A Muslim-American restaurant owner in Galveston, Asad Khan, said someone smeared bacon fat on the front of his business and left bacon at his doorstep. Khan has received five threatening calls telling him to go back to his native Pakistan. The vandalism happened last Sunday. Three days earlier, Khan had discovered bacon grease smeared on the front door handles of ZaZa Bar and Bites, which he reported to police, according to the Chronicle. Khan’s Muslim faith forbids him from eating pork.
“We’re a restaurant. We’re not political,” said Asad Khan, who owns ZaZa Bar and Bites in downtown Galveston.
“Somebody went out, planned this, bought bacon, put it on my business, knowing full well that bacon represents an insult to Islam,” Khan said.
Galveston police officers are investigating and community activists are calling the smearing a hate crime.
Mustafaa Carroll, executive director of CAIR-Houston, said in a statement, “Bias is the only reasonable explanation for the use of bacon in vandalism targeting a Muslim-owned business…”
Anti-Muslim sentiment has stirred some people into vandalizing mosques with bacon. In North Texas, an armed group known for staging protests outside of mosques was filmed earlier this year preparing for the Muslim uprising its members believe is coming.
Khan, who immigrated to the U.S. from Pakistan in 1993, said he was “humbled by and grateful for” the support from the community.
Khan added that food builds unity, which was his goal in opening ZaZa Bar and Bites less than one year ago.
Hopefully, he said that goal will help change whoever set out to hurt him.
“That was the main purpose, to show that we have really great cuisine,” he said.
“If you taste our food then you’ll understand us a little better, you know?”