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UK supermarket chain apologizes after Muslim checkout worker refused to sell customer ham and wine because it was Ramadan

Jul 17, 2014 1:52 pm By Robert Spencer

Tesco“When Miss Cottle, 43, from Neasden, north-west London, complained to the manager, he backed the worker’s right to refuse to serve her because it was the holy month of Ramadan and he was fasting.” Tesco later apologized to Miss Cottle and said that the Muslim checkout worker had been “spoken to,” but didn’t disclose what was said to him. Did they tell him that he had to serve everyone or find another job, and to stop demanding that Tesco customers submit to Islamic sensitivities? That is extremely doubtful. In Britain today, everyone knows that Muslim demands must always and everywhere be accommodated. It is remarkable that Miss Cottle even got an apology.

“Tesco apologises after Muslim checkout worker refused to sell customer ham and wine because it was Ramadan,” by Nick Fagge, Daily Mail, July 16, 2014 (thanks to Mick):

A Muslim cashier at a Tesco store refused to serve a customer buying ham and wine because he said it was Ramadan.

The till operator told Julie Cottle he would not touch the items as they are considered forbidden by Islam and said she should use the self- service tills instead.

When Miss Cottle, 43, from Neasden, north-west London, complained to the manager, he backed the worker’s right to refuse to serve her because it was the holy month of Ramadan and he was fasting.

But Tesco has now apologised for Monday’s incident and said the worker had been ‘spoken to’.

Miss Cottle said her treatment left her furious. ‘He pointed at the ham and wine in my basket and said “I can’t serve you that because I’m fasting”,’ she said.

‘When I told him he should be serving customers not turning them away he still refused, telling me to go to the self-service.

‘I know he has his beliefs – I’m a Christian myself – but he should be able to do his job properly. I’m disgusted. If he is refusing to do his job he shouldn’t be there.’

During Ramadan Muslims go without food and drink between dawn and dusk. The devout also refrain from smoking, swearing, arguing, listening to music and having sex to demonstrate their faith.

Following the yearly ritual is considered as one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Miss Cottle, a mother of three, said she went to a Tesco Express to get two packets of ham for her children’s lunches. She also had three bottles of white wine among her shopping.

‘There was an Asian man at the till,’ she said. ‘He said he couldn’t serve me because he was fasting for Ramadan. He told me I had to use the self-service.

‘I started shouting and he went to the back of the shop. I asked to see the manager. He was a temporary manager and he said I had to use the self-service.

‘I was furious so when I got home I rang Tesco customer service to complain.

‘All they said was “that does not sound right but if it is ok with the manager that’s ok”.’

Tesco has since apologised to Miss Cottle over the incident and a spokesman said the worker had been spoken to.

‘We’re here to serve our customers the products they choose to buy,’ he said. ‘We don’t have a specific policy and take a pragmatic approach if a colleague raises concerns about a job they have been asked to do.

‘We apologise to our customer for any inconvenience on this occasion.’

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Filed Under: dhimmitude, Sharia, United Kingdom, Useful idiots Tagged With: featured


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Comments

  1. Dora Kay says

    Jul 17, 2014 at 2:07 pm

    Good reason not to hire Muslims! They can’t do the job they were hired for.

    • Reality Check says

      Jul 17, 2014 at 2:35 pm

      Not only do you have to deal with their religious sensibilities all the time, they are doing a shoddy job out of anything.

      I have never seen a Muslim make a thorough job out of anything. Never hire Muslims if you have a business and want to build a reputation for high quality.

      • Beagle says

        Jul 17, 2014 at 4:43 pm

        Islamic work in butt bomb technology is unparalleled in human history.

        • PRCS says

          Jul 17, 2014 at 7:29 pm

          That would be funnier if it wasn’t an actual threat.

    • BC says

      Jul 18, 2014 at 9:17 am

      This is probably the reason why a large proportion of Muslims in UK, much larger than the perecntage of the ‘native’ population, are living on benefits.
      They are also proprtionately more likely to be collecting disabilty as well. They make so many demands that they are not favoured for employment. The rest are probably too lazy and prefer to live off the despised kaffur tax payer.

  2. Agniel says

    Jul 17, 2014 at 2:11 pm

    Why don’t I ever hear of people suing Muslims back for things like this? This lady should sue on the grounds of religious discrimination.

