A distressing episode was witnessed in Kerala where a Kashmiri seller named Fayaz Ahammed Rawtter meted out anti-semitic behaviour with an Israeli couple after learning about their nationality. While the anti-semitic episode stirred strong reactions on social media, the Israeli couple, however, didn’t press the matter legally.
Following the controversy, the Kashmiri handicraft shop which is located in Kerala’s Thekkady was temporarily shut. Facing ire for the rude and discriminatory behaviour, the accused seller Fayaz Ahammed apologised saying, “I made a mistake, I am sorry”.
As per reports, the incident took place on Wednesday in Anavachal near Kumily town.
The owners of the store include a Kumily native and two Kashmiri locals.
Valfar, an Israeli tourist, came into the store and started talking to her relative in Hebrew while choosing the fabric for the clothing. One of the store owners, Ahammed who is from Kashmir, overheard her and inquired about her nationality. He yelled at her and turned off the lights after learning that she was from Israel. He also said that he would never sell anything to an Israeli.
The video of the incident is now doing rounds on social media platforms. In the video, the Israeli tourist can be heard saying to the locals that the Kashmiri man insulted his wife and told her that she could not go inside the shop because she is an Israeli.
However, moments later, the Kashmiri man in question apologised to the woman and said, “I made a mistake and I am sorry for not selling you the products. “
His partner too apologised to the woman and told her that they respected her. Meanwhile, the woman’s husband told the shop owners that if this happened again they would go to the police and complain about the shop.
“I will go to the police and complain about the shop. Do you want your shop to be closed? Even if you are Muslim and I am Jewish I did not do anything to you. This is not the Indian way. Be a proper Indian and respect everyone irrespective of their religion,” the Jewish man was heard telling the shopkeeper in the video.
The woman could be heard speaking about Indian values and respect for every religion with the shopkeepers.
It reported that the shopkeepers apologised only after the woman told her husband and a cab driver about the incident who then managed to call local business owners and heads of the merchant association to the shop and question the duo for their actions.
According to reports, the couple did not pursue the matter legally. However, as a precautionary measure, the police asked the Kashmiri businessmen to shut their shop for a few days keeping in mind the law and order situation in the area.