Muslim-Owned Galveston Restaurant Vandalized With Bacon

Bacon is a force that should only be used for good and not evil. But the popular pork product has a long, hateful history of being used to deliberately target Muslims, who avoid consuming (or even touching) pork for religious reasons, and it appears as if the latest incident of bacon-related hate crimes has occurred in Galveston.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Galveston’s Zaza Bar & Bites has been vandalized twice in one week by vandals seemingly targeting the restaurant because of its owner’s religious beliefs. In the first incident, bacon grease was smeared all over the handles of the restaurant’s doors. In the second, the front of Zaza Bar & Bites was actually covered with pieces of bacon.

The restaurant is owned by Asad Khan, a Pakistani immigrant who has lived in the United States since 1993. Khan says that he’s also received “threatening” phone calls telling him to “leave the country.” "I feel bad for whomever did this because they're carrying so much hate in them," Khan told the Chron. "I will get over this. I hope they get peace."

In response to the vandalism, the Houston chapter of The Council On American-Islamic Relations issued a press release encouraging Galveston police to purse a hate crime investigation. "Bias is the only reasonable explanation for the use of bacon in vandalism targeting a Muslim-owned business, said CAIR-Houston Executive Director Mustafaa Carroll. “Law enforcement authorities should keep that possible hate motive in mind when investigating this case and in bringing charges against the alleged perpetrator.”

• Bacon smeared on Galveston restaurant owned by Muslim [Houston Chronicle]