(4 Aug 2004)
Ramallah
1. Exterior Al-Ain Supermarket
2. Interior supermarket
3. Various soft drinks on shelves
4. Mecca-Cola bottles
5. Mecca-Cola label
6. Dome of the Rock symbol on Mecca-Cola bottle
7. Bottle label
8. Man picks up bottle of Mecca-Cola
9. Man stacks bottles of Mecca-Cola
10. Close up label, pull out to wide shot of bottles
11. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Majid Ibrajhim Kharoubi, Ramallah merchant:
"From its name, Mecca-Cola has lots of customers and it's an encouraging beginning. In addition it's a French product and not American and also because they have dedicated 10 percent of the profits to the children of Palestine. That is very significant that a foreign country would donate 10 percent of its profits to the children of Palestine as well as another 10 percent to local charitable institutions".
Gaza City
12. Woman walks down street past kiosk
13. Various bottles of Mecca Cola
14. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Ibrahim Qassim, owner of kiosk:
"He who buys it and tastes it comes back for another but for those who haven't tried it it's difficult for them to take a risk and take something else because they are used to Coca Cola, Pepsi or RC Cola and they won't change their minds."
15. Man next to kiosk
16. Mecca Cola pan to Pepsi cans
17. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Bassem Massayid, shop owner:
"It's doing well, with the absence of Coca Cola which is currently not very popular in the street in large quantities. People are buying a good quantity of Mecca-Cola."
18. Man buys Mecca-Cola
19. Money exchanges hands
20. Exterior shop
STORYLINE:
Mecca-Cola, a soft drink named after Islam's holiest place, is on sale in stores across the Palestinian Territories, with part of its profits destined for Palestinian welfare projects and, indirectly, against Israel's government.
Mecca-Cola, which also comes in orange, lemon and apple flavours, first hit shelves in France in November 2002.
The non-alcoholic beverage is marketed by Tunisian entrepreneur Tawfik Mathlouthi, who says he created it to raise money for Palestinian charities.
Mathlouthi says the product's message could help turn public opinion against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Mecca-Cola's website shows pictures of Palestinian children throwing rocks at Israeli tanks and being arrested by troops. It bears the slogan: "Shake your conscience. Drink with commitment."
The company culture is strongly Islamic.
Bottles carry a request not to mix the contents with alcohol, which is forbidden to Muslims, and the website carries rulings from several Islamic authorities saying that the use of the product name "Mecca" is permitted.
When Mathlouthi launched the product, he pledged that 10 percent of the profits would go to Palestinian charitable causes in the form of food, clothing, and school and medical supplies, but not money.
On August 18, 20,000 care packages paid for by the company will be distributed to children in Palestinian areas, Mathlouthi said.
Mecca-Cola packaging is reminiscent of Coca-Cola and Mathlouthi acknowledges the taste is similar but believes the ideology behind it gives it a special fizz.
Mathlouthi moved his company headquarters from France to Dubai after French authorities started legal proceedings for breach of company registration laws.
A Paris court in May found Mecca-Cola guilty but did not impose a penalty.
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