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A Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris made headlines this weekend, and it had nothing to do with the food. The owner of Le Cenacle, in the suburb of Tremblay-en-France, is facing accusations of Islamophobia after being caught on video refusing to serve Muslim customers.
The video posted to YouTube depicts a man — allegedly the restaurant's owner — angrily ranting at a woman in a hijab and telling the table to "get out." According to the English subtitles, he says, "Madam, the terrorists are Muslim and all Muslims are terrorists," continuing, "We are in a secular country, and I have a right to an opinion."
According to Al Jazeera, the incident occurred Saturday night, and many took to Twitter to express outrage:
If you think mainstream racism is all a stunt in France, watch what happened to 2 women in Paris restaurant on Sat.: https://t.co/Es7oaH5rLh
— Peter Allen (@peterallenparis) August 28, 2016
What happened at #Cenacle is disgusting. Now we can't eat where we want. We can't go to the beach dressed as we want. Second-class citizens.
— Maga (@Arsenalista5) August 28, 2016
Le Cenacle's owner reportedly apologized to a group of people who confronted him outside the restaurant after the video was posted online, saying things "got out of hand."
The restaurant's Facebook page has been flooded with negative reviews, such as one that reads, "Good food but the racist rant provided with the meal was poor at best." Another writes, "I bet as you see your business fails you will regret your Islamophobic comments. I can't believe that in 2016 there are still ppl like you in this world with racist and religious based bigotry."
The events at Le Cenacle follows last week's highly publicized "burkini" debate that emerged after police in Nice, France forced a Muslim beachgoer to remove layers of her clothing.
• Anger as Muslim Women Denied Service at French Eatery [Al Jazeera]
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