Maybe she was on meds. But either way, this presidential campaign has heightened tensions everywhere.

Please note that I am generalizing, and this by no means applies to everyone.

Non-whites pick up on cues that they would ordinarily dismiss and have become more sensitive.

Whites are more willing to self-scrutinize (am I really racist?) and their answer is usually a blanketed NO.

Few are willing to engage one another and talk about race issues (which is why I so enjoy The Root-- because of the willingness of all races to interact here. I think there is a real desire on the part of some people to fulfill the quest of "Can't we all just get along?").

Case in point: I read on an Anti-Obama- we-love-love-Hillary-and-think-the-DNC-screwed-us blog one person's (a former journalist)  rant about being considered a racist because he doesn't support Obama. He then proceeded to write about how it's the issues, blah, blah, blah. But then he went on to say that within his former organization, the "new black journalists" were all about the liberation theology and angry, and how much it scared him. SCARED HIM.

Not racist? He couldn't see it though.

People are not willing to read and understand. They base their actions solely on what they pick up along the way.

You probably did the right thing by staying out of it, but I can sure see the temptation to butt in and ask, "So, what did he do that you think is racist?" Poor guy probably had no idea that he might have been offensive. And that comes from a lack of knowledge about other cultures.

Wow.  It seems to me that if you have never encountered an issue in the establishment and others you interact with have no complaints that is a good place to start in terms of deciding what to do.  You say the Flying Saucer is in a Muslim neighborhood.  Have you ever seen other Muslims patronize the establishment?

It seems this woman might have had an issue in general or might have been looking to get offended for some reason.  I think many people of color  have been in a position of feeling a sting from the dismissive-ness of a racism that we cannot prove.  In those instances I always wonder if what I'm intuiting is real or if I am being over the top based on other issues in my day or history.  It's a hard situation all the way around.  Maybe the hipster could have enquired what his offense was perceived to be, but her actions definitely put him on the defensive.  

You were better off for not getting involved.

First, road rage and now, counter rage! Suppose Counter Guy was a "covert racist". Even so, the woman should have controlled her temper, especially because she is a Muslim. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "The strong person is not one who knocks out his adversary; the strong person is one who keeps control over his temper." In the Qur'an, God says, "Show no insolence in your behaviour, and lower your voice. Verily, the harshest of all voices is the braying of a donkey." The Prophet (PBUH) also said, "The person who refuses to give his tongue the opportunity to attack the honour of another person will receive, on the Day of Resurrection,  God's forgiveness for his failings." If we have a problem in our social relations with another person, we should try through good actions to gain the other person's respect. Otherwise, we should avoid that person. In a busy neighbourhood, why would someone repeatedly patronize an establishment where he or she felt unwelcome when there are other places where he or she could go?

a well ritten article. it seems that your eye is a camera that leaves nothing without picturing it.the woman  carries two weights,,200 pounds and her identity. the two make it dificult for her to move.and it appears that she will not read your heavy article. if she does,may be she,ll think twice i irder to get rid of one of her weights; which is so absurd.

thanks.

Had I been bamboozled?  While I was enjoying Ian and his crew's hospitality, they were mistreating Muslim patrons?

If the situation was reversed do you think most Muslims in America would be even a tad bit concerned that a Black person was being discriminated against? I don't know why Black Americans often feel we need to take on everyone's else's problems re: race issues, like we're some kind racism avengers.

If that had been me in the cafe I would have simply reminded myself of the TWO times when Middle Eastern cab drivers locked their doors when I ran to their cab (me: a middle class Black woman, both times wearing a suit on my way home from work). Then I would have turned my back to this woman's rantings, and continued sipping my latte.

I am not sure what you could have done since whatever gesture Counter Guy used was not obvious to you.

Perhaps you should do some observational work the next time you go to the Flying Saucer.  Does it appear to be a place where Muslims feel that their hard earned dollars should be spent?  If it doesn't appear that way that might be a clue that the Muslim woman was justified.

