Farah and her sister said that when they returned to ask the manager for an explanation, they received an apology and were allegedly told security shouldn’t have refused them entry but the request to remove the keffiyeh was to maintain the restaurant’s neutral stance and ensure the safety of employees.
A managing director at a business consulting firm, who asked not to be named, said security had told him and his wife they could not dine in unless they removed their scarves. He was wearing a Jordanian version of the keffiyeh, while his wife wore a Palestinian one.
When they asked why, the guard said he didn’t know, the pair said.
“He said that he was following orders [from management] and that our scarves were not allowed in, and if we wanted to sit inside, we would have to take our scarves off.”
Tanjina Ahmed, husband Qamar Albashir and son Hamza. They said their group was denied entry at Jimmy’s Falafels on August 3. Credit: Flavio Brancaleone
Husband and wife Qamar Albashir and Tanjina Ahmed said the denials felt “harmful”, especially for a restaurant that “profits off” Middle Eastern culture.
“I was suggesting [to go to the restaurant] based on our group of friends being Muslim and the establishment serving halal food,” Ahmed said.
“It’s representing our food, our culture, but not willing to welcome us in unless we were willing to take off items of clothing – nothing that had any words on it or anything like that.”
Keffiyeh designs differ among Middle Eastern nations. The Palestinian version is typically worn to show solidarity with Gazans.
Merivale said it took a politically neutral stance, describing the day of the march as a “challenging time for venue staff”.
“The safety and comfort of staff and patrons is always a priority at our venues, and this was especially the case on the day of the march,” a spokeswoman said in a statement. “No Merivale venues, including Jimmy’s Falafel, have policies on customers wearing keffiyehs or other political or religious items of clothing.”
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