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."
“A Muslim store worker at Marks & Spencer refused to serve a customer buying a children’s book on biblical stories because she said it was “unclean”.”
If that manager/owner has any sense, he/she should fire the unclean employee.
I think Mark Steyn once observed that people calling for Islam to reform itself don’t realize that this IS the reformation. Reform makes it more radical, not less.
Realizing that this is England, of course, but similar things are happening in this country. We very badly need to stop bending over backwards to please these people. Special foot baths for them. Commodes re-oriented so as not to face Mecca. Discontinuing the serving of Jell-O in school lunchrooms because the gelatin contained therein might have been made from the hooves of swine. Let’s get real here, people!
M&S is huge chain, like Macy’s or Penney’s, which in my opinion makes this even worse.
I’d proceed to drop a nice, steamy deuce in the store and explain to the Mooslimb how it is unclean.
That’s nothing. Last year there was a muslim “bobby” who refused to guard the Israeli embassy so he got “redeployed”.
Muslims are intolerant of the kufir in their midst. They are in the West for missionary work, not to engage in “cultural exchange” or to learn tolerance for diverse peoples.
Very easy to solve—quit selling the unclean books. We must make the Muslims, um, happy is not quite the word I’m looking for.
That islam is even capable of reformation is just more of that idiot moral equivalence crap.
Islam is practiced by those we call radicals as proper islam is written to be practiced.
It is political/social/legal ideology wrapped up in the guise of a religion as a tool of empire. Always has been. Always will be.
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.
Spare me. The single most important Bible story puts the lie to the Koran. The Koran was either a fraud or it was someone other than Gabriel talking to Mohammed in the cave.
Marks and Sparks and Muslims, oh my!
Let’s play “Who’s the bigger idiot?”
1.) The idiot employee who claimed that a book of Bible stories was “unclean.”
2.) The idiotic nation that allowed such an idiot, and millions of her fellow idiots, to settle there.
I’ll take choice #2, Alex.
Interesting point. Reform in the Christian church took us back in the direction of scripture. Reform in the Muslim church also took it back to its scripture. But because of their respective sources of their scripture, one religion became better. One became evil.
But of course many FReepers want to prohibit pharmacies from firing pharmacists who refuse to sell certain products due to their religious beliefs. See a little hypocrisy here?
You jest, give it time and your jest will not be such.
Speak as you find
I have read certain of the Koran. Yes, I am full of outrage at what is happening in England. The one thing that should be stated is that the young woman may have had a tiff with her beloved. My liberal spouse forbids me to use an old English explanation for a recalcitrant female. That being..... oh, perish the thought.
Tentatively and aware of heavy flack, this runs counter to the actual references to Jesus in the Koran. Again, using a now dead and defunct method of reprimand, the young woman should be given "a jolly good talking to". Next time shown the door. She is applying her own silly addle headed judgement.
Oh brother ....
One is just words.
The other results in the death of a child.
I think there’s a bit of difference, don’t you?
No book ever killed anyone.
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