Madonal

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MaDonal. (Image from 60 Minutes, 2/18/07)

MaDonal is a restaurant located in the ethnically Kurdish town of Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. It purposely resembles McDonald's, both in appearance and menu;^[1] ^[2] for instance, MaDonal's menu includes "Big Macks." ^[3] ^[4] It is one of two McDonalds-like restaurants in the town; the other one, Matbox, claims that MaDonal is "cheap quality". ^[5] The quality of the food has been criticized by some bloggers as well. ^[6] ^[7] ^[8]

The owner, Suleiman Qassab, was a fighter in the Kurdish resistance during the 1970s. He became a refugee in Vienna, Austria, where he got a job as a cook at McDonald's. In the 1990s, he applied for permits to create a McDonald's in Iraq, but the McDonald’s Corporation turned him down. ^[9] ^[10] ^[11] In response, he established MaDonal Restaurant, which became a successful business.^[12] ^[13] ^[14] Since establishing MaDonal, Qassab offered free food to U.S. forces, and has been threatened by suicide bombers. ^[15] ^[16] ^[17] ^[18] ^[19] Qassab hopes to one day turn MaDonal into an actual McDonald's restaurant. ^[20] ^[21]

MaDonal is popular with Sulaymaniyah's youth, ^[22] ^[23] and the upper middle class. ^[24]

Sociologist George Ritzer sees MaDonal as part of a trend of other countries developing their own regional variations of McDonald’s. ^[25]

Qassab is just one of many who have requested permission to open up a McDonald’s in Iraq. ^[26] Should this happen, there has been speculation by some about whether McDonald's will eventually take legal action against MaDonal. ^[27] ^[28] ^[29]

[edit] Photo Links

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

^ leonsparx.com: "From Suleimaniya," August 20, 2003: http://web.archive.org/web/20050208165843/http://leonsparx.com/Iraq2003/From_Suleimaniya.html
^ Fam, Mariam: "Grateful Kurds in Iraq's north embrace Americans and their culture," Associated Press 3/20/04: http://www.brothersjudd.com/blog/archives/2004/03/thank_u_falletme_b_maself_agin.html
^ Constable, Pamela: "Kurds Adapt to a New Order in Iraq; Leaders Give Up Dream of Statehood, Urge Federalist Rule to Protect Status," The Washington Post, August 12, 2003 Tuesday, Final Edition, A SECTION; Pg. A08, 1268 words. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A46236-2003Aug11?language=printer
^ Serchuk, Vance: "Erbil Remedy Federalism is not a panacea for Kurdistan," The Weekly Standard, January 19, 2004, Monday, Articles; Vol. 9; No. 18, 1987 words. http://www.aei.org/publications/filter.social,pubID.19708/pub_detail.asp
^ Goodman, Peter S.: "Familiar Logo On Unfamiliar Eateries in Iraq Kurdish Entrepreneurs Bring In a Taste of the West," washingtonpost.com, Monday, May 26, 2003; Page A01: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A38941-2003May25&notFound=true
^ Rosebaghdad (2004-09-11). I’m Back (part 1), http://rosebaghdad.blogspot.com/2004/09/im-back-part-1.html
^ Totten, Michael J. (2006-02-28). The Utah of the Middle East, http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/001066.html
^ Re: Pictures of my recent trip to Kurdistan. aliraqi Community (10-25-2005, 11:57 AM). Retrieved on March 18, 2007.
^ Goering, Laurie: "Kurds offer troops a holiday haven from rigors of Iraq," Chicago Tribune, July 5, 2003. Edition: Chicago Final, Section: News, Page: 1.
^ Associated Press and Bloomberg News reports: "McDonald's approached about chains in Iraq," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Aug 15, 2003: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20030815/ai_n10904655
^ "A FAMILIAR LOOKING RESTAURANT IN NORTHERN IRAQ", NEW YORK TIMES, 2002-12-26, pp. Section A; Page 22, Column 3, 40 words. Retrieved on March 21, 2007.
^ Leithead, Alastair: "Kurdistan diary: Day Three," BBC News, January 22, 2004: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3418473.stm
^ McDonnell, Patrick. "Outside Baghdad, Oases of Calm", The Los Angeles Times, July 20, 2003. Retrieved on March 18, 2007.
^ McCarthy, Terry. "WHERE THEY DON'T SHOOT AMERICANS", ABC News Blogs, March 14, 2007. Retrieved on March 18, 2007.
^ Xulamm Kani: "Striving for Cultural Acceptance: the Kurdish Experience," Keynote Address, School of International Training (SIT), Brattleboro, Vermont, August 17, 2004: http://www.kurdistan.org/Current-Updates/sinclair081704.html
^ Rothwell, Nicolas: "Kurdish rebel cooks up Big Mac’s little brother," The Australian, 7/23/2004: http://www.kurdmedia.com/news.asp?id=5286
^ Daragahi, Borzou: "Guns And Burgers," CNNMoney.com, May 1, 2003: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/2003/05/01/341305/index.htm
^ Daragahi, Borzou: "Iraqis in north eager to display feelings and enthusiasm for GIs," The Washington Times, April 1, 2003: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-99435041.html
^ Saulnier, John M.: "Time flies, french fries, American pie and haven't we had enough boycotting already?," Quick Frozen Foods International, April 2003, http://www.allbusiness.com/wholesale-trade/merchant-wholesalers-nondurable/542554-2.html
^ Wright, Robin: "Kurdish Enclave May Lead Way for New Iraq," Los Angeles Times, December 1, 2002: http://old.krg.org/docs/articles/robin-LA-times-dec-2001.asp
^ McCarthy, Terry: "Golden Arches With a Twist: Iraqi Burger Joint," ABC News, Aug. 16, 2006: http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=2319431&page=1
^ Al-Marashi, Ibrahim: "Battle of flags," Al-Ahram Weekly, June 17 - 23, 2004, Issue No. 695: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/695/re5.htm
^ Rothwell, Nicolas: "Coming To Suleimaniyah?" Critical Tolerance, Jul 22nd, 2004: http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:RUiXha47ZxcJ:criticaltolerance.org/story/2004/7/22/214939/476+madonal&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=67&gl=us
^ Boag, Michael. "From Iraq with Love: Michael Boag traces his journey from Istanbul to Suleimaniya", The McGill Daily, 2003-10-27. Retrieved on April 8, 2007.
^ Ritzer, George: “The McDonaldization of Society” (Revised New Century Edition), page 4. Pine Forge Press, 2004. (Limited Preview Available on Google Books)
^ Hawkes, Steve: “McDonald's swamped by offers to open in Iraq,” Evening Standard (London), Aug 14, 2003: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4153/is_20030814/ai_n12053747
^ Ritzer, p. xi-xii; http://www.pineforge.com/upm-data/4039_Ritzer_McDonalization_Preface.pdf
^ Sundström, Eric (2005-07-15). "Everyday observations in Iraq," http://ericsundstrom.blogspot.com/2005_07_01_archive.html
^ Scott (2003-05-01). "What's Next -- Kurdish Idol on Fox?" http://dclawstudent.blogspot.com/2003_05_01_dclawstudent_archive.html#94992257