I love this story because I’m not sure if anyone wins or loses.
Daniel Jones was recently kicked out of a UK Tesco grocery store for wearing religious apparel (a hood). He refused to take it off.
He said he’d gone to the store to buy something to eat during his lunch-break when staff approached him and ordered him to the checkout where they explained he would have to remove the offending hood or leave the store.
‘They said: “Take it off”, and I said “No, its part of my religion. It’s part of my religious right.” I gave them a Jedi church business card.’
Mr Jones claimed the store manager and staff were ‘unco-operative’ and left him feeling ’emotionally humiliated’ for making fun of his beliefs.
…
“It was discrimination. They were making a joke against me. I was really upset. Nobody should be treated like that.”
So how did the store respond?
By taking his faith just as seriously as anyone else should:
A Tesco spokesperson said: ‘He hasn’t been banned. Jedis are very welcome to shop in our stores although we would ask them to remove their hoods.
‘Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Luke Skywalker all appeared hoodless without ever going over to the Dark Side and we are only aware of the Emperor as one who never removed his hood.
‘If Jedi walk around our stores with their hoods on, they’ll miss lots of special offers.’
Well played, Tesco. Well played.
Though… I wonder what would happen if a woman wearing a burka came into the store. Would they kick her out as well?
If not, then maybe Jones has a case…
(Thanks to Kumaran for the link!)