Posted on 01/17/2009 3:26:46 PM PST by nickcarraway
A Muslim cafe owner in New Zealand evicted two customers because they were Israeli.
Mustafa Tekinkaya, a Muslim from Turkey, heard Natalie Bennie and Tamara Shefa speaking Hebrew at his cafe in Invercargill on the South Island earlier this week and ordered them out.
“He heard us speaking Hebrew and he asked us where we were from,” Mrs Bennie told the local newspaper. “I said Israel and he said ‘get out, I am not serving you’. It was shocking.”
Tekinkaya said he was protesting Israel’s action in the Gaza Strip.
“I have decided as a protest not to serve Israelis until the war stops,” he said.
A complaint was lodged with the Human Rights Commission. New Zealand's race relations commissioner said Tekinkaya was in breach of the law.
Israel’s ambassador to New Zealand Yuval Rotem was scathing. “This anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish sentiment needs to be stopped,” he told The Southland Times.
“At this moment you don't need to bring the Middle East into New Zealand ... you need to take the spirit of New Zealand into the Middle East.” New Zealand is iconic among Israelis as being an outpost of civility.
Also this week, more than 100 pro-Israel supporters rallied on the steps of Parliament in Wellington, the capital. Holding olive branches, they held a minute’s silence for the 1,000-plus people who have been killed in the conflict.
Meanwhile, Father Gerard Burns, the Catholic priest who defaced a memorial to Yitzhak Rabin last week with paint and drops of blood, appears to have emerged unscathed from the incident. He has not apologized, and Wellington’s Catholic Church has not censured him, although Archbishop John Dew has apologized for father Burns’ actions.
Police have yet to decide whether they will lay charges.
Kaikoura's mayor is seeking legal advice over whether an anti-Israeli sign in a local restaurant breaches bylaws.
The Strawberry Tree restaurant and bar has put up a sign saying Israelis are not welcome until the military offensive in Gaza ends.
Owner Shane Cavanagh, who worked as a photo journalist in the Middle East, says he is appalled at Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip.
Mr Cavanagh says though he will not ask Israelis to leave, they are not welcome.
He admits the move is bad for business and the sign has provoked criticism in the South Island town, but says he just wants to make a point.
Kaikoura District Mayor Kevin Heays says he is seeking legal advice about whether the sign breaches bylaws and can be considered offensive.
Mr Heays says the sign has angered other businesses in the town and he has been visited by upset residents.
He says the presence of the sign has been reported on Israeli news sites and he is worried about the effect it will have on tourism to the district.
"In my view, it's ridiculous - it's probably a publicity stunt for his own bar, but it's certainly not a successful publicity stunt for our town.
"I know other businesses have seen the sign, complained, and put up signs of their own saying everybody is welcome in our place."
Earlier this week, an Invercargill kebab seller refused to serve two Israeli women, prompting an investigation by the Human Rights Commission.
The owner of Mevlana cafe, Mustafa Tekinkaya, a Turkish Muslim, told the women on Wednesday he was not going to serve anyone from Israel as a protest against the war in Gaza.
Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres says it is illegal for businesses to refuse service based on nationality.
Mr de Bres says a sign saying Israelis are not welcome is a lesser issue than outright refusal, but in a business such as hospitality this could be just as harmful.
Call for human rights education for migrants The Federation of Ethnic Councils says the actions of the cafe owner show that migrants need to be taught about human rights in New Zealand.
The chairperson of the federation, Puncha Narayanan, says Mr Tekinkaya's actions are unacceptable and bordering on unlawful.
Mr Narayanan says the induction of new migrants to New Zealand needs to be more meaningful.
I think he should be able to serve whoever he wants to. Having said that, I also think he is a jerk. Australia is foolish to allow Muslims in the country but I guess every country does that, even Israel.
This story is about New Zealand, not Australia.
Oops, I always get them mixed up even tho they are a thousand or so miles apart.
> “I have decided as a protest not to serve Israelis until the war stops,” he said.
Which is never...
that said, he's a douche.
Muslims follow Satan.
