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C Moon

(12,221 posts)
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 02:13 AM Feb 2017

There's a young man who works at a convenience store near me.

He's from India, and wears a bright orange turban because he's Muslim. He told me one time that he often has to point out to people customers that he does not support terrorism.
He works 12 hour days, 7 days per week. He's always smiling and laughing; knows the regular customers; chats and jokes around.
He's a VERY uplifting personality.
I asked him last month what his plans were. He said he wanted to go to college and become a police officer. A few months prior, he told me that the police in Los Angeles (that he's met) are very nice and respectful—unlike the police in India where they are mean, lawless and want to be bribed.

Tonight, as I walked into the store, and there was an Hispanic man standing near the door with a dolly and he was in what looked like a long serious conversation with the young man I described above. The Hispanic man was delivering sodas, etc.
I walked by him, grabbed a few items and went to the counter.
The Indian man told to the delivery guy, "He's okay." Because they hushed down when I approached the counter.
I looked at him and asked what was up.
He told me he was very worried about the current events, and that he may be deported or someone may become violent toward him.
It was very sad to hear from such a jovial young man.
As I was leaving, I heard the delivery man say, "You can stay at my house if you need to."
I drove off and went over to get gas across the street 5 minutes later. I looked over and they were still talking in the store.

(sorry for any errors above: embarrassingly, I'm not too familiar with the religions, head wear, etc).

28 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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There's a young man who works at a convenience store near me. (Original Post) C Moon Feb 2017 OP
That is really to bad. Doreen Feb 2017 #1
I'm getting that from immigrants in my area bravenak Feb 2017 #2
Sorry, to hear that, brave.. glad Cha Feb 2017 #14
Some really nice folks own the place and they have great specials bravenak Feb 2017 #19
It sounds like a really Cha Feb 2017 #22
I hope your sister does the Kenai Fjords tour bravenak Feb 2017 #23
Sounds magnificent! I'll ask if their ship goes to the Kenal Fjords. Cha Feb 2017 #24
If he's wearing a turban, 99% probability that he is a Sikh and not Muslim.. HipChick Feb 2017 #3
Okay. Thank you. C Moon Feb 2017 #5
Next time you see him just say safeinOhio Feb 2017 #18
He was probably Sikh. Different religion from Muslim or Hindu in applegrove Feb 2017 #4
Thanks. I'm guessing you're right about Sikh. C Moon Feb 2017 #6
As far as I know, Muslim and Islam are one and the same. No Vested Interest Feb 2017 #13
I believe that Sikh is similar to Hindi Rhiannon12866 Feb 2017 #20
Unfortunately, nocalflea Feb 2017 #25
Make America Ugly Again world wide wally Feb 2017 #7
+1 bluedye33139 Feb 2017 #27
It's awful, I'm getting the same level of concern where I am, it's terrible. NotThisTime Feb 2017 #8
I cant stand stupidity for stupidity's sake . Fear for fears sake. AllaN01Bear Feb 2017 #9
Why do Muslims wear turbines on their head? They look uncomfortable and hot. .... progree Feb 2017 #10
:) I'm glad I got the spelling right. C Moon Feb 2017 #11
A turban is just an enormous piece of cloth. Nothing weird/scary. MADem Feb 2017 #12
In a hot climate, the breeze from a turbine's fan blades is welcome relief. nt JustABozoOnThisBus Feb 2017 #26
Thank you for your OP, C Moon Cha Feb 2017 #15
Thank you Cha. C Moon Feb 2017 #16
And when a 5 yr old's classmates start saying things like... pat_k Feb 2017 #17
It's getting scary out there. I read this hopeful article today in my local paper: Rhiannon12866 Feb 2017 #21
It's Amurika... Freedomofspeech Feb 2017 #28

Doreen

(11,686 posts)
1. That is really to bad.
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 02:29 AM
Feb 2017

I do not know how much it will help him but let him know that there are more of us than not that support him. All of this just makes me sick.

