The Uptown community rallied in support of a cafe that had a window displaying a Palestinian flag smashed last week in what the owner believes was a targeted attack.
There were no empty tables at Nabala Cafe, 4660 N. Broadway, and the line stretched out the door as customers wearing keffiyehs and carrying Palestinian flags poured into the eatery Sunday afternoon. "Nabala Cafe we love you" was written in chalk on the sidewalk just beyond the cafe’s front door.
Cafe owner Eyad Zeid expressed gratitude for the overflow crowd but said the attention instead should be given to the Palestinian people who continue to suffer in the Israel-Hamas war. "I hope that people really do what they can do to end it," said Zeid, 29. "It’s wonderful that we are getting this attention for the business and everything, but what’s way more important is Gaza."
Zeid said he believes the person who broke the window at his cafe on Sept. 1 targeted the business because of the Palestinian flag hanging in the window. The person, who was captured on surveillance video, was seen pacing around the area for some time before breaking the window, Zeid said. They also didn’t break any other windows, just the one displaying the flag, and they didn’t try to go in and steal anything, he added.
The attacker, whom Zeid described as a male, was also seen on video wearing a keffiyeh to hide his face, he said. "It’s honestly insulting that the person was wearing that as well," Zeid said. "It feels very targeted, just based around that stuff."
No arrests have been reported. Chicago police didn’t say whether the incident is being investigated as a hate crime.
Hatem Abudayyeh, national chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, one of the groups that organized Sunday’s event, blamed hateful rhetoric surrounding the Israel-Hamas war for the attack. "This is the kind of thing that leads to violent attacks against the community," he said. "We knew that this sort of thing was going to happen."
In a separate incident, police are investigating two incidents of vandalism at the Muslim Community Center in Irving Park on the Northwest Side last week.
Zeid grew up in southwest suburban Burbank and has lived in Uptown for five years. The cafe opened in July and is named after his family’s home village of Bayt Nabala, which was destroyed in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
Eyad Zeid, owner of Nabala Cafe, has raised $10,000 in his appeal for help to repair a broken window at his Uptown eatery. After paying $1,000 for repairs, he plans to donate the remaining funds to Palestinian welfare organizations.
Zeid said he wanted his cafe to be enmeshed within the community, which he says is very supportive. After the window was smashed, some members of the community showed their solidarity by decorating the wooden plank that was used to cover the gap with artwork.
Volunteers with Alhub Chicago paint a plywood plank covering a broken window at Nabala Cafe, located at 4660 N. Broadway Ave., on Sept. 2 in Uptown.
The community also helped collect more than $10,000 for the cafe through an online fundraiser, much more than the $1,000 or so it would cost to replace the window. The rest of the funds will be donated to Middle East Children’s Alliance, a nonprofit that provides humanitarian aid in the region, Zeid said.
The community showed up for the cafe again on Sunday. Christina Sanchez, 54, and her three children were among those who showed up to at least buy a cup of coffee. Sanchez said her family is of Mexican and Palestinian background, so the issue is personal for them. "I think it’s horrible that they just opened up and have already been vandalized," Sanchez said. "It’s horrible, things like this should not be happening."
Ahmed Khan, 29, drove about an hour to Uptown from Lombard. He lamented what he said was the latest example of targeted attacks against the Palestinian community, but said the show of solidarity shows the community’s resilience. "It’ll show a lot of people that if they attack us, we’ll always come back even stronger," he said.
Conclusion
The incident at Nabala Cafe highlights the importance of standing in solidarity with the Palestinian community and opposing hate crimes. The cafe’s owner, Eyad Zeid, has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the community and has raised thousands of dollars to repair the damage. The incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for justice and equality in the Middle East and the importance of speaking out against hate and intolerance.
FAQs
Q: What happened at Nabala Cafe?
A: A window displaying a Palestinian flag was smashed at Nabala Cafe in Uptown, and the owner believes it was a targeted attack.
Q: Who is responsible for the attack?
A: The attacker has not been identified or arrested, and the incident is being investigated by Chicago police.
Q: How is the community responding to the attack?
A: The community has shown overwhelming support for the cafe and its owner, raising thousands of dollars to repair the damage and donating to Palestinian welfare organizations.
Q: What is the significance of the Palestinian flag in this incident?
A: The Palestinian flag is a symbol of Palestinian identity and culture, and its presence in the cafe was likely a target for the attacker.
Q: What is being done to address the issue of hate crimes in Chicago?
A: Chicago police are investigating the incident and are working to prevent and address hate crimes in the city.