  3. Mirren10 says

    Jul 17, 2014 at 2:24 pm

    Well, thank goodness this Miss Cottle had the balls to complain in the first place, even though she got such a limp wristed response from Tesco’s. He should have been fired. Too many multiculti PC/MC morons in this country would have meekly trotted off to the self-service tills.

    My local Sainsbury’s has nauseating signs up proclaiming ‘Ramadan Mubarak’. I asked to see the manager, and asked why they don’t also display similar signs for Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Chinese, Japanese, Buddhist etc etc holidays.

    His reply was, that my comments were ‘unhelpful’ ! After a bit more argy-bargy, I told him he was being **racist** if he didn’t think all the other ethnic/religious holidays were equally worthy of recognition, upon which he turned a bright pink and said he would ‘convey your sentiments to head office’. (I do love to employ their stupid dhimmi arguments against them. ) 🙂

    Then I finished my shopping, including a pork roast, bacon, ham, and two nice bottles of Barolo, and went in search of a mohammedan cashier, with the intention of creating an almighty stink if he/she refused to serve me.

    However, the hijabette on the till didn’t bat an eyelid, and put my purchases through. (Perhaps she saw the steely look in my eye, and decided discretion was the better part of valour ?) 🙂

    But it just goes to show that all this nonsense about refusing to handle alcohol or bacon, on the part of mohammedans, is very hit and miss, and probably depends very much on what they think they can get away with.

    I sent an email to Tesco’s, saying the response to Miss Cottle was appalling, the cashier should have been **fired**, for refusing to do the job he was paid to do.

    • Kenny says

      Jul 17, 2014 at 3:35 pm

      Mirren 10,

      You are quality! Your approach was perfect and just the kind of thing I also do.

      More like you and England may yet be saved!

    • pumbar says

      Jul 17, 2014 at 9:17 pm

      Good on you Jan. Give ’em what for!

    • Joycey says

      Jul 18, 2014 at 2:43 am

      if Tesco had fired him, no doubt there would an Islamic bombing campaign against Tesco stores.

    • gungadin says

      Jul 18, 2014 at 6:40 am

      I commend you for you actions !!! CONGRATS !!

      More people like you should have their voices heard –long and loudly !!!

      I am enraged by the actions of the PC crowds and can’t abide by the idea that people here in the states, bend over backwards for their demands…..I feel badly for my kids and grandkids if there isn’t a 180 degree turnaround….AND SOON

    • Aardvark says

      Jul 18, 2014 at 10:44 am

      Well done, Mirren!

      Myself, I avoid the mohammedan cashiers. I can’t help thinking that she considers her own left hand to be too dirty to touch her own food, but happily handles mine with it.

    • Oliver says

      Jul 18, 2014 at 6:09 pm

      In the US, back in the old days (1960’s and 1970’s), protesting people (usually teens through early 20’s) would go into a supermarket; take a cart, and in the bottom, load it with items such as fruits , vegetables, ice cream and sherbet; sometimes other frozen items.

      Then, on top, stack with canned goods and (usually only 6 packs then, occasionally 12 packs) if over drinking age beer; and more canned goods; load the cart to almost overflowing; go on a checkout line, and leave. If someone behind, tell them something like- be back in a moment, need one more item; then disappear.

      Done a few times, stores USUALLY got the message. Perhaps should be done in UK.

      I have never seen a Muslim checkout person at any of the stores I go to. (I also don’t buy pork products-but do buy beer).

      Anyhow, possible thought for the UK (and US) stores that cater to0 the camel humpers.

      My view

  4. Bradamante says

    Jul 17, 2014 at 2:40 pm

    The article says there was an Asian at the till. A Chinese man, perhaps?

    If Islam is so great, why does the UK press have to employ a euphemism for Muslims?

  5. tpellow says

    Jul 17, 2014 at 2:57 pm

    Such is the extent of the Islamization of U.K that it is now deemed to be the non-Muslim customer’s fault for wanting to buy ham and wine, not the Muslim supermarket’ assistant or the supermarket owners’ fault for refusing that the customer is served these goods by a Muslim.

    Suggested advice to British shoppers:
    if you don’t want to be embarrassed and subservient to Islam, don’t shop at Tesco.