 

bravenak

(34,648 posts)
2. I'm getting that from immigrants in my area
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 02:30 AM
Feb 2017

People may not know but Anchorage has so many different, beautiful cultures. They are comfortable talking to me about it and I get a sense of fear, not only of deportations, but of boycotts. They worry that people will not buy from them (they have gotten comments like that)and are glad to see people like me coming in more, just to check.
I go buy pizza from the shop down the street more since this muslim ban. People can be nasty. And the crazy thing is they get comments about being arabs and muslim and they are Indian.
You would think that in a state like this where we are all pretty much newcomers in some way excepts alaska natives, that folks woukd try to be more respectful and empathetic. We have people from EVERYWHERE.

Cha

(297,685 posts)
14. Sorry, to hear that, brave.. glad
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 04:35 AM
Feb 2017

you are helping to support them. That's so scary when your livelihood is threatened.. and all because we have the demonic, dripping with hate, stupid asshole in the WH.

One thing about Hawaii.. we have so many cultures from all over for centuries that no thinks twice about anyone being different than they are.

I was actually thinking about that today when I was walking down the street.



P.S who owns the Pizza place?

 

bravenak

(34,648 posts)
19. Some really nice folks own the place and they have great specials
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 05:05 AM
Feb 2017

Only five buck for a medium pepperoni! I get three at a time, and it's good food. They're immigrants, and it's a family owned small business. I'm sure we won't have immigration coming around harassing people. It's too hard to get here unless one swims over from russia. Canadians are not going to come here right now...

Cha

(297,685 posts)
22. It sounds like a really
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 05:26 AM
Feb 2017

good deal for a delicious medium pizza.

I still remember how good the pepperoni pizza tasted at College in the dorm, with a big glass of coke.. it's a good thing because I've vegan now and all I have are my memories.

Sounds like you're in an outpost.

I have a friend now who lived next door to me for 4 months.. she's gone back to Skagway now.. but my sister in North Carolina is going on a cruise to Alaska in May, and she's going to look her up because she does Tour Guides.

 

bravenak

(34,648 posts)
23. I hope your sister does the Kenai Fjords tour
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 05:35 AM
Feb 2017

I used to love going out on the tours back in the day to see the glaciers.

Cha

(297,685 posts)
24. Sounds magnificent! I'll ask if their ship goes to the Kenal Fjords.
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 05:49 AM
Feb 2017

This post needs a pic..


Picture shows the Holgate Glacier calving in Aialik Bay in the Kenai Fjords National Park Alaska.

http://www.vanabode.com/travel/kenai-fjords-national-park-alaska.htm

safeinOhio

(32,722 posts)
18. Next time you see him just say
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 05:02 AM
Feb 2017

Sat Shri Akai..sikh greeting that means, all things are possible with God.

applegrove

(118,790 posts)
4. He was probably Sikh. Different religion from Muslim or Hindu in
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 02:39 AM
Feb 2017

India. The Sikhs have been attacked as Muslim in the usa because of their turbans. Good luck to him. They used to not make it into police forces or into the armed forces because their turbans were not allowed in North American forces. But times are a changing. Working behind the cash at a convenience store is not bad people training to become a police officer. Hope it all works out for him.

C Moon

(12,221 posts)
6. Thanks. I'm guessing you're right about Sikh.
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 02:53 AM
Feb 2017

I just recall him telling me he had to tell others he wasn't Islam, so I guessed he was Muslim. :/
I'm not a fan of religion, but I should familiar myself with it.

No Vested Interest

(5,167 posts)
13. As far as I know, Muslim and Islam are one and the same.
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 03:59 AM
Feb 2017

Muslim being a person, Islam being the name of the religion.
Correct me if I'm wrong.

nocalflea

(1,387 posts)
25. Unfortunately,
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 06:27 AM
Feb 2017

2 elderly sikh gentlemen were gunned down one afternoon while taking their daily walk-this was a couple of years ago near Sacramento, CA.The police assume they were mistaken for Muslims because of their turbans.The killers have not been caught.Heartbreaking.
There are a number of Muslim refugee families that live down the street from me.The men do not wear any type of head coverings,the women wear simple scarves. I often see them out walking with their children-I fear for them.

progree

(10,918 posts)
10. Why do Muslims wear turbines on their head? They look uncomfortable and hot. ....
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 03:30 AM
Feb 2017
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061031150600AA0efV3

Why do Muslim men wear turbines on their head?
They look uncomfortable and hot. Not much of a fashion statement either.