BluTopaz... this particular Muslim woman was African-American.

Msladydeborah... Interesting question.  Truth is, I've seen several Muslims frequent the Flying Saucer.  It's one of the most diverse urban cafes in downtown Brooklyn [besides The Outpost in Clinton Hill].  However, the Muslims on that stretch of Atlantic Avenue have so many other "Muslim-operated" options for food, conversation and shopping I don't think the semi-hipster Flying Saucer is a priority on their coffee runs.

Muslims are totally intolerant of other religions with int their countries. Did you see 60 mins. last night? did you know that there are currently two christians being held in Algeria for attempting to spread Christianity and for praying outside of the church? Muslims are going to cause WWIII with their intolerance of others. the fact that one of them would complain that a barista didn't smile at them is a joke. The  Al Farooq Mosque which has been linked to the first attack on the WTC and about 20 million us $ going to Al Queda is right there on atlantic ave. There are shops there that sell tapes of saudi hate mongers etc. and they complain about not be served in a friendly way at a coffee shop? Unreal.

TripleJJJ, you sound like a hate mongerer yourself.

I loved this article, and I definately wouldn't have been able to prevent myself from asking what the offensive gesture was. Since another person was asking the lady may have been taken aback that others didnt find it offensive and realized that perhaps the meaning she put on it was different from the counterboy's meaning (if there was one). After that bit of cultural education perhaps there would have been a little less of a scene. Allison E., not all whites are going to automatically say that they haven't been racist. I, for example, am most likely to say "oh, ok i never realized that comment/gesture/phrase could be taken that way. Thank you for letting me know." please dont lable all of us as bad!

KEITH JOSEF ADKINS I need you to read this link...

http://mensnewsdaily.com/2008/06/29/112-billion-what-divorce-and-illegitimacy-costs-the-taxpayer/

excerpt: " The use of misdirected anger about father-absence as a an emotional cover to push federal policies funding more divorce and illegitimacy, at the direct expense of marriage, must never be permitted again."

I did a lot of typing on your Demonizing Black Men: It's a Fetish. Stop it! Article. Along the lines of what I was defending I need you to read the following article on the DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF FATHERS VIA BLACK WOMEN W/ THE PRODDING/SUPPORT OF THE STATE/FED.  There's a reason black men keep catching the blame for single-parent households, its diversionary and easy. its also the reason Obama has lost my vote for failure to know the issue before blasting black fathers on Father's Day.

BluTopaz: "If that had been me in the cafe I would have simply reminded myself of the TWO times when Middle Eastern cab drivers locked their doors when I ran to their cab (me: a middle class Black woman, both times wearing a suit on my way home from work). Then I would have turned my back to this woman's rantings, and continued sipping my latte."

I'm voting for unhinged here. But also:

"If that had been [white] me in the cafe [where a middle class Black woman was making claims of discrimination] I would have simply reminded myself of the TWO times when [Black people did something upsetting to me]. Then I would have turned back [vindicated in my inaction by the past actions of some past acts committed by some completely different people who are of the same racial or ethnic or religious group]"

If there really was some sort of nasty systematic anti-Black prejudice going on at my favourite cafe would the above be a satisfactory reason for ignoring it?

robbomc: If there really was some sort of nasty systematic anti-Black prejudice going on at my favourite cafe would the above be a satisfactory reason for ignoring it?

If you had ignored it out of bitterness of what two Black people have done to you, you would only be human.

And no offense, but as a White person you do not have the same racial fatigue as many Black people carry around on a daily  basis. There is NOTHING like being discriminated against by newly arrived immigrants in the country your ancestors were forced to help build.

Keith: BluTopaz... this particular Muslim woman was African-American.

So that explains the "punk" taunt-lol

If the hipster made an anti-Muslim comment/gesture  I guess it's a new day when religion trumps race-or maybe he just simply doesn't like loud, fat chicks...

Allison E gets it right. We have very little knowledge regarding other cultures.

