Restaurant owner defends ‘Muslims get out’ sign by saying there was not enough room to add 'extremists'

Owner Dan Ruedinger said people were taking the sign the wrong way and defended the wording: ‘We were going to put out Muslim extremists but we didn’t have room on the board'

Mr Ruedinger said he was not a racist and did not dislike Muslims generally (Fox News / YouTube)

A Minnesota business owner who wrote "Muslims get out" on the sign outside his restaurant has defended the move, claiming that people were taking the sign "in the wrong way".

Protesters of different faiths gathered by the Treats Family Restaurant with banners that read: “Love trumps hate” and attempted to pull down the letters from the board, which also advertised food and ice cream.

Owner Dan Ruedinger in Lonsdale, Minnesota, told Fox News: "I didn’t want to put 'terrorists' on the board. So we were going to put 'Muslim extremists', but we didn’t have room on the board."

"Now, people started taking it the wrong way, thinking we were against Muslims in general, and we’re not," he added.

"Quite the opposite. We are not racists."

He told the Lonsdale News-Review that the incident of the Somali-American man who stabbed eight people in a shopping mall in St Cloud, Minnesota, this month had prompted him to put up the sign.

"I’ve had enough and I’m standing up," he said.

"With all the bombs and shootings we’ve had, we’re supposed to welcome refugees here who want to kill us? This has nothing to do with race, it has to do with a religion of hatred that preaches violence.

"Some Muslims are good people and want a better life. They need to step up, take control and hold the others accountable."

When protesters arrived, Mr Ruedinger’s wife, Karen, added the letters "In Support of St Cloud" to the sign.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations invited him to meet with Muslim community leaders at the Islamic Centre of Faribault.

“Our experience has shown that interaction with ordinary American Muslims and enhanced knowledge of Islam are key factors in the reduction of Islamophobic attitudes,” said Jaylani Hussein, the executive director of the Minnesota CAIR chapter.

The meeting was reportedly cut short as Mr Ruedinger became agitated and shouted about his son’s service in Iraq, saying he could not be “silent” any longer.

Mr Hussein told the newspaper: “It was a short conversation. He did not agree. We are here to talk to people; to start a dialogue. We wanted to talk to him about the sign and about issues.”

The restaurant’s Facebook page has been flooded with negative reviews, accusing the owner of “racism”.

“This anti American BIGOT hates people of other religions. I wouldn't eat at a hate filled place like this!” wrote Ferrin Brooks.