===============================================================

Best Answer: They are not turbines. A turbine is the fan blade arrangement in a jet engine that sucks air through it. Anyone sticking their head into a turbine would lose it instantly.

The headgear muslims wear on their heads is called a "turban". This is a better starting point for your question.

Sikh men commonly wear a peaked turban that serves partly to cover their long hair, which is never cut out of respect for God's creation. Devout Sikhs also do not cut their beards, so many Sikh men comb out their facial hair and then twist and tuck it up into their turbans along with the hair from their heads.

Iranian leaders wear black or white turbans wrapped in the flat, circular style. The word turban is thought to have originated among Persians living in the area now known as Iran, who called the headgear a dulband.

Indian men sometimes wear turbans to signify their class, caste, profession or religious affiliation.

The kaffiyeh is not technically a turban. It is really a rectangular piece of cloth, folded diagonally and then draped over the head — not wound like a turban. Yasser Arafat, the now dead ex-Palestinian leader, has made the kaffiyeh famous in recent times.

Desert peoples have long used the turban to keep sand out of their faces. And sometimes, the color of a person's turban can be used to identify his tribal affiliation from a distance across the dunes.

Muslim religious elders often wear a turban wrapped around a cap known in Arabic as a kalansuwa. These caps can be spherical or conical, colorful or solid white, and their styles vary widely from region to region.

Source(s):
From the AEN "How to Get Along in Life Handbook"


MADem

(135,425 posts)
12. A turban is just an enormous piece of cloth. Nothing weird/scary.
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 03:55 AM
Feb 2017

It becomes a "turban" after it is arranged and twisted on the head.

If you wet the turban in the desert and put it on your head it feels like the temperature has gone down 20 degrees.


pat_k

(9,313 posts)
17. And when a 5 yr old's classmates start saying things like...
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 04:56 AM
Feb 2017

... "you should go back to Syria," it is beyond sad.

My oral surgeon is Syrian. I talked to him about how DT's insanity is affecting him. He had to cancel lectures he was giving in Canada and in the states (not flying anywhere). His mother had to cancel a visit to them. He's graduating with a second specialization in periodontics in June and his family won't be able to come. Kids in his 5 year old son's class are saying things like "you should go back to Syria." He said it's sad to have to explain what's going on to a 5 year old. But, all in all, he's taking things in stride (been through/witnessed worse shit).

He did say one thing he finds worrisome is that he's starting to hear people talk in "hushed tones." He said when people start censoring themselves and talking in hushed tones, that's a sign you're in a dictatorship. That's when you really have to worry.

Rhiannon12866

(206,036 posts)
21. It's getting scary out there. I read this hopeful article today in my local paper:
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 05:19 AM
Feb 2017

I was totally unaware that there was a Muslim community around here. I'm thinking I should go, apparently it's a weekly gathering.


Muslims reaching out in local gatherings
http://poststar.com/news/local/muslims-reaching-out-in-local-gatherings/article_78b88502-908c-5a80-98c2-d56c423d121d.html


GLENS FALLS — It only took a few minutes of sharing coffee, sweets like dense chocolate brownies or tiny vanilla cakes, and stories about everyday things like where their children go to school, workouts and husbands who cook dinner or clean the bathroom, for the common discomfort among strangers to disappear.

“When we meet face to face, we find there are more similarities,” said Noah Ahmad Quick of Glens Falls, the director of public affairs for the Albany Chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. “When the conversation is not hidden behind the anonymity of social media, it is less confrontational.”

And finding a common thread is exactly what Quick and other area Muslims were hoping for when they planned their first Glens Falls “Coffee, Cake and True Islam” open dialogue event at Spot Coffee on Glen Street on Tuesday night.

“Some people have never even met a Muslim,” Quick said. “We are saying, ‘I’m a Muslim, ask me a question.’”

Freedomofspeech

(4,228 posts)
28. It's Amurika...
Fri Feb 24, 2017, 09:16 AM
Feb 2017

How very sad for this young man and so many others living in fear everyday. I don't recognize this country anymore. I hate these bastard republicans.

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