Starbucks faces a boycott and calls for its licence to be REVOKED in Malaysia and Indonesia after Muslim groups complained about company's pro-LGBT stance

Muslim group Perkasa called for boycott of Starbucks over its pro-LGBT stand
Group agreed with an Indonesian group's call for chain's license to be revoked
Opposition came after a video from 2013 circulated online of pro-LGBT comments made by the company's chairman Howard Schultz


Starbucks is facing a boycott in Malaysia and Indonesia after hard-line Muslim groups complained about the international coffee chain's support of gay rights.
Malaysian group Perkasa, which campaigns for the rights of ethnic Malay Muslims, said it agreed with calls this week by Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second-largest Muslim group, for a boycott of Starbucks over its pro-LGBT stand.
Perkasa also agreed with the Indonesian group's call for Starbucks' operating license to be revoked, it said.


Amini Amir Abdullah, who heads Perkasa's Islamic affairs bureau, said Starbucks' position challenged Malaysia's constitution, which recognised Islam as the country's official religion.
'Our objection is because they are promoting something that is against the human instinct, against human behaviour and against religion. That's why we are against it,' Amini said on Wednesday.
Muhammadiyah's call for a boycott has gained support from the Indonesian Ulema Council, its top clerical body.
The religious groups' opposition to Starbucks came after a video from 2013 circulated online of pro-LGBT comments made by the company's chairman and former chief executive, Howard Schultz.


In the video, Schultz said Starbucks embraced diversity and 'not every decision is an economic decision', in response to a shareholder who complained that the company had lost customers because of its support for gay marriage.
In a statement, a Starbucks spokesperson said: 'Though we are founded in the United States, we are a global company with over 300,000 partners and 26,000 stores in 75 markets around the world. In all countries where we do business, we are proud to be a part of the fabric of the local community, and we strive to be respectful of local customs and traditions while staying true to Starbucks long-standing values and purpose.'
Activists say intolerance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people has spiked in recent years in Indonesia and Malaysia, both majority Muslim, multi-ethnic Southeast Asian countries.
PT Sari Coffee Indonesia, which holds the license to run the Starbucks chain in Indonesia, said in a statement it was not affiliated with any political or ideological groups.

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