Owners of a halal supermarket in France found themselves in a soup after the store was accused of breaching conditions of its lease. Good Price discount store, situated in north-west Paris, is not acting as a general food store, according to the local housing authority. It argues that the local community in Colombes are not being served properly at the shop if no pork or alcohol products are sold there.
Mayor of Colombes, Nicole Goueta personally visited the store and asked the owner to start selling non-halal meat and alcohol, but manager Soulemane Yalcin argued the store caters to the demands of the local customers. Authorities said the shop is prioritising a certain group within the society, which is illegal as it breaches the country's principles. Mayor's chief of staff, Jerome Besnard said, "We want a social mix. We don't want any area that is only Muslim or any area where there are no Muslims." Legal action is currently being taken to end the establishment's lease that runs out in three years.