The Kiwis should immediately close the business and sue the owner.
um, the state should NEVER have that power over private businesses for minor things like this. bite your tongue...or keyboard.
agreed it is discrimination plain and simple, while it is his place he should not be allowed to get away with open discrimination.
For anyone saying he has that right to refuse then would a white owner here have a sign refusing blacks and have that right to do so?
This is the problem with many muslims, they bring their bigoted views and troubles with them to their new countries.
The Turk either should go back to Turkey where his narrow minded views will be accepted or live with an open mind in NZ.
I hope all the people in that town never go to that place again and he goes bust while the NZ Govt refuses to give him or his family any kind of handouts
Remind me to boycott that place the next time I’m on the South Island.
interesting so,
should a person have a sign saying no blacks will be served?
should a bar in the north have the right to refuse to serve a southerner?
The state already has power to censure businesses for discrimination. Muzzies need to learn that they are guests living in western style democracies and they will tow the line or get packing.
correct.
I can’t believe that anyone would say he has the right to discriminate.
Your tag line/signature.
what’s the story for it?
I have always believed a person should be able to refuse service to anyone, even orphans and widows. That doesn’t mean I agree with him, just that the government has no business dictating who he can serve.
However since that is probably the law in New Zealand then I hope they apply it evenly and prosecute this Mohammedan.
Blacks, Americans and Israelis not welcome......nice sign for the front door.
No one has the right to make you be nice, and you are purposely mis-stating what I said.
Or should I have said Blacks, Christians and Jews not welcome....
I agree.
However, I strongly suspect that a jewish owned shop that booted muslim customers would NOT be allowed to do so.
Therefor, I recommend the establishment be firebombed and the proprietor be hung and his relatives tortured as an example to all other baby raping dirt worshiping trash.
Just kidding.
But you know this is how it works in the middle east. The middle easterners come to western cultures and act like it isn’t so. But I know better.
OK you lying piece of garbage. I never said I approved, and you know I made that clear. At least if you bothered to read what I said.
He should have a sign up saying he is Muslim and then people who dont like terrorists could avoid the place.
Your point was that the shop owner can do as he pleases, my point was that the shop owner is a racist. Nothing more.
how about a sign saying I am a Truk muslim and like to discriminate against Jews and possibly those who do not agree with my politics and narrowmindedness
Again you lie. I never said he could do as he pleased. I said he had a right to serve whoever he wanted or not to serve.
I also made it clear that I thought it was wrong. In fact I said it in very strong words.
seeing as I in the south and know a fair few people around here who are fed up of northerners moving down to north east Florida then I’ll have to tell tham that they have a right to discriminate and not serve yankees now.
No I wonder if that would be alright for those claiming the state has no right to tell owners they cannot discriminate.
The state does tell people who to serve , it’s called anti discrimination laws.
The man sounds like he needs to move back to Turkey where his bigoted view is more accepted
Then I misunderstood and apologize....no reason to go apecrap with the name calling.
Apparently, discrimination is ok as long as you're jewish or christian. If you are muslim.....well....
EXACTLY
The left discriminates with their affirmative action.
if you are white, christian or Jewish and normal/straight then it’s OK to discriminate.
There is another rule for minorities and the left.
Muslims are moving around the world, using the left wing sheep to further their Muslims bigoted agenda and then we’re supposed to stay quiet or we’ll be named called.
By the way Dog, how’s that “serve anybody you want” BS working where you’re at? I guess in New Zealand it will go to the courts, in the US they’ll throw your butt in jail for a “hate crime”
High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]
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If you weren’t so stupid or dishonest you would have noticed what I said in post 15.
I agree with you, the law says you can’t discriminate but the law should mind its own business in my opinion, provided the business is not in receipt of public funds it should be free to choose whomsoever it likes to trade with.
The obvious corollary of that is that we should also be perfectly free to decide we don’t want to trade with them. In a free society you shouldn’t need Nanny State telling you how to go about your daily affairs.
It’s a simple point but one which seems to be lost on many posters here.
I don't have the slightest clue what you were rambling about in post 15. Try re-reading when you are sober.
Excommunication.
The cases cited are in New Zealand, but your statement applies to all Western democracies.
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