  6. Charli Main says

    Jul 17, 2014 at 2:59 pm

    Heard the one about the Hindu that refused to put beef products through the till because of his religious sensibilities about the sacred cow ???
    No, neither have I ——–
    xxxxxxx Muslims again, trying to shove their religion and culture down every one else´s throat.

    • Kenny says

      Jul 17, 2014 at 3:38 pm

      Rather than they shove it down our throats, why don’t they shove it up their a***s!

  7. memridotorg says

    Jul 17, 2014 at 5:37 pm

    my religion prohibits me from serving any customers while at work being paid. my religion requires that I sit on a comfortable chair and watch cable tv. Scholars have debated whether premium channels should be considered part of basic cable for regular watching or should be limited to our holy days.

  8. cranky.white.woman says

    Jul 17, 2014 at 5:54 pm

    Um, correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t the wine in a sealed bottle and the ham wrapped up in paper or plastic? He didn’t have to touch the alcohol or pork directly because it’s in packaging. Sheesh!

    • PRCS says

      Jul 17, 2014 at 8:09 pm

      It doesn’t matter, cranky.

      The issue to them is that stocking, selling and bagging such items constitutes enabling sin.

      That’s one excuse; and I’m sure there are more.

      It’s the store’s responsibility to explain to job applicants what the position entails and to ask if there is any reason they would be unable to do the work, and that management needs to be informed if future circumstances make the employee’s ability to comply difficult or impossible (medical condition, new found religious beliefs, etc.).

      This isn’t the first time this issue has come up, and I think it was the same chain that most recently had to deal with it.

      I have to wonder why they keep getting caught off guard.

  9. Mirren10 says

    Jul 17, 2014 at 6:04 pm

    ”He didn’t have to touch the alcohol or pork directly because it’s in packaging. Sheesh !”

    Precisely. This kind of crap has **nothing** to do with religious sensibilities, and **everything** to do with Islamic supremacism.

    As someone above noted, there are many mohammedan corner shops and off-licences, and they make no bones whatsoever about selling you alcohol or bacon.

    • gravenimage says

      Jul 17, 2014 at 6:30 pm

      Mirren wrote:

      As someone above noted, there are many mohammedan corner shops and off-licences, and they make no bones whatsoever about selling you alcohol or bacon.
      …………………………..

      This is very true, Mirren. For some reason, Yemeni Muslims have taken over most corner liquor stores here in Oakland over the past twenty years or so.

      You can walk in any one of them and buy a six-pack of beer or a bottle of inexpensive wine or alcohol—as well as Slim-Jims (a popular brand of pork-product snacks), pork rinds, or pre-made ham sandwiches.

      The only time the issue ever came up was when thuggish members of Your Black Muslim Bakery smashed up a couple of liquor stores and threatened the owners for being Muslims selling alcohol.

      That was, of course, before Your Black Muslim Bakery members were prosecuted for pedophilia, kidnapping, torture, and assassination—you know, all the Muslim virtues…

      After that, they rather lost credibility—with Infidels, at least.

      But your point is well taken—Muslims only take a “moral” stand when they aren’t the ones who are going to losing money and customers…

  10. gravenimage says

    Jul 17, 2014 at 6:10 pm

    UK supermarket chain apologizes after Muslim checkout worker refused to sell customer ham and wine because it was Ramadan
    ………………………………….

    I was going to snarkily ask whether the supermarket apologized to the customer or to the Mohammedan who refused to serve the customer—then find out in a “you can;t make this sh*t up” moment that they *really did* apologize to the supremacist Muslim first. *Ugh*.

    More:

    Miss Cottle said her treatment left her furious. ‘He pointed at the ham and wine in my basket and said “I can’t serve you that because I’m fasting”,’ she said.
    ………………………………….

    What absolute crap. It not as though this lady was trying to force feed him ham and wine—she just wanted her purchases rung up.

    This is just Muslim supremacism—that if Muslims are fasting, then it must inconvenience Infidels, as well.

    And this is in *an infidel nation* with a still relatively small Muslim population. Where there are more Muslims, they are apt to bomb restaurants and markets that are open during daylight hours, and in much of Dar-al-Islam itself Infidels can be fined, arrested, or imprisoned for daring not to observe Shari’ah norms.

