Ali Hoseini has lived in Derry for seven years – Here he talks about multi-culturalism and why he wanted to start his own business
SPEAKING in Belfast recently the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council issued a challenge to Northern Ireland’s top politicians.
Addressing the All-Party Group on Ethnic Minority Communities in Stormont Lilian Seenoi Barr called on those in power to use their public roles to “counter misinformation, especially in the age of social media”.
“They should promote the benefits of diversity and respect for differences, highlighting the economic benefits that migrants and minoritised communities make,” said the mayor.
The reality is of course that migrants have been contributing positively to Irish society for decades if not centuries.
On a very basic level, almost every town and village on this island has had a Chinese takeaway on its main street at one point or another. In many places it is not unusual to find an Indian restaurant, a Turkish barber and an Asian clinic dispensing acupuncture and herbal remedies.
From each of those spring commerce through job creation, purchase from local shops and suppliers as well as the payment of various taxes and insurances.
Ali Hoseini left his native Iran 20 years to seek out a better life in the UK.
He arrived in Cardiff before moving to London. In 2017 he relocated to Derry where he lives with his wife Sima and their daughter Diana (main picture).
Six months ago Ali and Sima opened the ‘Asia Food Store International Ltd’ on Sackville Street.
“I came to Derry because my friend had a restaurant here and he offered me a job. And I’m very happy here. It’s a beautiful city, everything is handy to get to and the people are so friendly,” he said.
The Asia Food Store itself is a cacophony of spicy, sweet, sour and savoury aromas. From giant Lebanese flat breads to carrot jam to Kataifi pastry, its goods are unlike anything to be found generally on the high street. It also stocks non-food items like pressure pots, small gas burners, decorative spice, salt, sugar and sweet jars and interestingly, shisha or hookah pipes for smoking tobacco.
“We decided to open the shop because there are a lot of Muslims here in the city and no one else was doing it, no one else had an Arabic shop or a halal shop.
“We buy our stock in from London, Dublin, Belfast, all over. And we get people from the Arabic community, the Iranian community, Indian and Kurdish but also from Derry because they know what we sell is fresh, it is good quality and it is not expensive. We know that people don’t have a lot of money so we try to keep our prices as low as possible.”
Over the past seven years Ali Hoseini has watched the city gradually become more multi-cultural. And Derry is better for it, he believes.
“Five years ago you had very few refugees here. For a long time I didn’t meet any other Iranians but now you have around 25 families and 20 individuals.
“And it’s good for Derry because it means variety and it means different cultures, different languages, different foods.
“Before, all you had were chip shops and takeaways. Now you have all these new foods and you need that, you need new foods and new dishes. Iran has over 600 foods and tastes, Arabic is the same, Turkish is the same, hundreds and hundreds of foods.
“It’s very different to the burgers and pizzas that you see all the time here.”
As to what the future holds for him and his family, Ali says the city is his home now. His daughter Diana was born in Altnagelvin Hospital and is very much a Derry girl.
That however is not to say he doesn’t miss his homeland.
“Of course I miss Iran, every day my mind is in Iran. I lost my father last year and the rest of my family is still there. It’s hard for me and my wife being so far from Iran but this is our home now.
“We have been here a long time and we are happy here. We want to pay our taxes and contribute to society like everyone else. We love Derry, we love the people and we want to be part of the community.”