Aishah, a 19-year old college student was served with a cup of coffee that had ‘ISIS’ written on it by a Starbucks barista in a Target store in St. Paul, Minnesota. The incident happened on July 1st, 2020 when Aishah along with her friend visited the Starbucks which was operated by the Midway Target Store, reads a Sahan Journal Article.
She has complained that when she revealed her first name while placing the order, the barista wrote something on a clear plastic cup. When she received the order, she found that it was marked as ‘ISIS’. ISIS refers to a terrorist group active in Iraq and Syria which goes by the name of ‘Islamic State in Iraq and Syria’
The girl through a press conference from the Minnesota Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Office has informed that when she first received the drink, she was shocked. ‘I felt humiliated, I felt enraged, I felt belittled’ she has noted.
When she complained to the barista about the same, the Target store manager sided with the employee stating ‘What is the Issue?’ she informed in the press conference.
This incident must be understood to be a testimony for the widely prevalent Islamophobia and the discriminatory practices that puts down the Islam community.
Target in its statement to the journal has also apologized for the incident has called it an ‘unfortunate mistake’. They have also said that the store employees and leaders were sensitised about the problematic behaviour and warned against it.
Aishah has also been a participant of the Black Lives Matter protests. She has stated that ” All these protests and all these people who are using their voice for a change. To me, it felt like at that moment, we’re doing all of this for people who don’t even care, or who are going to look the other way.”
Aishah has demanded a true apology. She has also demanded the firing of both the barista and the manager, careful examination of the employees’ attitudes, and thorough in-depth training for employees rather than a one-time workshop. If things would not go better, calls would also be given for protests reported the journal.
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