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, due to economic sanctions imposed due to the regime of Saddam Hussein.
In response, he established MaDonal Restaurant, which became a successful business. Since establishing MaDonal, Qassab has offered free food to U.S. forces, been threatened by suicide bombers, and has become a "Kurdish celebrity." Qassab hopes to one day turn MaDonal

MaDonal

MaDonal is a restaurant located in the town of Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan. It intentionally resembles McDonald's, both in appearance and menu; for instance, MaDonal's menu includes "Big Macks." It is one of two McDonald's-like restaurants in the town; the other one, Matbax, claims that MaDonal...

 into an actual McDonald's

McDonald's

McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...

restaurant.