That there is a furor over this incident at all shows that there is no serious problem of genuine anti-Muslim bigotry (as opposed to honest analysis of the motivating ideology of Islamic jihad, which is routinely and falsely characterized as bigotry) in the United States. There is no real “Islamophobia,” so it has to be invented, and we get the shock horror of the “Islamophobic” coffee cup. This fragile snowflake Niquel Johnson cannot be faulted, however, for considering legal action. Given today’s political climate, Starbucks will likely be anxious to avoid any further appearance of “Islamophobia,” and will be ready with a big payout.
Meanwhile, the Islamic victimhood propagandist Haroon Moghul has missed a big opportunity here. Poor little Haroon so cowers in fear of “Islamophobic” coffee servers that his Starbucks name is not Haroon but “Dwayne.” If he had gone with his real name, he might have been able to tap into a victimhood bonanza if it was ever misspelled. On the other hand, ever since I read about the sad plight of “Dwayne,” my Starbucks name has been “Haroon.” Despite the “Islamophobia” that, we are constantly told, stalks our once-tolerant land, I’ve never had any trouble.
“A man in Islamic dress told a Starbucks employee his name was Aziz. She put ‘ISIS’ on the cup.” By Alex Horton and Abigail Hauslohner, Washington Post, August 30, 2019:
In the same city where a Starbucks employee last year called police on black men for sitting quietly, two men in Islamic dress walked into a different Starbucks store for a drink.
Niquel Johnson paid for three drinks in Philadelphia on Sunday, and in typical Starbucks fashion, an employee asked for his name. Johnson, 40, told them “Aziz,” his Islamic name pronounced ah-zeez. He has used it for 25 years – and “countless” times at that particular store.
But three unusual things happened on this occasion, he said. When his order was ready, a staffer announced them by drink type, not his name.
The second unusual part was the employee wrote his name as “ISIS” – the acronym for the Islamic terror group – in the printout attached to all three drinks.
Johnson didn’t even realize it until later, when a friend pointed it out at a bookstore.
“I was shocked and angry. I felt it was discrimination,” Johnson told The Washington Post on Friday.
The third unusual part: Four days later, after the story hit social media and a reporter tweeted about it, Starbucks called Johnson to claim the company had already rectified the situation in conversation with Johnson’s niece – a person Johnson says doesn’t exist…
The episode has further bewildered Johnson, who said he is considering legal action. He expected Starbucks to be more deliberate and careful after the other Philadelphia incident last year.
“I feel like they’re not taking it seriously as it is,” he said. “You think they would have their facts in order. How could they allow anyone to speak for me?”
CogitoErgoSum says
I see a reasonable explanation here. The employee heard the name as “Is Is” but wrote it without the space in between. It’s just a matter of the person not knowing how to spell Aziz. Would he get upset if he got an order for John if his name were Jon? Who cares? He still got his order. Next time he should spell out his name.
gravenimage says
Yep.
NameGame says
In my experience, the person behind the counter asking for your name has no conscious goal to get it spelled right, even if you do spell it for them. I’ve learned to live with it: Gina, Gena, Jenna, Jeana, Jeanna, Geena, Jina, Jinna, and other imaginative variations that haven’t even occurred to me. Want it spelled right on your order, Aziz? Have them spell it back to you, but don’t be surprised if they still don’t get it right. Live with it. Cogito was right: at least you (and I) got the order.
J D S says
Jesus Muslim isn’t he… nut said!
J D S says
Let me try this again….
He’s a muslim isn’t he….NUF SAID!
Jim says
Nobody uses common sense any more. If this Aziz is too stupid to realize that his birth name is too close to ISIS in it’s pronounciation, then he deserves the consequence. I hope the judge throws out any suit filing as frivolus. Perhaps changing his name to a good American name like, “Bob.”
I don’t know any Bobs that are running around beheading people or burning babies like ISIS has been doing.
somehistory says
No ‘let it pass as human error”…when he can reap big bucks from Star bucks.
We only have his word for this that he actually said ahh zeez and not isis. Why not say “Johnson” and then they would have less trouble understanding him. Johnson is a long time American name with a large population of Johnsons in the country.
If he owned a coffee shop and misspelled a non moslim name, he would be claiming the offended one was just anti-moslim if that one complained.
No Muzzies Here says
Seeing that this is Starbucks, I say to the man, go ahead and sue. Starbucks will go on national TV to give a groveling apology and give you millions and allow Muslims to go into any store for free coffee. Do it. It will be a fitting tribute to the rampaging insanity that is taking over the country.
Isis was an Egyptian god. He should be honored. The terror group was Islamic State, not ISIS.
FYI says
isis was also the name of the dog on Downtown Abbey but it had to be killed off..perhaps in case people might confuse a lovely dog with isis the terror group…
FYI says
Full name?
