Nura Takkish, 22, was sitting with two of her friends at Andrew’s Ice Cream and Dessert in Orange County, California, on Monday, May 23, when they noticed a commotion at the counter.
A customer was being asked to leave for saying “racist and nasty things,” the shop’s baker, Jessie Noah, told The Huffington Post.
In a recording of the incident that went viral on Twitter, Noah can be heard saying, “You can give somebody else your business,” as she returned the man the $3 he spent in the store and escorted him out.
"We don’t want you here,” added the co-owner Cindy Ramsay.
Takkish posted the video of the incident online not only to show how widespread anti-Muslim sentiment has become, but also because she and her friends were proud of the way the employees handled the situation, she said.
Malaak Ammari, 21, who recorded the incident, has experienced bigotry in the past, but said she never felt defended. “People usually just walk away and don’t say anything.” For that reason, she appreciated the actions of the employees.
Many community members shared her sentiments, so the Council on American-Islamic Relations asked residents to come to the shop last Saturday and buy ice cream as a way to show appreciation for how the employees shut down bigotry. Dozens of community members -- both Muslim and non-Muslim showed up -- to stand in solidarity with the shop and raise awareness for how businesses can defend minorities.
Noah hopes such an outpouring of support will become the expectation, rather than the exception. "I would hope anyone would do that for me for the cross I wear around my neck," she said.
This video was edited and shot by Jacob Hurwitz-Goodman, with editing support from Lee Porcella and Megan Robertson.
