OAKLAND — The son of the owner of a West Oakland market said Friday that a group of neatly dressed men, who left a card identifying themselves as members of the Your Black Muslim Bakery, crowded into the store two nights ago and demanded to know what kind of Muslim he was.

There was no violence, and the men made no threats, but the son, Abellh Ali, said he was upset and called 9-1-1, summoning police to the Happy Times market, 1647 Eighth St.

The West Oakland community has been in an uproar since a group of men vandalized liquor and beer cabinets and coolers in two West Oakland markets last month. Four members of the Your Black Muslim Bakery organization have been charged and arrested in those incidents, including Yusuf Bey IV, the 19-year-old heir to the bakery franchise.

Ali said the incident at Happy Times occurred about 6 p.m. Wednesday.

"These guys drove up in three cars, came in here and stood in rows," Ali said. "One of them put this card down on the counter and told me to behave like a real Muslim (and not sell alcohol).

"They came in three abreast, carrying a flag, like it was the president of the United States,"said Ahmed Ali, a relative.

Abellh Ali said he called 9-1-1. The police got here in five minutes, but the men were gone by then, he said.

Muhamed Saleh Muhamed, president of the Yemeni-American Grocery Association, said everyone in America has the right to protest. But no one has the right to intimidate. The young man behind the counter at Happy Times felt threatened, he said.

"This is the greatest country in the world," Muhamed said. "Protest, but don't take the law into your own hands."

Muhamed's association represents about 200 owners of nearly 300 markets in Richmond, Berkeley and Oakland. He said owners are willing to work with the community about alcohol sales. But threats and intimidation won't work, he said.

Since the West Oakland market vandalism there have been three community meetings convened by West Oakland Minister Raymond Lankford. A meeting Thursday night drew more than 200 people.

Opinions varied and emotions were at times high. Representatives of Your Black Muslim Bakery, including Yusuf Bey IV, spoke at length at the end of the meeting, discussing alcohol-related problems and urging black Oakland residents to support black businesses instead of non-black owned liquor stores.

Alameda County Health Director Arnold Perkins said he wonders about his fellow black citizens. Why are there so many liquor stores in the community, he asked. "Are we dumb?"

"In Piedmont, there's one liquor store, here there are so many. What's up? How can we allow this to happen over and over?" Perkins asked.

"People in Piedmont are organized. If a liquor store comes in there, they say 'no' and it doesn't happen. We pay taxes, we are citizens. We built this country on our backs," he said.

It's time to stop blaming others and take charge, Perkins said.

Veteran Oakland Police Officer Keith Dodds, who is assigned to West Oakland, talked about the frustrations of patrolling that part of the city. "We do our best to keep young people away from the liquor stores," he said. "I've worked with the store owners. I've had some positive and negative experience.

"I see some putting in bigger windows so we can see in when we pass by. In another, there was a younger guy running the store and bad things were happening. Once his dad found out, he closed the store," Dodds said.

In another instance, a young mother who has to ride the bus to work early in the morning doesn't understand why the liquor store near the bus stop sells beer to drunks at 7 in the morning.

"They get on the bus and she has to ride with them as they drink beer on the bus," he said.

Lankford hopes the dialogue can continue and all interested parties — residents, police, market owners and city government — will stay involved. It's the only way things are going to change, he said.

To volunteer and for information about the next meeting call Healthy Oakland, 444-9655.

Contact William Brand at bbrand@angnewspapers.com.