This Ramadan go for dates not grown on occupied Palestinian lands. That is the message being pushed by the American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), which launched an nationwide campaign in the United States against purchasing the traditional fast-breaking item from Israeli companies who use Palestinian lands to grow the fruit. Titled, “This Ramadan Make a Date with Justice: Choose Occupation-Free Dates," is part of the global campaign Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement that aims to end the purchasing of all Israeli products on the international market. Even more so, the BDS movement has been instrumental in pushing for an end to the illegal use of occupied lands for the growing of vegetables and fruits. BDS began in 2005 as a non-violent protest to the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine. “Unfortunately, many Muslims unknowingly use Israeli dates, most of which are grown in Israeli settlements built illegally on Palestinian land," said Awad Hamdan, AMP National Programs director told Al Arabiya news network. Awad added: “It's about educating the American people; Muslim and non-Muslim community." According to the AMP, the campaign hopes to inform the American public on the use of settlements and occupied land to grow dates. “We decided to launch the campaign during the month of Ramadan to gain speed very quickly and it has resulted to be successful. Dates are a product bought a lot from Muslim consumers during Ramadan because it's typically eaten to break from their fast," said Awad. A recent report published by the Israeli Haaretz daily, a large number of date farms are also exploiting farmhands and using other questionable labor practices. The newspaper reported that it had found that child workers were being forced to stay in date trees for up to 9 hours in the sun, and that farm owners were discriminating against Palestinian workers by paying them less than their Israeli counterparts. Over 170 groups joined the BDS movement when it began in 2005, including many Jewish organizations like Jewish Voices for Peace. American Muslims are responding. Ismail Abdullah in Minneapolis, Minnesota told Bikyamasr.com that he was going to all Arab shops in the city to ask them to return any dates they fear may have been grown on occupied lands. “What I am hearing is very positive, and even Jewish activists here are joining me, because we don't want to have this on our minds during the holy month,” he began. “And making things even better is the fact that at least four shops selling dates have discontinued their purchases because they received information the dates were grown on Palestinian lands. We just won't allow it,” he added.
