Muslim leader opposes cafe's refusal to serve Israelis

A New Zealand Muslim leader says he cannot support business owners breaking the law by refusing to serve Israelis, but he can understand why they are doing it.

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The Federation of Muslim Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) has condemned the "atrocities" being carried out in Gaza by Israel, which have prompted a Muslim-owned Invercargill cafe to refuse entry to people of Israeli origin.

Israeli sisters Natalie Bennie and Tamara Shefa were asked to leave the Mevlana Cafe on Wednesday by Turkish owner Mustafa Tekinkaya, who is mounting a personal protest.

"It is a simple protest, made in frustration at the continuing Israeli action in the Gaza Strip," he told the Otago Daily Times.

"The sight of small children, babies and women, all innocent victims of the overwhelming Israeli response, being buried in mass graves was the catalyst to action . . .

"We have two children of our own and we wonder if the politicians in Europe and America who support the Israeli actions as self-defence, had thought what they would do if their children were in the firing line.

"If there were animals being slaughtered the whole world would be protesting."A neighbouring owner of a Turkish kebab shop has adopted the same policy.

"I can understand where they are coming from," FIANZ president Javed Khan said.

"But if their action constitutes a breach of the Human Rights Act . . . then we shouldn't breach the law of the country."Mrs Bennie, of Makarewa, a New Zealand citizen who has lived here for seven years including five years in Waikouaiti, said she was shocked when she and her sister, visiting from Israel, were told to leave the cafe.

"I felt the kind of racism people were exposed to in the 1940s and '50s," she said.

Mrs Bennie was surprised to receive such treatment from a fellow immigrant and hoped Mr Tekinkaya would change his attitude and apologise.

However, he did not seem to accept his actions were illegal.

She complained to the Human Rights Commission, which told her it was highly discriminatory and the commission would be writing to Mr Tekinkaya.

"The main reason I did it is I don't want it to spoil the experience for Israeli tourists in the country.

"Obviously, he doesn't like Israel, and I don't blame him. I'm not a big supporter of Israel at the moment.

But he didn't even bother finding out what my opinion was," she said.

Mrs Bennie worked at Turkish restaurant Paasha while studying at the University of Otago. She missed Dunedin culture.

It was a "bit more tolerant" than Invercargill, she said.

Israel's non-resident ambassador to New Zealand, Yuval Rotem, urged authorities in New Zealand to take action to stem growing anti-Jewish and anti-Israel sentiment.

Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres said the cafe's actions would clearly be a breach of the Human Rights Act.

Mediation would be offered, and if unsuccessful, a prosecution could follow.

"Whatever the rights and wrongs of the situation in Palestine, it is simply against the law for providers of goods and services in New Zealand to discriminate in this way," Mr de Bres said.

Mr Tekinkaya voiced his concern about his possible breach of the Human Rights Act, and the impact it would have on his business, but stood firm in his protest.

"If I have to close my business, that will mean the loss of employment for 12 people, but that is nothing compared with the loss of innocent life, and the denial of human rights on a huge scale in Gaza."

He said he had received much support from around Invercargill.

Mr Khan said many Muslims and non-Muslims would share the views of Mr Tekinkaya "against what is happening in Gaza".

Asked whether two Israeli women in Invercargill should suffer for their Government's actions, Mr Khan said: "It's not much suffering. They have a lot of choice to go elsewhere."

Dunedin Turkish cafe owners are not taking the same stance as Mr Tekinkaya.

Galata Turkish Cafe owner Ali Akman, himself a Turkish Muslim, said he believed what the Invercargill restaurateurs had done was wrong.

"He shouldn't have. Any food premises is for eating and having fun. It is not for political discussions or arguments. This is wrong."

He hoped the incident would not reflect badly on the Turkish community.

Ozan Turkish Cafe owner Murat Bay also feared the effect the incident would have on people's view of the Turkish community.

He did not think the same would happen in any of Dunedin's Turkish restaurants.

"We do not have such fanatics here."

A protest against the Gaza-Israel conflict will be held in the Octagon in Dunedin at noon tomorrow.

The protest, organised by the Dunedin Coalition Against War, will feature speakers from the International Socialist Organisation and the Muslim community, followed by a "die-in", which organisers say will represent the number of Palestinian people killed so far in the latest conflict.

The rally follows others protesting against Israel's actions.