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Apple Store Turns Down Customer Speaking Farsi

Refuses to sell iPad because of sanctions on Iran

>>> VIDEO REPORT

WSBTV: An Alpharetta woman and one of her friends say the Apple Store turned them away after they heard them speaking Farsi. One was trying to buy an iPad, the other an iPhone. When they were heard speaking the foreign language, they said the sales representative refused to sell them anything. Apple says it's simply following U.S. policy.

"Very hurtful, very embarrassing. I actually walked out in tears," Sahar Sabet said about the experience. Sabet is a U.S. citizen. Like most 19-year-olds, the University of Georgia student is never far from her iPhone. So she was surprised Thursday when an employee at the Apple Store inside North Pointe Mall in Alpharetta refused to sell an iPad to her and her uncle after overhearing them speaking Farsi.

"When we said 'Farsi, I'm from Iran,' he said, 'I just can't sell this to you. Our countries have bad relations,'" Sabet said. "I would say if you're trying to buy an iPhone, don't tell them anything about Iran. That would be your best bet," said Zack Jafarzadeh, who had a similar experience at the Apple Store in Perimeter Mall.

Jafarzadeh said he was helping a friend buy an iPhone. That friend was from Iran, living and studying in the Atlanta area on a visa. "We never talked about him going back to Iran or anything like that. He was just speaking full-fledged Farsi and the representative came back and denied our sale," Jafarzadeh said.

Channel 2's Amy Napier Viteri went with Sabet to the North Point Apple Store Monday. They obtained iPhone video of the same employee repeating the policy. He reiterated (the policy) always will be to not sell to anyone from Iran. A manager showed Viteri Apple's policy. It said the exportation, sale or supply from the U.S. to Iran of any Apple goods is strictly prohibited without authorization by the U.S. government. The manager also told Viteri they have to rely on customers to be honest.

"Discrimination. Racially profiled. He didn't have any business asking me what country I was from," Sabet said >>>

>>> VIDEO REPORT

19-Jun-2012
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Bavafa

SK: Love your sense of humor….

by Bavafa on

آی‌ مردم از خنده

'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory 

Mehrdad


Soosan Khanoom

Although i agree that we have many

by Soosan Khanoom on

Crazy Iranian-Americans … like the ones that only drive BMW. Or the ones who are bald but use hair piece. 

but this guy in the picture you posted is one in a Million...  

Now ... tell me more .… tell me more ...  La La LaLa 

By the way, I do not like Roast beef...  change it to " Apple Pie "  

lol 


Soosan Khanoom

Fesenjoon you better change your name to

by Soosan Khanoom on

 Roast Beef or something to avoid being mistaken with the unpeacful and hostile Iranian - Americans.   

lol 

 


Fesenjoon2

............

by Fesenjoon2 on

Latina,

Hispanics are peaceful people. Although oppressed by certain US policies at times, nevertheless they are peace loving people. They dont go around running over people shouting Allahu Akbar on school campuses to avenge their religious brothers. Iranians do.

//msnbc.msn.com/id/11660817/#.T-OIcLWm8sc

Iranians come with emotional baggage and a chip on their shoulder. And they dont hide it. They think theyre better than others (because they have a 3000 year old history and empire), and they frequently talk about exporting their religion and faith to other nations in the world. Even when secular, they are still ultra-nationalists. They would rather blame America for all their own faults rather than blame the corrupt Iranian dictator leaders that have brought them pain.

There's a good reason the US and her people are so agitated by Iranians. Theyve been hating Americans for over a century, and mostly for religious reasons.

//iranian.com/main/2010/oct/who-drew-firs...

Cubans and and Venezuelans etc dont hate. Because their Bible teaches them that hatred is not the way of Christ. Iranians do hate, because their Quran openly instructs muslims to kill the infidel until the flag of Islam covers the earth. And they have. Ask any Iranian minority (Bahais, Jews, Sufis, etc).

Of course, if youre Iranian, you already know this.

