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A Muslim woman wearing a niqab was ordered to leave an Indiana discount store by a manager who feared she was a robber.
Sarah Zawjahtul AbdAllah Salaam, who wears the Islamic head scarf covering her mouth and nose, recorded video of the incident at a Family Dollar store in Gary.
The video, which she posted Monday evening on her Facebook page, shows the store manager berating Salaam for wearing the religious headwear inside the discount shop.
“Yes, ma’am, if you can’t remove that from your face I need you to leave the store,” the manager says.
Salaam reminds the woman that her headscarf, which reveals her eyes, is a religious garment — but the manager grows only more firm in her demand.
“You have to understand, too, that this is a high-crime area where we get robbed a lot,” the manager says. “You need to remove that from your face or remove yourself from the store. Remove that from your face or remove yourself from the store, please. I’m the manager, and I’m telling you to leave my store. Have a blessed day. My name is Janie, and have a blessed day.”
Salaam protests the manager’s order before leaving the store.
“This is a country where it’s freedom of religion and it’s freedom of speech,” Salaam says. “I have a right to wear whatever I want to wear. There’s women that come in here with bikini tops on.”
The manager then threatens to call the police if Salaam doesn’t leave.
“I’ll have the cops come and remove you, thank you,” she says.
Salaam continues recording video briefly as she leaves the Family Dollar store.
“Help, this world right now,” she says in frustration.