The Qibla Cola story

By Nasir Abid

Feburary 2003 saw the launch of a soft drink in Derby, England with the name of Qibla Cola. Qibla is a transliterated Arabic word meaning direction, referring to the direction in which Muslims all over the world turn to say their prayers. It is situated in Haram Sharif at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The founders claim that the name has no religious connotation, and merely refers to the change of direction which consumers should make, and follow its punch line, "Liberate Your Taste".

The founders of Qibla Cola are Zahida Parveen, Zafar Iqbal, Mohamnmad haider, Zafar Qaiser Iqbal, all Derby based and from the sound of the names members of a single family though Qibla Cola itself is a public limited concern and having a look at its grand plans and marketing strategy it has to be to fulfil them.

From the beginning Qibla Cola (QC) positioned itself as an ethical business. At its inaugural ceremony Zahida Parveen, a former fashion designer, said , "Muslims are increasingly questioning the role some major multi-nationals play in our society.

Qibla, on its part, donates 10% of its profits to Islamic charities targeting three main areas: health, education and medical research. It was featured in a documentary on BBC2 called 'Message in a Bottle' and in 2004 shifted to smart new premises from the shabby ones it had started in.

Once it was established Qibla, went on a fast growth spree. It started distribution in Canada, Netherlands, Norway, and Pakistan, with Australia and Malaysia next in line. Next Bangladesh in 2005 and on to India, a market they were eagerly looking forward to with huge potential for growth in its expanding economy.

It won the 2004 Innovation Award from the British Department of Industry.

QC is very careful about the charity organisations it works with realising the hidden dangers of backing the wrong ones and thus getting into the bad books of the Establishment if it is later found that it is a front for a terrorist organisation. In 2004 it donated Pounds 1500/- to Muslim Aid in Bangladesh.

In April 2004 QC went into collaboration with Mighty Beverages of Pakistan who had purchased and refurbished a former 7UP bottling plant in Islamabad. The start was good with an initial production run of two million litres of QC, generating employment for a hundred people with thousand more in investment, transport and retailing.

It launched a mango drink in November 2003 at the BBC Good Food Show in 5oo ml and 2 litre bottles with the by-line, "Believe Your Taste".

Again in November 2003 they entered Norway. In January 2004 it was Bangladesh's turn by going into collaboration with FCI Trade International, who imported the concentrate and bottled it locally.

QC had started as an alternative to Coke and Pepsi but now it found itself in competition with other Muslim soft drink manufacturers out of which the two main ones are Zamzam from Iran and Mecca Cola, manufactured in Paris by a Frenchman of Tunisian origin. Zamzam had replaced Pepsi after the Iranian revolution of 1979 and the Ayatullahs banning of all American products.

When Saudi Arabia banned Coke and Pepsi, Zamzam supplied two million bottles to quench the thirst of Haj Pilgrims. Zamzam is named after Mecca's holy spring and was a partner of Pepsi until its contract got terminated in 1979.

Coke, Mac, Fanta, Sprite, Marlboro, Pampers and Ariel have been targeted. Strict rules are being followed in the boycotting. Israeli products are the first to go, secondly of those Western countries that support Israel.

At the shop of The London School of Oriental and African Studies a sign reads, "Coca Cola: This Company is ethically out of order". The School has switched over to Qibla and its Union has cited Coke's trading practices, the pesticides it drinks contain in India, the depletion of ground water wherever its factories come up.

Columbia has switched over to Qibla since February 2003 when Coke started threatening to kill trade union officials to break a prolonged strike.

Amirah Ali, the spokesperson for the London based Islamic Human Rights Association said, "The war on terrorism has made all American brands a focus of resentment and buying alternative brands make the Muslim community feel better."

"It makes us feel that we can do something", Ali said, "Coca Cola has been a big symbol of America. Its a tangible symbol at a time when there is increasing unhappiness about US foreign policy."

But in London's Brick Lane, where there is a large Muslim Community, opinions on the success of the boycott are mixed." I don't think it does anything. How does it help people who are suffering in Palestine?" said Abdul Mahmood, while buying Coca Cola from a local store.

All this talk leaves Martin Norris, communications Director for Coke, UK, unperturbed. He said that his company does not indulge in religious or political arguments, dismissing the newcomers. "I think consumers are able to make a very clear distinction between the soft drink and whatever the policies of American government are," he said and with Coke selling more than 40 million eight-ounce servings every hour around the world, he has a point.

Qibla Cola was growing from strength to strength, the original drink was followed by Diet Qibla, which was much appreciated. Then came Mango, Guava, Q Fantasy (Orange). Q5 (lemon and lime) and Q Water, which was spring water bottled for them under contract. Their slogan is 100% spirit, 0% alcohol, 10 % world causes.

Once its feet were firmly on the ground and its acceptance was growing, Qibla decided to go after the Big Boys and issued a statement asking all soft drink manufacturers to disclose their alcohol content which some manufacturers use as a carrier agent for flavourings, vitamins and minerals. Mohammad Haider said, "It is well known that certain soft drinks use alcohol and its derivatives and animal extracts against the belief of millions of consumers around the globe. If any soft drinks contain these elements we believe that it is the responsibility of producers to disclose this clearly on the labelling of their products."

This was straight out of the 'greased cartridge' controversy of the Mutiny of 1857. And then the next thing we know is closed down without a whimper. There is speculation as to why this has happened and when it is disclosed, QC may not come out of it as pure as its drinks.

Firstly, QC uses Islam to piggy back its success. As there is no such thing as an "Islamic Bomb", there is no such thing as a Muslim Cola. A bomb is a bomb and a cola is a cola, there is nothing Muslim, Hindu or Christian about it. We do not hear for Marks and Spencer playing the Jewish card or Swaraj Paul, Laxmi Mittal or the Hinduja's playing the Hindu card. By playing the Muslim card it assured itself of a captive market in a very competitive field.

Qibla Cola should have realised that it was working in a hostile environment, especially after September 11, there being no love lost for the Muslims.

One can only speculate about the rumour that the government went after it because it backed the Hizb Tahreer, an organisation which has the impossible dream of restoring the Khilafat, which hardly and Muslim wants with the establishment of the nation state.

Before Qibla Cola came along there was another Muslim organisation in Britain called the Bank of Credit and Commerce International. It too exploited its Muslim and Eastern roots, grew and grew and then collapsed taking many of its sympathisers with it it. Luckily Qibla did not stay long enough to drown as many as BCCI did.

(Cobrapost News Features)