'Little Arabia' Gives Muslims Taste of Home
Looking back, Mohammad Abdalla can see things clearly: He was out of place -- a Muslim Palestinian American operating a Mexican American market in Orange.
When he took it over, he stopped selling pork because eating it is forbidden by his religion. Customers understood, but it was an inconvenience.
Then one day, a man walked in and told Abdalla, "If you don't want to have pork chops and ham for Mexicans, go sell halal food to your own community."
It was a suggestion he took to heart.
Like dozens of other Middle Eastern business owners, Abdalla set up shop in Anaheim's bustling Little Arabia, a portion of Brookhurst Street also known as Arab Town and Gaza Strip.
Abdalla's Al Huda Meat & Deli is one of seven butcher shops to offer halal meat, the Islamic equivalent to Jewish kosher. Judging by the demand, there's plenty of business to go around.
"They come from Ventura, Las Vegas, Riverside and Pasadena," Abdalla said. "They drive 50 to 60 miles to come to Anaheim
Among Abdalla's customers are Muslim families from Las Vegas and Arizona, who call in advance to place $1,000 orders for halal meat. He freezes it and they come toting ice chests for the long drive home.
They could find halal meat closer to home, Abdalla said. But his Arizona customers, for example, could pay prices as much as $1 per pound higher there.
Butcher shops aren't the only thing Arab Town has to offer.
Beauty salons cater to Muslim women, offering private rooms for haircuts because they customarily do not remove their hijabs -- their scarf-like head coverings -- in front of men other than close relatives.
Travel shops specialize in vacations to the Middle East. Restaurants feature hummus, tabbouleh and shish kebab. Pastry shops offer so many different kinds of baklava -- cashew, pistachio, almond and walnut, to name a few -- they fill display cases.
On top of that, there are clothing stores, bookstores, video stores and grocery stores.
"For Muslims and Arabs, it's very well-known," said Sabiha Khan, a spokeswoman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Southern California, whose office is on the outskirts of Little Arabia.
"We're a little bit spoiled here because we have a lot of these amenities that other communities don't have. You can get everything you need."
