From KPBS News:
There’s a corner of University Avenue in San Diego that’s home to a store called University Market. It’s also home to a Buddhist Temple, a mosque and an Islamic parochial school.
Ahmed Malinomar is leading the opposition to a liquor license for a store that’s right next to a mosque on University Avenue.
Due to intense pressure from Somalis, a local planning committee has already recommended that the license be denied.
He [the owner of the store who doesn’t want his name used] said he needs to sell alcohol, due to financial competition form many new Somali markets that have opened across the street and right next door to him. He said University Market has been a friend to San Diego Somalis, allowing members of the mosque to use the parking lot. Yet they have organized the opposition to his liquor license.
The question of the conditional use permit now goes before the San Diego Planning Commission. Islam forbids the use of alcoholic beverages, but Somalis I spoke with said that is not an issue in this debate.
Yeh sure! Readers may recall that Somali cab drivers in Minnesota unsuccessfully tried to stop people from bringing even a closed bottle of liquor into their cabs.
By the way, we have a lot about San Diego Somalis, use our search function for more.