April 1, 2009, - 6:33 pm
Cream-Filled, Frosted Three Cheers: Dunkin’ Donuts Stands Up to Sharia
By Debbie Schlussel
In the past, I’ve told you about First Islamic Investment Bank a/k/a Arcapita’s outrageous efforts to force Church’s Chicken franchisees (who held the franchises before Muslims took over the company) to carry halal-only foods.
But now the shoe is on the other foot. And it’s about time.
Kudos to Dunkin’ Donuts. Finally a company stands up to Islamic inflexibility and says, “Our way or Mohammed’s highway, er . . . sand-covered path in the desert.”
WESTCHESTER, Ill. – A Muslim franchisee of a suburban Chicago Dunkin’ Donuts store must surrender ownership after losing a legal battle over his religious objections to selling pork.
Walid Elkhatib’s attorney says the 59-year-old is removing Dunkin’ signage from his Westchester store.
The chain sued Elkhatib last week to bar him from using the company’s trademark. That lawsuit followed a jury’s ruling that the chain didn’t discriminate against Elkhatib for refusing to renew his franchise agreement because he wouldn’t sell breakfast sandwiches containing pork.
Muslims are forbidden from eating pork and many also refuse handling it.
For nearly two decades, Dunkin’ allowed Elkhatib to not sell pork. But in 2002, the company said it wouldn’t renew the franchise agreement unless he sold all products.
Time to make the falafel, dude.
What’s the difference between halal and kashrut? Jews as well as Muslims are forbidden from consuming pork.
[NF: NOT SURE HOW THAT QUESTION IS RELEVANT, BUT KASHRUT (KEEPING KOSHER) IS FAR MORE STRICT. JUST BECAUSE I DON’T EAT PORK, DOESN’T MEAN THAT I BELIEVE IN IMPOSING THIS ON THE WHOLE WORLD. MUSLIMS DO. SURPRISED TO HEAR THIS FROM YOU. DS]
NormanF on April 1, 2009 at 8:38 pm