'Cash Mob' Planned for Oak Lawn Restaurant Targeted by Anti-Muslim Message

OAK LAWN, IL -- A Southwest Side collaborative that supports and celebrates diversity of all forms wants to shower an Oak Lawn restaurant with neighborly love and financial support after a customer handed the owners a dollar bill with an anti-Muslim message on it.

The Southwest Chicago Diversity Collaborative is organizing a “cash mob” to show solidarity and support for 4 Sisters Sweets and Catering in Oak Lawn.

The family that owns 4Sisters said a middle-aged man left a dollar bill as a tip on Wednesday with the message, “No Muslim Immigrants in USA.”

“It’s his home, it’s our home, it’s for everybody,” Maya Hamed told NBC 5 Chicago. “We should be uniting, not dividing.”

Members are asking customers and residents to support 4Sisters and Sweets by dropping by this Friday and Saturday to order some delicious Middle Eastern food from the restaurant.

“As our Muslim neighbors, they have been shaken by events nationally and some local hostility as well. We want to shower them with love and our financial support,” the collaborative posted on its Facebook page.

“This [Oak Lawn] business has amazing Middle Eastern food (hummus, falafel, lamb, spinach pie) and the owners are always giving back - they fed a whole bus load of protesters heading to DC for the Women's March.”

The cash mob - where people assemble to make purchases to support a local business and the community - was the idea of collaborative member Stephen English, a fan of the restaurant.

“I said, we need to get people down there, for one horrible thing that’s said, they need to show them how many people love them and care,” English said. “I’m hoping as people will come down here, they will spend their money here, they will feed their families here.”

4 Sisters has been in business in Oak Lawn for a year. It was founded by the family’s mother, to put her daughters through Saint Xavier University, NBC 5 Chicago reported.
The family that owns the restaurant posted a message of thanks and gratitude they’ve received from the community their Facebook page:

“Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts. We truly love every single one of you! It’s a proven fact that behind every evil situation, nothing but positive love, support and kindness is prevailed. Thank you again for the love, support and uproar that’s uniting us instead of dividing us!!!”

4 Sisters Sweets and Catering is located in the strip mall at 10317 S. Central Ave., Oak Lawn (next to Dunkin’ Donuts). The restaurant is open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.