|
 Trump Fish, whose logo features the
businessman-turned-politician's distinctive yellow mane, opened
about 10 days ago in the Kurdish city of Duhok, an hour's drive
from the latest battle against Islamic State militants in Mosul.
Owner Nedyar Zawity says he registered the Trump name months ago
with Kurdish authorities. The 31-year-old entrepreneur insists
the branding is more about turning a profit than endorsing
politics, but he likes Trump's strong personality and reputation
as a successful businessman.
Above all, he appreciates the president-elect's promise to ramp
up support to the Kurds and their peshmerga fighters, a
sensitive proposition in a country where competing
pro-government forces vie for Western backing.
"I personally love Trump for this," Zawity told Reuters. "The
name Trump is beloved in Kurdistan."
The Kurds, oppressed under successive Arab governments in Iraq,
are perhaps the biggest victors of the new order born out of the
U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.
While Iraqi Arabs further south have been gripped by sectarian
conflict for more than a decade, Kurdistan remained relatively
safe, enjoyed an economic boom and steadily developed its
autonomy.
More recently, Kurdish peshmerga fighters - whose name literally
means "those who face death" - have proven vital U.S. allies in
the war against Islamic State, which seized a third of the
country in 2014 when Iraqi forces collapsed.
The Kurds have pushed for years to receive direct support
instead of aid funneled through Baghdad - something Washington
has resisted in pursuit of a strategy to prevent Iraq
fragmenting.
Trump gave the Kurds hope that this might change when, during
the campaign, he praised their fighters’ skill and loyalty and
called for them to be armed. "I'm a big fan of the Kurdish
forces,” he said in July.
Trump's position on full Kurdish independence is unclear and his
office did not respond to a request for comment.
But many Kurds will be hoping that his endorsement of their
military prowess will translate into political support for the
long-held ambition of statehood for their autonomous region,
which relies heavily for income on foreign aid and oil sales.
COURTING CONTROVERSY
Trump Fish, located between an appliance shop and a laundromat,
has not yet turned a profit, according to Zawity, who runs the
eatery with his three brothers.
[to top of second column] |
The dining room was empty when Reuters visited at lunchtime, save a
few customers who had ordered takeaway.
The restaurant offers just one dish: masgouf, a grilled fish farmed
in local rivers and seasoned with olive oil, pepper, lemon and
spices. It is considered Iraq's national dish.
The Trump name has helped attract customers, according to Zawity,
including Westerners who say they don't necessarily support the
Republican figure but dine here for novelty's sake.
"He is an American, maybe he is not my favorite, but he is still
American. So I'm happy to try a restaurant with an American name
with Kurdish-Iraqi food," said David Hirsch, a librarian at the
University of California, Los Angeles.
Yet it has also garnered enmity from some quarters, including online
critics who accuse Zawity of being an American or Israeli agent and
have sent him threats.
Some customers upset with Trump's campaign pledge to impose a
temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States have boycotted
the restaurant, he said.
Echoing an opinion held by many Trump supporters in the region,
Zawity attributes the proposed ban to the demands of campaigning and
does not believe it will be implemented.
He even hopes to take his Trump caricature logo to the United States
and open another restaurant there. "Give me a visa and I will go
tomorrow," he said with a chuckle.
Zawity could face resistance to such expansion from Trump's own
operation, which relies heavily for revenues on branding and
merchandising its name.
The incoming leader of the world’s superpower is less likely to
challenge another show of Kurdish support: Local media reported last
weekend that a peshmerga fighter on the front lines against Islamic
State had named his newborn son "Trump".
(Editing by Dominic Evans and Jeremy Gaunt)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
