struggles and resilience of its people through the universal language of art,” Zaidi, a Kuwait-born artist, told Anadolu.

Another illustration, titled Ruh ul Ruh, highlights the “crucial” role of women in Palestinians’ struggle for freedom.

“It centers around women (in Gaza) and delves into the complexities of human emotions and societal challenges,” Zaidi explained.

‘Flag of struggle’

Shah, a Karachi-based illustrator, used his works to put the spotlight on the spirit of Palestinian women and children.

His painting, titled Flag of Struggle, portrays children carrying the Palestinian flag with a masked woman, whom he described as a “mother” protecting the kids.

“Israeli forces are deliberating targeting children in Gaza because they know they will carry the flag of struggle and freedom in the years to come,” he told Anadolu.

With another piece, titled Resistance, Shah said he wanted to show the “unimaginable” extent of destruction that Israel has caused in Gaza.

All of this is aimed at expelling Palestinians from their lands, but the “men of Gaza have decided to die on their feet instead of living on their knees,” said the artist.

Israeli forces have “have blown up their homes, destroyed hospitals, mosques, churches and orchards, but they have failed to suppress the spirit of the people of Gaza, especially its women and children,” he added.

Read- Palestine is the Heart of World

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Aamir Latif is a Karachi-based senior journalist. He represents Anadolu, a Turkish news agency.

Courtesy: Anadolu Agency (Posted on 06.11.2024)

The post Resistance and resilience: Artists honor Palestinians facing horrors of Israel’s Gaza genocide first appeared on Sindh Courier.

‘Before ordering (for wedding ceremonies) people are clearly telling; no foreign brands of beverages and ice cream,’ a Karachi-based caterer says

Aamir Latif 

KARACHI, Sindh, Pakistan

Wamiq Haris was overseeing a waiter at his small restaurant in the eastern district of Pakistan’s commercial capital, Karachi, who was placing soda and water bottles in a fridge.

It was a typical restaurant atmosphere. However, one thing was clearly missing: Western brands, mainly beverages.

Despite a year after the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip that killed more than 41,000 people, mostly women and children, a boycott of foreign brands, particularly from pro-Tel Aviv countries, is palpable across the South Asian nuclear country.

The boycott campaign is not official, although Pakistan outrightly opposes Israeli occupation.

“Customers are still demanding local brands, which has drastically reduced the consumption of Western products, particularly beverages and desserts over the past one year,” Haris told Anadolu.

“For the last several months, we have been ordering a limited stock of international brands of soda and ice cream due to a scanty demand,” he added.

The significant drop in sales of foreign beverages is a microcosm of a socially-driven movement to boycott US- and Europe-linked products in Pakistan amid the onslaught in Gaza.

“We thought the boycott, in line with similar campaigns in the past, would continue for a few months, but let me admit, I was wrong. It’s the same: people (still) tend to boycott,” said Haris.

Read: ‘All eyes on Rafah,’ tens of thousands rally in Karachi

From traditional caterers to fast food restaurants, and bar associations to social clubs, the boycott movement has left its footprint.

Footfall for customers at American fast food chains KFC and McDonald’s has also dried up in recent months, forcing restaurants to reduce operations across the country.

The plunging sales forced the closure a few months ago of one of the first foreign fast-food branches in Karachi that was launched in the 1990s.

The High Court Bar Association of southern Sindh province, which banned sales of branded beverages and water within the court’s premises last November, has stuck to its guns.

Many organizations, including the Karachi Bar Association and media clubs also followed suit, although foreign brands, mainly soda and water, are still available.

“Before ordering (for wedding ceremonies) people are clearly telling; no foreign brands of beverages and ice cream,” Mohammad Kafeel, a Karachi-based caterer told Anadolu.

Months ago, a video went viral on social media that showed a young man sporting “keffiyeh,” a black-and-white checkered scarf that is a symbol of the Palestinian liberation movement, at his engagement ceremony in Karachi.

Other videos showed Pakistanis, including women and children, carrying Palestinian flags and protesting regularly at KFC and McDonald’s restaurants across the country.

Local brands fill gap

The boycotts have boosted prospects for native alternatives as several brands are vying to fill the gap, with some seeing a surprise surge in sales.

Cola Next is a local soda brand that has ostensibly replaced global beverage brands in recent months with a “manifold” surge in sales, according to a spokesperson, who refused to give exact figures.

Kababjis, a local fast-food chain is another example of a roaring business in the wake of the boycott. The chain has introduced its own brand KFC, or Kababjis Fried Chicken, which dealt a blow to the sales of the original KFC, which runs 128 restaurants in 37 cities in Pakistan.

Quality issues

Taking advantage of the boycott, the local companies, although, significantly increased their sales and profits, however, many failed to compete with foreign products in terms of quality and sustainable market strategy.

In September, on the overall level, those who agreed with a boycott were 68%, slightly higher than the 65% recorded in April, according to Kashif Hafeez, head of Pulse Consultant, a Karachi-based think tank that has monitored the boycott campaign since last October.

Compared to the first wave of tracking in November 2023, however, there is a sharp decline of almost 15% — 85% to 70%.

“After Ramadan, we observed a significant increase of 16% amongst agreed to boycott (from 68% in December 2023 to 84% in April 2024) in practical impact,” added Hafeez.

But in the September wave, the practical effect dropped 10%, declining from 84% to 74%.

Boycott sentiments were more entrenched in children and upper socio-economic classes, he added.

The number of those who practically participated in the boycott of US and other pro-Israel countries’ products has declined, however, due to a string of reasons ranging from low-quality to sustainable supplies and a lack of brand-building by local companies, according to Hafeez.

“It’s (decline) is not because of the break in sentiments but because local companies have failed to provide quality products, aside from incompatible prices, unsustainable supplies and less attention towards brand-building,” he said.

Read: Candle light vigil ceremony held in Karachi memory of Palestinian martyrs

He said, unfortunately, local brands used the opportunity to increase profits on the back of public sentiments instead of building their brands and improving quality.

“I want to cite an example of a local soft drink brand that managed to snatch a sizable market share due to the boycott of international brands but it did not even provide its own chillers to the sellers. They even relied on the chillers of rival foreign brands to sell their products,” he said.

It compelled many to switch back to foreign brands, said Hafeez.

Nevertheless, he added, a large number of customers still stick to the boycott campaign.

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Aamir Latif is a Karachi-based senior journalist. He represents Anadolu, a Turkish news agency.

Courtesy: Anadolu Agency (Posted on 05.10.2024)  

The post 1 year of Gaza genocide: How Pakistanis boycotted companies supporting Israel first appeared on Sindh Courier.