We’ve all at some point visited Starbucks only to be christened with a completely different name if it isn’t quite common. However, it wasn’t the same for a Muslim woman who was named as a terrorist outfit.
19-year-old Aishah has claimed that she received a beverage from a Target Starbucks barista with "ISIS" written on the cup instead of her name. The incident took place at one of the retail corporation's Minnesota locations. ISIS stands for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
Aishah told CNN that she “felt singled out for her religious beliefs after seeing "ISIS" on her Starbucks cup.”
Despite being perturbed by the act, she filed a case of discrimination against Target and is being represented by the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN), which filed a charge to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.
"The moment I saw it, I was overwhelmed with a lot of emotions," Aishah said. "I felt belittled and so humiliated. This is a word that shatters the Muslim reputation all over the world. I cannot believe that in this day and age, something like this can be considered acceptable. It isn't okay."
"When she asked for my name, I slowly repeated it multiple times. There is absolutely no way she could have heard it as ISIS. Aishah is not an unknown name and I repeated it multiple times," she added.
She further mentioned that she was also wearing a mask, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The employee however defended stating they hadn’t heard the name correctly. Aishah, who then spoke to the barista’s supervisor asserted that her "concerns were dismissed".
Instead, they gave her a new drink and a $25 Starbucks gift card before being escorted from the premises by security officers.
Target responded to CNN in an email and apologised for the experience. Meanwhile, Starbucks declined to comment on the incident, adding that this Starbucks is located inside a Target, is entirely run and operated by the same.
