(MINNEAPOLIS, MN – July 5,2020) — On Monday, July 6, the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) will hold a news conference condemning an Islamophobic incident targeting a Muslim woman at the St. Paul-Midway Starbucks/Target location and calling for the termination of the employees involved.

WHAT: Press Conference with Muslim Customer and CAIR-MN representative

WHEN: Monday July 6, 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: CAIR-MN Office, 2511 East Franklin, Minneapolis MN 55406

CONTACT: CAIR-MN Executive Director Jaylani Hussein, 612-406-0070, jhussein@cair.com; CAIR-MN Deputy Director Mohamed Ibrahim, mibrahim@cair.com, 612-206-3360

BACKGROUND:

According to the Muslim customer, she and a friend entered Saint Paul – Midway Target Starbucks on the evening of July 1 to order beverages. She reportedly told the employee her first name when asked, but before she finished giving her name, the employee wrote something on a cup and hid the cup from view.

When the Muslim woman received her beverage, she found that the employee had written “ISIS” in capital letters on the cup. [NOTE: ISIS is a commonly-known acronym for a terrorist organization that has received extensive and widespread news media coverage.]

SEE COFFEE CUP: https://www.cair.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/ISISCup-scaled.jpg

After noticing the writing on the cup, she asked the employee why “ISIS” was written on the cup. The employee claimed that she had not heard her name correctly. Later, a supervisor told the Muslim customer that “mistakes” sometimes happen with customers’ names, suggesting that this is not the first incident in which a customer felt targeted or harassed by a Target employee’s conduct when receiving their coffee order.

CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.

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CONTACT: CAIR-MN Executive Director Jaylani Hussein, 612-406-0070, jhussein@cair.com; CAIR-MN Deputy Director Mohamed Ibrahim, mibrahim@cair.com, 612-206-3360; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com