Allah Akbar - Halal Fire takes out Hadley Mall -

“We scratched every penny, every dime to build this," said Mohamed Keffas. 

The fire began just after Mohamed Keffas (L) had closed Sunday evening, and he assured Hassan Oulbeid that none of the hookahs, charcoals, or tobacco products that they stockpile were still burning.

Casablanca Halal Market owner Hassan Oulbeid and his accomplice Mohamed Keffas also operate a successful taxi business in Easthampton with Hassan's family, Brahim and Lanhen Oulbeid.



Shortly after arriving from Morocco, in 2006 Hassan's financial acumen allowed him to negotiate a $243,000 loan for 21 Arlington St in Easthampton by putting only $10,000 down!

Hassan Oulbeid is known as the "Trump" of the Muslim community because of his success in  real estate, taxi services, and the halal goat meat business.

He continued to save his pennies and tips, paid down his mortgage, and was able to open the Casablanca Halal Market in 2010.    In just 3 years his revenue had grown to almost a million dollars.

Source: D&B 

The Oulbeids are also directors and supporters of the nearby Hampshire mosque, whose former president is on record urging local Muslims to violence and bloodshed whether they liked it or not.

No one has yet been caught following Ali Hazratji's exhortations to violence and bloodshed, nor has anyone spoken out against them.

According to his resume, resident alien Brahim Oulbied is also experienced and skilled at insurance and risk assessment, and fortunately Casablanca Halal Market's Facebook page has numerous photos of their inventory and equipment stacked from floor to ceiling just in case they ever needed to file an insurance claim.

As firefighters arrive the fire appears confined to the roof at the rear of Casablanca Halal Market and has not yet consumed the store.

The fire appears to have begun towards the rear of the store just after Mohamed had closed up Sunday evening, putting the day's cash receipts into a box for safekeeping.  He also made sure that all of the charcoals and smoking materials used in the large hookahs were extinguished.  

Within minute the fire has raced through Casablanca Halal Market and threatens the entire building.

But Allah had other plans, and within an hour the fire had raced from the rear of Casablanca Halal Market and burst through the front windows.  Fire investigators have never seen canned, dried goods or goat meat burn with such ferocity and are investigating for signs of other accelerants besides the charcoals, arson, or insurance fraud.

The rear of the store near where the fire began does not appear to contain anything that would burn with the ferocity that investigators witnessed.

Police have ruled out Mi Tierra.   They have also interviewed the two laundromat patrons, who first noticed smoke and a glow in the ceiling opposite Mi Tierra, on the side bordering Casablanca Halal Market. There were no other laundromat patrons.

Firefighters continue to direct their hoses at the rear of the store, the apparent source of the fire, but to no avail. 

When the firefighters arrived they directed their high pressure water at the still somewhat localized source of the fire near the rear of the Casablanca Halal Market - but within a few minutes Allah's wrath had raced through the store and burst out the front windows, soon to consume the entire building.

Mohamed Keffas is pretty sure that none of the pipes or smoking materials were still lit when he left Sunday evening just an hour before the fire was called in.

The shelves of Casablanca Halal Market were well stocked with supplies of this Quick Lighting, Long Burning Charcoal - which trained investigators believe may be slightly flammable.

This tea, which contains "The Gunpowder Extra" is proudly distributed by Casablanca Halal Market to their Muslim supporters from Boston.  It may have even been served at the Boston Marathon.