Religious harassment in my local mall

[Tamar]

Maybe I'm just blowing it out of proportion based solely on the "Praise Allah" comment. I didn't have an issue with the security guard and I don't think I would have had as big an issue with leaving my bag by the counter if he didn't immediately mock us. I would have realized he singled us out for the bags anyway, but it would've been less of a big deal had he not made some idiotic comment.

EDIT: as soon as I explained the situation with security, he relaxed. He did still want us to reveal our faces, but I was willing to compromise since he actually took time to understand the situation. The guy at FYE just made a stupid comment and I wasn't willing to work with him. In retrospect, I could've been the bigger person and respected his request, but I was a bit heated at the time.

The world is full of idiots who don't think before they speak. As a Jew I have been on the receiving end of thoughtless comments in my life.

I have been in the company of people who didn't think twice about talking about Jewish people in a derogatory manner because they did not know I was Jewish.

Muslims now are on the radar of those who don't care how they speak or act when it comes to Islam or Muslims.

It is a a sad day when people think it is ok to disparage a whole group of people because you don't like them be it Islamophobia or anti semitism.

 

[etherealascension]

I know there are some racists and bigots in my hometown, but I didn't expect a comment like that. I'm not Muslim, but that doesn't lessen how offensive it was.

Interesting relevance: the family of my friend is jewish on his mother's side. They have Stars of David all over the house, paintings of Hebrew, and tons of other Jewish art. His neighbor doesn't know this and is very anti-semitic and has made many offensive comments.

Bigotry in any form is terrible. Lack of understanding is one thing (I couldn't expect people to understand why we were wearing shemaghs) but being ignorant and rude is on another level.

 

[Tamar]

I know there are some racists and bigots in my hometown, but I didn't expect a comment like that. I'm not Muslim, but that doesn't lessen how offensive it was.

Interesting relevance: the family of my friend is jewish on his mother's side. They have Stars of David all over the house, paintings of Hebrew, and tons of other Jewish art. His neighbor doesn't know this and is very anti-semitic and has made many offensive comments.

Bigotry in any form is terrible. Lack of understanding is one thing (I couldn't expect people to understand why we were wearing shemaghs) but being ignorant and rude is on another level.

I agree with you it was rude and unacceptable. But we live in a time where fear is all around.

I have friends who will not wear anything that marks them as a Jew because of fear. I have friends who will not wear a hijab because of fear.

But hate is a fact that will not go away and that is sad.

 

[ohhcuppycakee]

I guess it all depends on where you live. I don't think that would happen where I live. There are many Arabs and many Muslims over here and if you said anything offensive like that you'd get some very angry people fast. Anyways, I've never had anyone ask me to leave my bag at the counter...? That sounds a little odd.

 

[ohhcuppycakee]

Some Eastern Orthodox women cover their heads with scarves, though not their faces.

Yeah, and so do some old Catholic ladies. And recently met a Quaker lady who covers her head. Another thing, many orthodox Jewish ladies cover their hair after marriage. As for Buddhists, if you look at Japanese Buddhist nuns, they cover their heads with a white garment.

 

[Tamar]

I guess it all depends on where you live. I don't think that would happen where I live. There are many Arabs and many Muslims over here and if you said anything offensive like that you'd get some very angry people fast. Anyways, I've never had anyone ask me to leave my bag at the counter...? That sounds a little odd.

There are also many muslims where I live but I live outside of DC so security tends to be more apparent.

I have no issue with bag checking or bag searching when going in public buildings. It is to help keep the public safe.

 

[ohhcuppycakee]

There are also many muslims where I live but I live outside of DC so security tends to be more apparent.

I have no issue with bag checking or bag searching when going in public buildings. It is to help keep the public safe.

I don't care if about bag checking either, so long as they are checking everyone's bag.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I've been asked to leave my bags at the counter in many stores. I find the request to be not at all unusual.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

I would like to start by saying that I have scarcely had any issues in any of the many Simon malls I have been in, but today was different.

