Muslim Dairy Queen owner in Texas installed signs around his business comparing Hindus to monkeys

An online version of the signs Dar has set up at his Kemah Dairy Queen. This one says "denial of human equality is not faith 'but' A CRIME." An online version of the signs Dar has set up at his Kemah Dairy Queen. This one says "denial of human equality is not faith 'but' A CRIME." Photo: Provided By Mohammad Dar Photo: Provided By Mohammad Dar Image 1 of / 26 Caption Close Muslim Dairy Queen owner in Texas installed signs around his business comparing Hindus to monkeys 1 / 26 Back to Gallery

A Texas Dairy Queen franchise owner who has signs comparing Hindus to monkeys wrapping around his Houston-area restaurant says he is not prejudiced despite calls for an apology from the Hindu community and condemnation from Dairy Queen's corporate office.

Instead, Mohammad Dar, a 65-year-old Muslim, says Hindus are the "racists." There are more than approximately 1 billion people who identify as Hindu, making it the third-largest religion in the world, according to a survey published by Adherents.com.

About a year ago, Dar decided to publicize his self-taught findings — which he says he's been "researching" for 14 years — in a series of displays at his business in order to point out the wrongs of certain religions, specifically Hinduism, he told mySA.com in a phone interview on Wednesday.

The Dairy Queen is located at 1107 Highway 146 Dairy Queen in Kemah, about 25 miles north of Galveston. Company officials called the placement of the signs in a statement to mySA.com Thursday an "unfortunate action" and said they are "not representative of our iconic family brand. We do not condone this behavior."

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Dar, a 40-year U.S. citizen from Pakistan, said he is aware of the controversy he has created, but maintains that he is not “putting any human down.”

“I’m pointing out what’s wrong with Hinduism, which is a force of racism,” he said.

Revered figures such as Queen Elizabeth II, Pope John Paul II and the Dalai Lama make cameos on his signs, labeled as “practitioners and preachers of racism by faith.” He also notes the Holy Trinity is a “crime” and “tool to deny human equality” invented by a “crook.” Another piece of his material compares the ancient religion of Hinduism to “monkyism (sic).”

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“Hindus don’t follow any limit or law, they follow desires like an animal – that is the foundation of Hinduism," Dar said in the interview. "Monkeys don’t plan anything, they just do what they desire, but humans follow the limit and law.”

The business owner said questions were what he intended to evoke.

Saw this sign @ the Dairy Queen on 146 in Kemah, TX. I would have to say I agree. Wonder why Union Jack is on there. pic.twitter.com/CPY7GGP2jL — CATIfishing.com (@texaslunker) February 13, 2015

“It’s nothing personal, it’s educational,” he added. “I’m really making people mad, but what I’m doing is communicating and inviting them to communicate […] they think I am attacking their religion, but I am not.”

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Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, wants an apology issued from International Dairy Queen Inc., he announced in a news release.

"Posters reportedly displayed at its Kemah store in Texas were highly inappropriate and trivialized the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a highly philosophical thought," he said in the release, adding that the company "should have shown some responsibility and already taken action regarding these signs posted at the Kemah location reportedly for many months."

The Dairy Queen corporation responded to the issue in a statement to mySA.com Thursday.

“Although the vast majority of our restaurants are independently owned and operated, American Dairy Queen Corporation does not encourage non-business related messages in stores or displayed on exterior reader board," Associate Vice President of Communications Dean Peters said.

At the Dairy Queen in Kemah and this is on the drive thru window. pic.twitter.com/w0WywEus3H — Amanda Brenek™ (@AmandaBrenek) July 21, 2015

“If someone is a monkey, he’s going to end up in disaster. All he’s going to do is create disaster for himself and the people around him, that’s why animals are kept in a room away from the public,” Dar said.

Dar’s fast-food business will come to an end at the end of the month, but his strides to spread his message will not, he said.

“I will take my signs, but I will not go away,” he said, defiantly. “I will go to public places and put my signs up and make brochures to let people know where they have gone wrong.”

Dar denies the signs are the reason he is closing the restaurant. He said a corporate mandate that would cost too much money is the reason.

mmendoza@mysa.com

Twitter: @MaddySkye