Muslim woman 'shocked' after Starbucks barista writes 'Isis' on her cup

She said: "When I first received the drink I was in shock that in this day and age something like this could be written"
CAIR-MN

A Muslim woman in the US was left "in shock" after a Starbucks barista wrote "Isis" on her coffee cup.

Aishah, who has only disclosed her first name for safety reasons, ordered a drink at the Starbucks store inside a Target in St Paul, Minnessota last week.

The 19-year-old, who was wearing a hijab, said she had not finished saying her name when she saw the barista writing on her cup. It is standard procedure at the coffee house chain to write customers' names on their order.

But when she got it back it read "Isis", the commonly used acronym for the Islamic State terrorist group.

Aishah, who has only disclosed her first name for safety reasons, ordered a drink at the Starbucks store inside a Target in St Paul, Minnessota last week.
CBS MInnesota

Aishah spoke about the incident during a press conference held at the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) on Monday.

She said: "When I first received the drink I was in shock that in this day and age something like this could be written.

Aishah spoke about the incident during a press conference held at the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations on Monday
CAIR-MN

"I felt humiliated, I felt enraged, I felt belittled."

When Aishah challenged the barista, they claimed that to have not heard her name correctly.

A supervisor then allegedly told her that “mistakes” sometimes happen, adding: "What's the issue? People get their names wrong all the time.

Aishah was given a new drink and a $25 (£20) gift card before she left the store.

She is now calling for the barista and the manager to be fired, as well as see employees going through a rigid vetting process and training in future.

Jaylani Hussein, the executive director of CAIR-MN, added that the group would likely hold protests outside the store if Target did not take action.

Target told Twin Cities that the company was “taking appropriate actions with the team member, including additional training, to ensure this does not occur again.”

The Minneapolis-based retailer added: “At Target, we want everyone who shops with us to feel welcomed, valued and respected and we strictly prohibit discrimination and harassment in any form.

"We are very sorry for this guest’s experience at our store and immediately apologised to her when she made our store leaders aware of the situation.

"We have investigated the matter and believe that it was not a deliberate act but an unfortunate mistake that could have been avoided with a simple clarification.”

The Standard have contacted Starbucks and the St Paul Police Department for comment.

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