Hate crimes unit investigates incident at Paramount Fine Foods, owner 'thankful' for community response

The owner of a Hamilton restaurant says he "can't be more thankful" to the community for the response he received after an incident that police say they are investigating as a hate crime.

In late November, Basil Al-Kubaisi said a woman entered his restaurant, Paramount Fine Foods, in Hamilton's Mountain neighbourhood. She shouted Islamophobic comments at staff and patrons, he told CBC Hamilton.

Hamilton Police Service's hate crimes unit is investigating the incident, spokesperson Jackie Penman said in an email. She said police have logged 10 incidences of hate directed at the Muslim community this year.

The incident was upsetting, but as word travelled, Al-Kubaisi said he's received support from local leaders, customers and community members who made him "feel proud."

The evening of Nov. 21 was typical at first, Al-Kubaisi said, with five or six families dining at Paramount. Suddenly, a woman rattled the doors and burst in, shouting.

She swore and yelled about Islam, calling Muslims terrorists and baby-killers, and insulted the Prophet Muhammad, Al-Kubaisi said.

"I didn't know what to do," he said, adding nothing like that had happened at the restaurant before.

Al-Kubaisi said he went over to the woman. "I told her, 'This is just a restaurant. I don't know why you are here."" 

He said she told him to go home, and that Muslims were ruining the country. Al-Kubaisi said he told her that people of many faiths and from places around the world work at the restaurant. The woman left but continued to flip him off and swear as she went, he said.

When he turned back toward the restaurant, Al-Kubaisi said one of the children eating there looked pale and scared. 

"I was embarrassed," he said. "I hope no one experiences what we felt." 

The woman was "super aggressive," Al-Kubaisi said, and he worries she might come back and hurt somebody. He said many workers at the restaurant are high-school or post-secondary students and most have said they no longer feel safe working at night. About 20 people work at the business and there were about five working at the time. He said he also worries customers won't feel safe.

Al-Kubaisi called police when the woman left. They confirm officers responded. Al-Kubaisi said he shared security camera footage with them, noting the woman ran into the frame, and they did not capture a licence plate. 

He said he hadn't heard back from police when a customer suggested he reach out to Lyndon George, director of the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre, which tracks community-reported hate crimes.