Was it…Aziz Azwas?
mortimer says
Johnson should be used to his last name. Many people one say he is being one.
Rarely says
Now THAT’S something to get really enraged over. FIRE THE CLERK. Organize street protests. Boycott Starbucks!!! Where are the suicide bombers when they’re needed??? $1 million minimum AND lifetime coffee.
OR
Grow up and get a life.
Rarely says
And these idiots want “respect”? No. They DEMAND it.
Suggestion: Join the human race and start EARNING it.
James Lincoln says
There’s a chance that this was a set up.
Remember the clock boy?
mortimer says
Agree with JL. Clock Boy’s family went to town on the victimology. They couldn’t take the heat they received after intentionally creating the stir and finally left the USA (good riddance).
Johnson will now find himself a similar pariah wherever he goes.
Cf. Quote from Wiki: On November 23, 2015, Ahmed’s family threatened to sue the City of Irving and the school district for civil rights violations and physical and mental anguish unless they received written apologies and compensation of $15 million.[5][6] This lawsuit was dismissed in May 2017 for lack of evidence.[7] The family also sued conservative talk show hosts Glenn Beck, Ben Shapiro, and another Fox News commentator for lesser amounts on the grounds of defamation of character. Both cases were dismissed with prejudice for First Amendment free speech reasons.[8] In late 2015, his family decided to accept a scholarship from the Qatar Foundation and move to Qatar, partially because of unsupported accusations of terrorist links and continued harassment by conspiracy theorists.
Anonymous says
Isis is the name of my very blond and lively niece and also the name of an immense goddess in ancient Egypt. Many reasons to be proud of the name Isis. But a Muslim is never happy, even with the name Isis. Ancient Egypt is not good enough for a Muslim. Here is a beautiful representation of Isis https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isis
Infidel says
Good job, Niquel, for first embracing Islam, and then going w/ an Arabic name. Unfortunately, not many people in this country are familiar w/ those great names that you’ve gone w/, so they end up misspelling the name. And when they misspell it in a way that’s embarassing, they are the ones at fault?
Had you told her your name was Niquel, you wouldn’t have gone thru this grief.
P.S. Few Americans are familiar w/ the Egyptian goddess: most would know ISIS as the Islamic State.
Liz says
Agreed, he should have just given his first name, then he only would have been confused with cold medicine.
CRUSADER says
Well, I’m sure there’d be consternation if some particular name got misspelled
as Richard instead of Robert… just sayin’….
Next time I’m at a Stahbux
I’ll ask for double ice in a cold latte….
“Ice Ice, baby!”
jewdog says
Unfortunately, I don’t think that the person writing his name was being deliberate. I they were, then I would reconsider my boycott of Starbucks, whose founder, Howard Schultz, is a big proponent of hiring Syrian migrants. The current CEO is Kevin Johnson, but you can call him ISIS.
gravenimage says
But three unusual things happened on this occasion, he said. When his order was ready, a staffer announced them by drink type, not his name.
The second unusual part was the employee wrote his name as “ISIS” – the acronym for the Islamic terror group – in the printout attached to all three drinks.
…………………….
What idiocy. I have been to many Starbucks, and sometimes drinks that are ready are announced by customer name–Bob, Randy, Jane, Aziz–or by type, Venti Iced Mocha Frappachino with whip, tall regular coffee with room, etc. Just depends on the Barista. Sometimes both are used, especially if a lot of people are ordering the same thing–as, for instance, on the first day when Pumpkin Spice Lattes return. There is nothing unusual about this.
Then, if everyone were to sue who had a Barista misspell their name, few would ever get to drink coffee. My (real) name is a fairly common one, but also long and hard for some to spell. I have had this spelled and pronounced in myriad different ways, even as a guy’s name, and have even had employees ask me for a nickname to use instead. I have never been offended by any of this.
Why would I be? I go to Starbucks to drink coffee, read, work on my artwork, and sometimes to meet friends. I have occasionally run into curt employees, but never one who has been really rude. They generally do a good job, sometimes under busy or trying circumstances. There is no reason why the average Barista in the US should be familiar with the name Aziz, and even less to think they were deliberately offending a customer.
This is just more “Lawfare” and fake victimization.
R Russell says
Was he not named after the goddess Isis? Or was his pronunciation so poor it sounded like ISIS. I can imagine the Starbucks employee was filled with fear when she heard, ‘ISIS’ that she chose not tp clarify.
Carolyne says
Hey, Isis, Azeez, Johnson —- nobody cares. I hope that soon the days of kowtowing to this ridiculous cult will soon be over. It was over with me long ago.
Angemon says
I expect Starbucks to make another mandatory diversity training, like when those two black guys started a fuss and cried racism last year.