Kenali McD

Conflict is a terrible thing – and we are painfully aware of how much of an understatement this is. Its impact is devastating and often far-reaching; lives are lost, families separated, property destroyed, nations wrecked, civilizations annihilated… and so on and so forth.

Through the devastation of war however, acts of kindness and generosity towards afflicted communities continue to offer glimpses of a possible future shaped by love and compassion. Which makes it all the more frustrating for us to see how we continue to allow conflict and differences to divide us.

In our fervour to show support for the victims of a conflict, we all too easily fall into the trap of seeking out a scapegoat to vent our frustrations upon – this is exactly what it is that has befallen McDonald’s Malaysia and its employees.

McDonald’s Malaysia was recognised by Aon Hewitt as Best Employer in Malaysia for 2009, 2011 and 2013, picture taken from http://www.mcdonalds.com.my/our_people/careers/best-employer.aspx

Sharing all the world

Chief amongst accusations leveled at McDonald’s is on how it has been supporting Israel in the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict. As an international corporation with a footprint in 120 countries, McDonald’s is a company that is literally as diverse as the world itself. That an organization comprising a plurality of nationalities and ethnicities would take and support any side in any conflict flies in the face of logic itself.

Imagine no possessions

If only this issue were as simple as 1+1=2

Another accusation that has us face-palming is on how McDonald’s Malaysia is donating money to fund the war against the state of Palestine. The thread of logic here is thin so you’ll have to bear with us.

Some McDonald’s American employees donate money to the Jewish United Fund and the Jewish United Fund (JUF) allegedly supports Israel, therefore McDonald’s Malaysia supports Israel? That doesn’t even make sense!

We’ve already covered the alleged donations made to the JUF by McDonald’s Malaysia here. In addition to that, McDonald’s corporation itself explicitly forbids donations made to organizations that “Advocates for or against or otherwise provide direct or indirect support for or against and political campaign…” What’s more, for more information on the complete lack of evidence linking JUF to the Israeli army, this site provides an excellent explanation.

You may say I’m a dreamer

With all said and done, we are all hoping and praying not only for an end to this conflict but also that events like these would never occur again. We conclude this post with John Lennon’s timeless plea for peace.