Yassin Terou (Falafel)

January 29, 2017 7:53 PM

We're going to keep the American Dream going. Because this country is for everybody.
posted by slater (18 comments total)

Love this.
posted by Oyéah at 8:27 PM on January 29, 2017 [1 favorite]

Half an hour ago I was listening to dreadful breaking news on the CBC about a shooting in a mosque in Quebec City--I didn't make it more than 30 seconds into this short film without crying.

I remember reading about Yassin in this thread on the Florida nightclub shooting because he was at the vigil and someone in the LGBT community got him to host a Lunch of Love at the Felafel House for the LGBT community and allies.

Bless him, what a lovely man. The sign in his restaurant is beautiful.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:41 PM on January 29, 2017 [10 favorites]

I love the chalkboard about halfway down the page. That should be a poster available to business owners.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 8:42 PM on January 29, 2017 [5 favorites]

Thanks for this, OP!
posted by Bella Donna at 8:59 PM on January 29, 2017

I'm not choked up; nope. Sniff
posted by soakimbo at 9:02 PM on January 29, 2017 [1 favorite]

Thank you! Like hurdy gurdy girl, I read this after the news from Quebec, also crying.

On a similar theme, meet the Hadhads, refugees who are now creating employment with their Antigonish, Nova Scotia, chocolate business.
posted by chapps at 9:03 PM on January 29, 2017 [1 favorite]

His sign made me cry. Oh for all of us to live by his sign. For that sign to be in the Oval Office. Oh why oh why is love so much harder than hate?
posted by eggkeeper at 9:41 PM on January 29, 2017

Oh why oh why is love so much harder than hate?

Because hate you get to keep for yourself but love requires giving...
posted by jim in austin at 10:35 PM on January 29, 2017 [2 favorites]

He represents the most American of dreams. An immigrant, fleeing his native land, creates a business and provides for his family, and creates jobs. His is a story that has happened time and time again. Irish, German, Chinese, Filipino , you can name any ethnic group. Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. They make us a better America.
posted by zabuni at 10:40 PM on January 29, 2017 [4 favorites]

Thank you, OP. I needed to cry about something hopeful and beautiful today.
posted by zorseshoes at 11:08 PM on January 29, 2017 [2 favorites]

This is beautiful. I am crying. Thank you, OP.
posted by hijinx at 5:32 AM on January 30, 2017

Lovely story, thanks for posting. Seriously, his chalkboard sign should be a poster - somebody get on this!
posted by Quietgal at 6:37 AM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]

Yes, this was wonderful, thanks for sharing it!

In case you're in or traveling through Knoxville, here's the Yassin's Falafel House website that has their menu and address. At the moment, it doesn't have anything for people out of the area to purchase in support of them, like a poster of their "all are welcome" sign.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:19 AM on January 30, 2017 [3 favorites]

I'm always fascinated when companies quietly take a political stance--in this case, I'm talking about Square (the card reader and processor for this restaurant and host/probable creator for the video) not Yassin's Falafel House. Those numbers and stats at the end of the article, the pointed but still subtle tone...yeah, points to Square as well as Yassin and family.
posted by librarylis at 11:12 AM on January 30, 2017 [6 favorites]

Thank you for posting this. I didn't know how badly I needed hope today until I saw this.
posted by PearlRose at 11:25 AM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]

Yassin's! Yassin has sort of become the unofficial public face of Knoxville's Muslim community, and he's doing great at it. During the Gatlinburg wildfires, Yassin and his customers filled a box truck Sorry, Facebook link with water and Gatorade for the victims and firefighters.

Out of area support: Yassin is thinking of auctioning that amazing chalkboard to benefit refugees Sorry, another Facebook link.

I eat at Yassin's whenever I'm in the area and they're open (I don't work in downtown Knox Vegas, so not as much as I'd like.) The food is amazing and the restaurant is as warm and welcoming as you'd expect. Knoxville is lucky to have the Terou family, and all families like theirs.
posted by workerant at 11:34 AM on January 31, 2017 [3 favorites]

Here's more about Yassin, the Square documentary, and recent events:

“Every time I walk in downtown, I feel like I know everyone and they know me.” Of his friends and family in Syria, he said, “It makes me sad. We pray for you, to stop the suffering. We want to build a bridge to bring you here. We think about you every day.” He ended by saying to his new city, “Thanks for adopting me.”

posted by workerant at 12:17 PM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]

Here's a screenshot of the chalkboard and my attempt to turn it into a rectangular image, with some image processing to make the blackboard black. It's not printable, which is part of the point - if I put time into making it really pretty, I'd ask Yassin if he'd want it to turn into a poster for fundraising. That was my goal, but that'll take more time (and work like that shouldn't be done on a bumpy train ride ;)).
posted by filthy light thief at 9:54 PM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]