Per my religious and spiritual beliefs, today I wore a shemagh (traditional middle eastern head cover) to the mall in town.

Let me see if I understand this. You list your religion as faithless and your title as a Secular Buddhist humanist. Does Humanistic Buddhism have a traditional attire?

 

[etherealascension]

Let me see if I understand this. You list your religion as faithless and your title as a Secular Buddhist humanist. Does Humanistic Buddhism have a traditional attire?

I covered this already.

 

[etherealascension]

I've been asked to leave my bags at the counter in many stores. I find the request to be not at all unusual.

I wouldn't have been as bothered if he didn't already mock us and if we weren't the only ones singled out. It's a reasonable request, I understand that. But the mocking and the fact that he only said it to us bugs me.

 

[cablescavenger]

My wife and I went to visit the Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha, in Cairo.

My wife had a T-Shirt on, and was told to wear a gown to cover her arms, because her present attire was disrespectful. My wife respected their rules and culture and did as she was told, without quibbling, and we went about our day.

When in Rome ....

 

[no-body]

You should have taken down the snickering employees name and asked to speak with a manager or sent a complaint letter to the corporate headquarters with the store and employees name, I guarantee you results would follow.

The letter to the mall will probably get you nothing but an apology if that, the security guard was in the right. The mall is private property.

 

[outhouse]

We are at war with terrorist here in the USA.


If you want to dress in a simular fashion as americans stereotype terrorist, be prepared for backlash.



Ignorance of the law is your fault if local laws state you must have your face in view keep it that way. we have the most open laws regarding religious freedom, it doesnt mean you wont have social ramifications.

On the other side of the coin, if i dress like a christian and walk through some middle eastern towns and cities id be murdered before i got ten feet.



Im all for religious freedom but theres a point where you will be asking for it if you push your religious values beyond local laws.

Your not in the home country where this dress style is the norm.

 

[ChristineES]

To the OP (too long to quote): If after you uncovered your face, the person kept telling you more rules that others weren't following then maybe you probably were being harassed. People hold grudges for a long time and against people who have nothing wrong.

 

[etherealascension]

You should have taken down the snickering employees name and asked to speak with a manager or sent a complaint letter to the corporate headquarters with the store and employees name, I guarantee you results would follow.

The letter to the mall will probably get you nothing but an apology if that, the security guard was in the right. The mall is private property.

Unfortunately, he was the acting manager while the store manager wasn't there. I have his name, but FYE sure makes it difficult to file complaints. I can't find anything on the internet to email them.

 

[no-body]

Unfortunately, he was the acting manager while the store manager wasn't there. I have his name, but FYE sure makes it difficult to file complaints. I can't find anything on the internet to email them.

Maybe a strongly worded letter to your local newspaper or news channel then?

 

[YmirGF]

Personally, I don't think you have a leg to stand on. Granted, the employee should not have sarcastically uttered something commonplace, however, if you truly are a spiritual person you should have been able to elevate the exchange, rather than let it bother you. Given that you are now seeking some kind of primitive justice indicates to me you still haven't learned. So much for spirituality, eh?

 

[Tamar]

I don't care if about bag checking either, so long as they are checking everyone's bag.

They do and you go through a line and a metal detector.

 

[etherealascension]

Personally, I don't think you have a leg to stand on. Granted, the employee should not have sarcastically uttered something commonplace, however, if you truly are a spiritual person you should have been able to elevate the exchange, rather than let it bother you. Given that you are now seeking some kind of primitive justice indicates to me you still haven't learned. So much for spirituality, eh?

I'm not seeking vengeance, the point of the letter was to let the mall know something was amiss. If I wanted vengeance, I would've included the employee's name, I would've directly went to the mall manager, I would've made sure someone was punished. I'm not trying to get anyone fired or anything, I'm just making a point. Of course it bothered me. I didn't let it ruin my day, I ddint go home and cry about it, I carried on as I was, angry as I may have been.