Coca-Cola denies donating money to Israel

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Coca-Cola Indonesia denied on Tuesday reports that it had given financial aid to the Israeli government.

"Coca-Cola is a company that produces soft drinks and has one goal, namely to satisfy customers' thirst," PT Coca-Cola Indonesia corporate affairs director Titie Sadarini told Antara.

She asserted that the company had never been involved in political or religious affairs or matters that had nothing to do directly with the soft drink industry.

"The rumor is untrue and baseless. We believe that people can perceive it wisely and proportionally," she said.

Earlier, a number of Muslim clerics and intellectuals from East, West and Central Java called on the Muslim community in Indonesia to boycott products of Coco-Cola soft drink company because the company's profits were used by the Israeli government to slaughter Muslims in Palestine.

Athian Ali Dai, chairman of the Forum for Indonesian Muslim Clerics and Community (FUUI), said in a joint statement in Bandung, West Java, on Monday that nbc.com had reported that the Coca-Cola Company had delivered its profits for four days, from Nov. 28, 2002, to Dec.1, 2002, to the Israeli government, which used the money to support its zionist government to fight Palestinian Muslims.