As an example. We as americans commonly relax by placing one leg over the other

while we sit. This exposes the bottom of our shoes. To us, no big deal. To someone

raised in the middle east, A major insult. Espically if the bottom of your shoe is

aimed directly at them. I never knew that until I got a crash course from a close

friend. Same goes for other countries. When doing business in Japan, you NEVER

give or accept anything with only one hand. Using both hands signifies the importance

of the transaction and total commitment. Something the average american wouldn't

waste a second thinking about, unless they were told.

Being a woman we find ourselves receiving a lack of respect and over weight people feel it too AND being a Muslim shrouded woman is the cheery on the cake. I believe she was right about his treatment but her delivery was awful!....like you i also find her choice of words "punk" very interesting. Maybe she was in her Sunday attire (like one would be wearing after attending their chapel).

I love being the fly on the wall too, it happens to me as well in my cafe i go to. I wish you a better time in your cafe nook next time round. :)

It likely had nothing to do with her muslim hertitage and everything to do with the major attitude she seems to have - they were probably tired of listening to her complain about everything all the time & she took it as a "muslim" problem instead of a "personal" problem.

It seems others' and some Americans are contantly looking for some reason to either hollow sexual, religious or racial abuse. If, I show the bottom of my shoe or hand someone anything with one hand, and they are offended, to bad. This is America and not some other( run of the mill country). If you move to China, Viet Nam, Japan,etc., you better learn to like fish and rice. If, you live in the Middle East, don't order pork. This is America, and it's far from perfect, but the whole world wants to come here. I suggest whites and blacks wakeup, as we're slowly losing our culture, way of life and freedom to these interlopers. Arm yourselves, America. It's coming...

PingBack from http://talkislam.info/2008/07/15/a-muslim-woman-attacks/

PingBack from http://marriage.frenzyness.com/2008/07/15/a-muslim-woman-attacks/

As I understood that place is like every other coffy place in the world which do visit male and female... sorry for the women, but if she is indeed a muslim as she shoul'd be by the Holy Book, she would not even appear at places like that... You might not understand this, but in Islam pure as it is, as it was brought to us from our Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) a women is compare to a pearl, a diamond a treasure that should be treated like one, no matter if she is black, or white, or what ever, or if she weights 200 pounds more than some man...what ever ... she is a women and she should act like one and should be treated like one, with all the respect and protection that a man can give... Our prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) said that a Paradise (Jannah) is under mothers feets....these words shows the importance of women espacialy the importance of mother... And believe me a mother, a women, who does prepare her self and everyone around her for the hereafter, does not walk arround from cofy shop to cofy shop...

It is well known where a muslim women should be, in what kind of enviroment...oh I know most of you would like to say "yes, lokked up between the walls"...NO ... a muslim women can be on any place where her appearence does not contradict with her Faith ... a muslim women, as every women should be is a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend...she is a protecter of mans dignity and proud, she is a teacher of generations, carring out man and women who does know how to live the important values of live, not just how to recitate them, she is a sister to her brothers and her sisters in Faith, taking care for them, advise them, help them..and she is a friend to every human been who comes to her and asks 'what is it with your faith, tell me about it I want to talk about it' with an open hurt to find out the truth and not with a prejudice based on disinformations from CNN or any other media hous ...

If you want to find out the truth about Muslim Women, please check out the lectures from Shaykh Khalid Yasin, he is an Afro-American too, and I love his lectures ans the way he represents them..so please those of you who are looking for the Truth, check it out..

Oh and that 130 pound blonde hipster ? What a lasy and poor man who can not find the way to calm down a women...you were there, you saw and heard almost everything from that scene..did you here one 'im sorry', 'it was not my attempt to hurt you' or what ever ??! Hmmm..maybe there is in him indeed a big dose of racism and discrimination..I wonder if there was a cute blonde cosmopolitan covergirl halfnacked, instead the 200 pound Muslim women covered with her wail...I wonder would he have the pations to talk to her gantly and try to sattle things down...or would he call the cops to get her out of his sight... Ask him ( :