Thursday, September 07, 2006

Prohibition of Coke and Pepsi

The selling of Coca Cola and Pepsi has been prohibited in the Istanbul Convention & Exhibition Center, which hosts 1.5 million people annually.

The first Turkish prohibition for Coca Cola and Pepsi, which had been previously prohibited in Latvia, India and a university in England based on the claim that they contained some hazardous materials, came from a civil society in Turkey. Mustafa Ozbey, who changed the name of "My Showland "to" the Istanbul Convention & Exhibition Center, prohibited the sales of the popular soft drinks in his show center stemming from the desire to be a good role model and protect Turks from pollutants.

Ozbey stressed that the health of Turkish people was at least as important as the health of a Hindu or Latvian and added there would not be Coca Cola or Pepsi in any part of the convention center, which begins its next season in September. Ozbey said all of the canteens and kiosks around the center belonged to them, and added, "Even if we hire them out, we will assert our conditions in this frame." Ozbey said the Istanbul Convention & Exhibition Center was the second biggest convention center in the world and the biggest in Europe, and added: "About 30-40 percent of our visitors drink Coca Cola or Pepsi every year and, in fact, we earn a lot from these sales. Even if we only took advertisements from Coca Cola we could earn more; however, the health of Turkish people is more important for us."

Ozbey said great amounts of money leave Turkey due to the cola and cigarette industry, and added: "None of these kinds of goods will be available in our convention center until it is proven that they do not harm people's health."

Al-Azhar University Advises Against Colas

Leading Egyptian University al-Azhar advised against drinking Coca Cola and Pepsi, which have been prohibited in some countries recently. Vice Rector of al-Azhar Abduldaim Nasir relayed the news issued al-Medina Daily in Saudi Arabia that both of these colas included materials produced fro m pork. One of the leading intellectuals in the Islam world, Professor Abdulhalim Uveys, noted that Muslim intellectuals had previously released fatwas that the drinks produced by these trademarks were forbidden according to Islamic food regulations. Uveys said he also thought in the same way, and added: "Coca Cola has some alcohol ingredients and Pepsi has some pork ingredients. Also, the soft drinks produced by these two companies should not be drunk because, first of all, they harm people, as alcohol and cigarettes do; and secondly, drinking them can be considered unnecessary because there are no health benefits. And maybe the most important thing here is that both of these companies support Israel."

zaman.com

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