She Wasn't Dressed Right

[MrsSpringsteen]

What would you do? I can't believe anyone would refuse to serve someone who is wearing their traditional religious dress in 2008, but then again maybe I can and that is depressing


http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/WhatWouldYouDo/Story?id=4339476&page=1

But what if you witnessed "Islamophobia" in action and saw someone being victimized because of someone else's prejudices? What would you do?

ABC's production crew outfitted The Czech Stop, a bustling roadside bakery north of Waco, Texas, with hidden cameras and two actors. One played a female customer wearing a traditional Muslim head scarf, or hijab. The other acted as a sales clerk who refused to serve her and spouted common anti-Muslim and anti-Arab slurs.

The polarity of reactions was shocking, from support to seething disapproval. Never did we expect customers to be so passionate or candid.

"Even though people seemed to have strong opinions on either side, more than half of the bystanders did or said absolutely nothing. This is a familiar reaction for many Muslims such as Javed. "I was shocked because when these things happen to me in real life … I never see what happens after I walk out of that store," she said. "I would try to justify … that they probably didn't hear it … when I watched it, I realized, no, they hear it and they see it and they're okay with it."

 

[indra]

"Even though people seemed to have strong opinions on either side, more than half of the bystanders did or said absolutely nothing. This is a familiar reaction for many Muslims such as Javed. "I was shocked because when these things happen to me in real life … I never see what happens after I walk out of that store," she said. "I would try to justify … that they probably didn't hear it … when I watched it, I realized, no, they hear it and they see it and they're okay with it."

I had the tv on for my aunt when this was on and overheard part of it (I was in another room), but didn't see any of it so I have no idea what the setup looked like and how obvious it was to everyone, but I assume it was made to be very difficult to miss. (I'm too lazy right now to check out the link ) In that circumstance I would have left and not gone back to that store.

However, in a real life situation it's often not going to be as blatant as it is in such a demonstration and I probably in most situations would not notice what was going on with another customer. I've worked in open offices and developed the ability to not hear things not pertaining to me, even when they were going on mere feet away. I do the same thing while waiting in lines (zoning out helps keep the frustration level down ), so chances are, unless it was an exceptionally heated exchange, I wouldn't really notice what was going on.

 

[yolland]

I do think it's unlikely that slurs that blatant would be said to a customer by a sales clerk (let alone the denial of service, which as the article points out is illegal). But if I did see something like that, I'd verbally strongly object to the clerk's behavior, offer to ask for a manager for the offended customer, and consider staying to buy anything only if a manager appeared and addressed the problem. I'd mention to the customer that what happened is illegal too.

While applauding the "clerk" was worse, I'm not surprised that most of the people said or did nothing; that's usually the way it is when someone uses those kinds of slurs publically, whether because they don't care or aren't sure what to do or say or are afraid to get involved or whatever.