Civic group calls for boycott of Michigan orchard owner over Islamophobic remarks

MONROE, Michigan – A Muslim advocacy group has called for a boycott of Erie Orchards & Cider Mill in Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan after the owner made Islamophobic remarks that were caught on video.

A Muslim family, Yousef Abu Jenna Mahmoud, his wife, and their three young daughters, visited the orchard to pick peaches.

An employee initially allowed the children to pick the fruit, saying it was free because of its poor quality.

However, upon leaving the orchard, the owner, Steve Elzinga, accused the family of stealing and made derogatory remarks about Muslims.

He was seen in a video saying: “Any Muslim who comes here is stealing from me.”

The incident sparked outrage among Arab-American advocates and other Detroit residents.

Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations-Michigan, warned the Muslim community and others in good conscience not to visit Erie Orchards and Cider Mill because of the alleged bigoted behavior

The family plans to file suit, with their attorney claiming Elzinga violated both criminal and civil laws.

Elzinga later apologized for his comments and said he regretted making generalized remarks about Muslims.

He claimed there had been a misunderstanding between the family and the staff regarding payment for the peaches they picked.

The case illustrates the hostility some minorities face when they travel to rural Michigan during the summer months.

 Last year, a group of Muslims of Bangladeshi descent reported being threatened and harassed during a religious vacation on a farm near Adrian.