Go home", a Moroccan restaurant stops serving alcohol and triggers a wave of hatred

The restaurant "Les Mille et Une Nuits" is an institution that has been established for more than thirty years. Btissam, who took over the business from her parents a decade ago, recently chose to no longer serve alcoholic beverages. She justifies this change by the desire to respect the culinary traditions of Morocco, where wine does not accompany meals, but also to preserve the tranquility of the service by avoiding inappropriate behavior related to drunkenness.

This orientation has provoked a hostile reaction from a fringe of the clientele. The manager reports having received virulent calls and messages announcing boycotts. The criticisms quickly degenerated into racist and Islamophobic attacks, with some telling her: "You seem to forget that you are in a Christian country" or "Let these Islamists go back to their country". Even customers trying to defend the restaurateur found themselves targeted by these invectives.

Btissam refuses to give in to intimidation. She reminds that she runs a private business in a free country, where she works and contributes fiscally like any citizen. She believes that the extent of the hatred she has received is directly related to her North African origins. While developing an offer of alternative beverages, she notes having received expressions of solidarity in the face of this verbal violence, in a country where alcohol is involved in about 4,000 annual deaths.