Portlanders discovered new foods and other items Saturday at the start of a two-day event to promote Muslim-owned businesses in the city.
Organized by Progressive Portland, the Muslim-Owned Business Buy-in is a response to the Christmas Eve window smashing at the Ahram Halal Market on Forest Avenue and to Islamophobia in the U.S.
More than 1,200 people pledged to take part in the weekend event, said Mayor Ethan Strimling, who shopped at several Muslim-owned businesses Saturday morning and – in his State of the City address on Monday – encouraged Portlanders to do the same.
Some of the shoppers were making their first foray into the Muslim-owned markets and restaurants that have opened in their midst during the past two decades, discovering new foods and other exotic items.
“I totally agree with supporting everyone in a community,” said Maxine Secskas who shopped at the Portland Halal Market at 269 St. John St. for the first time.
Secskas bought some guava juice, dates and ground black seeds, which she said she will have to search online to find out how to use.
Secskas said the sales clerk told her the seeds add a savory touch to porridge.
“She said they are full of vitamin E and after a week I will grow to love it. I am pretty excited to give it a try,” said Secskas.
Strimling bought some frozen goat meat and lentils at the Peace Food Market at 21 Chestnut St.
“Today is a really important day. We are saying, ‘You know what? You are welcome in our community. We are a welcoming city,’ ” said Strimling.
The Peace market’s shelves are stocked with an international melange for customers hailing from Africa, Latin America and the United States: frozen camel hump fat, flavored hookah tobacco, soda and chips, lasagna, and beans and rice.
“A lot of times we have customers who say, ‘I want this, I want that.’ So we just get it for them,” said Asma Farah, whose father, Mohamed Haidara, a Somali immigrant, and her uncle Abdi Muse co-own the Peace Food Market.
Progressive Portland is a nonprofit group that mobilizes grassroots support for progressive policies in Portland.
Participating businesses also include the Ahram Halal Market, 630 Forest Ave.; Ameera Bread Co., 845 Forest Ave.; Portland Market House, 28 Monument Way; Babylon Restaurant, 1192 Forest Ave.; Banadir Halal Market, 1190 Forest Ave.; Jazeera Market, 625 Forest Ave.; Makkah Market, 34 Vannah Ave.; and Sindbad Market, 710 Forest Ave.
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