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Make falafel great again: Trump-inspired restaurant opens in Syria
Walid Shekhi, a 40-year-old Kurd from the Syrian border town of Kobane, opened the doors of "Trump restaurant" last week in a bid to encourage the future leader continue his support for Kurdish forces fighting the Islamic State group [IS].
"And I believe that the United States under Donald Trump will provide more support to the Kurds to fight and eventually eliminate [IS] terrorists," Shekhi told ARA News.
"He is the leader of the United States, the greatest country in the world, and we Kurds love the United States, so we love Donald Trump. That’s why I named my restaurant after him," he added.
Trump fish anyone? [Dohuk Post] |
There has yet to be word of any cease-and-desist letters from the incoming US president, but considering his vanity the move may just be the right approach to garner his backing.
In September 2014, IS extremists attacked Kobane, turning it into the scene of brutal urban guerrilla fighting. The militants were finally driven out by US-backed Kurdish forces in January 2015 after more than four months of fighting.
The notoriously anti-Muslim Republican, who has suggested a total ban of Muslims entering the US, has yet to post images of himself eating falafel while giving a thumbs up to the camera in a bid to improve his standing with Muslims.
He does however seem to have a fanbase among Kurds across the region.
Last month, a Kurdish restaurateur in Iraq opened a restaurant in honour of Trump that serves up the country's national fish dish.
He has even inspired a Kurdish fighter to name his newborn son Trump Hassan Jamil: "I called him Trump because he is charismatic and has clear policies and that's why he won the election," the soldier said.
Trump still has nothing on Obama, who besides being the namesake of hundreds of food joints from Indonesia to Morocco, has parasites, fish, lizards, schools, birds, a spider, a petrol station and a mountain named after him.