CommentsPosted on 01/15/2008 8:36:14 PM PST by SeafoodGumbo
This children's book was branded 'unclean' by a store assistant
Sally Friday, a customer at a branch of one of the famous stores, felt publicly humiliated when she tried to pay for First Bible Stories as a gift for her young grandson.
When the grandmother put the book on the counter, the assistant refused to touch it, declared it was unclean and then summoned another member of staff to deal with the purchase.
Mrs Friday was so upset that she has now complained to the store's manager.
Politicians and religious leaders supported her in condemning the high street chain and it has reignited the debate over religious beliefs in the workplace.
Conservative MP Philip Davies said the refusal to serve Mrs Friday, 69, was "unacceptable" and "damaging" to community relations.
Inayat Bunglawala, assistant secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, described the assistant's comments as "offensive" and called for Marks & Spencer to conduct an investigation.
He said: "This appears to be a very regrettable incident and the 'unclean' remark was clearly very offensive and unacceptable.
"Many Biblical stories complement the teachings of the Koran. We hope that M&S will investigate this incident."
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The incident has reignited debate over religious beliefs in the workplace
A spokesman for Marks & Spencer today said that an investigation into the alleged incident was under way.
She added: "We are surprised by this alleged incident and are investigating it thoroughly.
"It appears that there has been some misunderstanding over what was said.
"We have apologised to Mrs Friday over any distress caused."
A source close to the shop assistant claimed there had been a misunderstanding.
She said: "I think there was some confusion over what the customer heard."
Mrs Friday said that the incident had ruined her trip to the sales in Reading, Berks, with her daughter.
She said: "I went to the till and heard the girl say it was unclean and then she got someone else to serve me.
"At first I wasn't sure what was going on and then I realised she was wearing a headdress and I clicked that the title of the book had Bible in it.
"I felt very humiliated and immediately left the store."
Mrs Friday, who lives in Old Basing, Hants, went on: I have given it careful thought and still feel humiliated that because I am purchasing a children's Bible story book, a cashier is able to object and refuse to put it through the till.
"Had this been a copy of the Koran I am confident any Christian person would be happy to do her job, and for this to happen in a Marks & Spencer of all places beggars belief.
"I am not racist but I have vowed never to let a person wearing a head-dress serve me again.
"It will be a long, long time before I shop again at M&S."
I’m a bit feisty, but I would have had fun with the situation. I would have wiped the book down with hand sanatizer (which I carry in my diaper bag) smiled real big and said “It’s clean now!” and handed it right back to her. And then I would have played real dumb “But why it is not clean, I just don’t understand”
I think the shop assistant could be brought up on charges for a ‘hate crime’. It just gets nuttier and nuttier.
Weird story. Anyway, I think everyone should go take up the book to the register all day long until the Muslim woman can’t take it any longer and quits from a big stressful situation. lol.
It was born by the sword. Grew by the sword and demands all the earth be put under its sword.
The law of islam. Submit or die.
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Islam itself must die by the sword .... it’s not a religion ,, it is one crazy persons way to control others and assist in his world conquest... well HE’s DEAD JIM ,, and time for his scheme to die.
I feel bad for Mrs. Friday, but I wouldn’t have left the store. I would have stood my ground and glared at the salesgirl. She was the one who should have been embarrassed, not me!
That’s idiotic NATIONS Mr America. You’ve let in far more than we have...and for less reason.
Before this is all over the book store will wind up apologizing to the muslim for not being tolerant of his beliefs..
“Islam itself must die by the sword .... it’s not a religion ,, it is one crazy persons way to control others and assist in his world conquest... well HE’s DEAD JIM ,, and time for his scheme to die.”
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Yep. The ideology is as incompatible with our survival as was Japanese imperialism, Italian fascism and German national socialism.
Success will depend upon our ability to recognize it as such and obliterate it as an acceptable ideology as was done with the others.
If we try to half ass it and muddle through with the efeetist intelekshulismist attempts to allow it to morph itself into something that can find protection beneath our own protections and thereby flourish and spread like the lethal virus of neo-communism, then we have no business surviving as a culture.
We will have earned our destruction.
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