‘Let My Building Burn, Justice Needs to Be Served’: Muslim Restaurant Owner
His Restaurant Got Burnt during Protests Over George Floyd’s Death
The death of George Floyd, an unarmed and handcuffed black man, while in Minneapolis police custody has triggered nights of protests and violence in cities across the country.
In Minneapolis, where former police officer Derek Chauvin has been charged in Floyd’s death, demonstrators have voiced their anger in chants and on placards. But the protests have also led to outbreaks of violence.
Hundreds of businesses in the state’s Twin Cities — Minneapolis and St. Paul — were damaged or looted during four days of unrest.
Yet some of those business owners are still voicing their support for protesters.
Their restaurant burned, but they’re standing tall
In the midst of the protests and violence in Minneapolis stood a popular local restaurant: the Gandhi Mahal.
Ruhel Islam, the business owner who immigrated from Bangladesh 24 years ago to escape state violence, started his business nearly 13 years ago. It burned to the ground during the unrest Thursday night.
When he found out, Islam said he only had one response: “Let my building burn. Justice needs to be served and those officers need to be put in jail.”
His daughter, Hafsa Islam, said her family went from their normal routine of making curry to transforming their restaurant into a safe haven for injured protesters who needed first aid.
“We were worried about business, of course, but we were more worried about the protesters,” she said. “All of Tuesday and Wednesday we took in hundreds of injured people. By Thursday night, it felt too dangerous to be there.”
As the evening raged on, Hafsa said locals did their best to protect Gandhi Mahal by standing in front of it, but within hours, its windows were broken and by morning their restaurant had turned into ashes.
Despite the loss of their business and their stance against violence, Hafsa said they were standing in support of protesters and their cause.
“This isn’t about the business, this is about us, this is about George Floyd and all of the people whose lives have been taken wrongfully because of police brutality,” she said to CNN. “We are fighting for justice in such an unjust system.”
Since Gandhi Mahal burned down, more than $79,400 has been raised for the business. While some of the money will be used to rebuild the Bangladeshi eatery, the rest will go towards helping other local uninsured businesses that have been damaged, Hafsa said.
Islam added that the city cannot expect peace until it solves the root of the problem, which he said is police brutality.
“I grew up in a Third World country surrounded by the violence I’m seeing now,” he said. “I don’t want to see it here. I don’t want a police state traumatizing its people. It’s time to make a change. We can’t make any more excuses for police. This is America. We are here for justice.”