A Kashmiri handicraft shop in Kerala’s Thekkady was temporarily shut after one of the owners yelled at an Israeli woman and refused to sell her and her husband anything. The incident took place on Wednesday evening at Incredible Crafts in Anavachal near Kumily town.
As per reports, the store is owned by a Kumily native and two Kashmiri locals. On Wednesday, Valfar, an Israeli tourist, came into the store. She conversed with her relative in Hebrew while choosing the fabric for the clothing. One of the store owners, Ahammed Rather, who is from Kashmir, overheard her chat and inquired about her nationality. He yelled at her and turned out the lights when she disclosed that she was from Israel, stating that he would never sell anything to an Israeli.
A video of the incident has now surfaced on social media. In the video, the Israeli man 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 shopowners 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. Meanwhile, the woman was heard speaking about Indian values and respect for every religion to the shopkeepers.
Watch the video here:
Israeli Couple Humiliated in Kerala: Kashmiri Shop Owner Forced to Apologise
An Israeli couple was insulted by a Kashmiri shop owner yesterday in Thekkady, in the Idukki district of Kerala. The couple were visiting the area and stepped into the particular shop owned by the… pic.twitter.com/De58My8qot
— Anand #IndianfromSouth (@Bharatiyan108) November 14, 2024
It is being said that the shopkeepers only apologised 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.
The Israeli couple, as per reports, did not pursue the matter legally. However, as a precautionary measure, the police have asked the Kashmiri businessmen to shut their shop for a few days keeping in mind the law and order situation in the area.
Meanwhile, the police have submitted a report in the matter to the authorities.