    “India: Muslims bomb food plaza to stop Hindus from eating during Ramadan”

    http://www.jihadwatch.org/2014/07/india-muslims-bomb-food-plaza-to-stop-hindus-from-eating-during-ramadan

  11. mark says

    Jul 17, 2014 at 6:52 pm

    Firing the Muslim would be unacceptable to the politically correct elite who run the country. Since we did not stand up to Muslim extremism from the get-go, now it is no longer acceptable to do so. In a sane world, this man would be fired in the same minute that he refused to serve the customer.

  12. joeb says

    Jul 17, 2014 at 6:59 pm

    This supermarket is only a couple of miles from the Muslim Brotherhood HQ at 113 Cricklewood Broadway, NW London. There is another demo outside it this Saturday (the MB HQ).

  13. Angemon says

    Jul 17, 2014 at 8:21 pm

    “‘I know he has his beliefs – I’m a Christian myself – but he should be able to do his job properly. I’m disgusted. If he is refusing to do his job he shouldn’t be there.’”

    And that, ladies and gentlemen, it’s a textbook example of that ever-rarer quality called “common sense”. It was not a “religious” issue but a political one – he meant to show the filthy kuffar who’s in charge. That’s further proved by the reasons he gave not to serve her:

    “A Muslim cashier at a Tesco store refused to serve a customer buying ham and wine because he said it was Ramadan.

    The till operator told Julie Cottle he would not touch the items as they are considered forbidden by Islam”

    He couldn’t make up his mind whether he was refusing to serve her because pork and alcohol are haram or because it was ramadan. This raises a couple of questions: has the employee ever refused to handle pork and/or alcohol? Did he handled any other foods after the start of ramadan?

    “The devout also refrain from smoking, swearing, arguing, listening to music and having sex to demonstrate their faith.”

    So he argued with the woman to avoid serving her because it was ramadan when he shouldn’t be arguing with anyone because it was ramadan? Also, several, if not all, of those restrictions are only valid from dawn to dusk, not from dusk to dawn. Sloppy news reporting.

    • Jay Boo says

      Jul 18, 2014 at 12:45 am

      “, it’s a textbook example of that ever-rarer quality called “common sense”. It was not a “religious” issue but a political one – he meant to show the filthy kuffar who’s in charge. ”
      ———-

      Reminds me of an Andy Griffith episode but Islam style.
      This dogma deputy starts Barney Fifing all the customers with rules and Sherriff Taylor finally steps in to provide a voice of sanity.

  14. Elliott says

    Jul 18, 2014 at 1:49 am

    Tuesday 15th July, 2014 was a “Fast Day”, in the Jewish calendar.
    Can the Guardian or Independent (or Mr. Robert F#@k himself) locate a Jewish employee of a supermarket who refused to serve a customer because he was fasting?????
    For clarification regarding the letters in the name of the guy I’m referring to: “#” = ‘i’; “@” = ‘s’. But for those of you who thought otherwise, it’s an interesting comparison.

  15. xyz says

    Jul 18, 2014 at 8:18 am

    Is he allowed to build bombs or kill jews n christians in ramadan???
    any which way if u cant serve me get another job damn it

  16. RG says

    Jul 18, 2014 at 9:05 am

    Muslims only understand two things coming from the “infidels” – BULLETS AND BOYCOTTS!

    Well, they also understand Beheadings, Beastiality, inBreeding, and Bloody murder, BUT THOSE THINGS ARE OFF-LIMITS TO CIVILIZED PEOPLE – you know, the ones with half a Brain!

    Unfortunately for us, we can’t do that. The truth is, if the civilized world treated muslims in the same way that they treat their so-called “enemies” – we could wipe out Islam overnight!

  17. John Hartley says

    Jul 18, 2014 at 11:22 am

    He was obviously one of the five pillocks of Islam – but there are a hell of a lot more than five of them!

  18. marky says

    Jul 18, 2014 at 5:53 pm

    Most of you probably allready know, but just in case…

    Ramadamn (my preferred spelling), is another example of muslims trying to make out how holy they are by saying they fast.

    However its not a time of fasting as they merely switch from eating in the day time to eating at night.

    Further… its actually a time of food orgy since they buy far more food than normal and more expensive food than normal.

    Also during this time period, which is yet another pre islamic pagan custom by the way (and they know it whilst claiming otherwise), crime rates increase, especially ones of violence, as does worldwide muslim obeisity rates.

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