What Apple did was wrong, because the store salesperson knew that the customer meant she was ethnically Iranian, and yet still declined her the sale. But still, the story goes deeper than that. Iranians are not devoid of blame either. That's my entire point.

Good luck. 


Latina

............

by Latina on

Well I am glad we came to an agreement.

However, you must be cautious when saying  such overgeneralizations of Hispanics.

We are by no means perfect.We are Human and therefore flawed.

 


Fesenjoon2

............

by Fesenjoon2 on

well we agree then. One group is hostile to US, the other (hispanics) is not.

Iranians are threatening to send warships with missiles to American coasts.

//www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2042820/Iranian-navy-plans-powerful-presence-US-coast-claims-state-run-news-agency.html 

Cubans are not. 


Latina

.............

by Latina on

Of course, it is not an official policy. Like, I said it is certain sections of the population of those countries.

 

If you will re-read my original post, you will find that I never said

"OFFICIAL foreign policy".

 


Bavafa

Faramarz: show us you are a man of your words...

by Bavafa on

And sign up.

Here is what you were asking for.

https://secure3.convio.net/niac/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=216&autologin=true&JServSessionIdr004=93dn4zohi3.app333b

 'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory 

Mehrdad


Fesenjoon2

FYI

by Fesenjoon2 on

She told the Apple store guy "I'm from Iran" (which implies her nationality even though she meant her ethnicity).

If she had just said "I'm American", the Apple store guy would have no legal basis on declining the sale, farsi or no farsi.

 


Fesenjoon2

...............

by Fesenjoon2 on

Actually, no they dont.

None of the countries of Cuba, Venezuela, etc have an OFFICIAL foreign policy based on "ridding the world of America".  

DEATH TO AMERICA is the "OFFICIAL" foreign policy doctrine of the Islamic republic of Iran.

They officially celebrate a day on the calendar in Iran (13 Aban) called "DEATH TO AMERICA DAY".

 


Latina

FYI... just thought some might want to know.

by Latina on

Take Action: Tell Apple's CEO to Stop Discriminating Against Iranian Americans

In some Apple stores, speaking Persian means you can’t
buy their products.

That’s what happened to a 19-year old Iranian-American student who was
prevented from buying an iPad when a clerk overheard her speaking
Persian. 

There have been additional reports of Apple employees preventing Iranian
Americans and Iranian students from buying their products. 

This is an insult to our community.  It is discrimination
and racial profiling on the basis of sanctions and it must stop. 

Broad sanctions make it illegal for Apple, or any other U.S. company, to
send products to Iran—even many communications tools that advance the
cause of democracy.  But now we are witnessing a private company
racially profile their Iranian American customers on the basis of
enforcing those sanctions.

Send a letter to tell Apple CEO Tim Cook
to put a STOP to this discrimination.
  Through
public pressure, we can prevent other companies from discriminating
against their Iranian-American customers on the basis of sanctions.

Best,

Jamal Abdi
NIAC Policy Director

P.S. You
can find more information about how sanctions affect you, report
discrimination, and read NIAC's open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook here
.

 

Disclaimer: The posting of this information does not mean I am for or against the organization. So, please don't come an argue with me about it. 


Latina

..............

by Latina on

Actually, Yes in some areas of Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia they do shout DEATH TO  AMERICA.

I am stressing that not all the people in the countries I mentioned feel this way whether they live there or abroad.


Fesenjoon2

well...

by Fesenjoon2 on

Are any Spanish speakers shouting DEATH TO AMERICA every single day, burning US flags, and climbing walls and occupying embassies and stealing/vandalizing their property?

No.

Case closed. 


Latina

Well........

by Latina on

Well, I shall make sure to let Hispanics know to be careful and not speak Spanish at any Apple stores. Heaven forbid they should group as all into the category of Cubans simply for speaking our native language.

 

 

 


Anonymous Observer

North Korea and Cuba

by Anonymous Observer on

North Korea and Cuba have not called for--and have not promised--the total annihilation of other nations.  Iran has.  Repeatedly for the past 33 years:

//dailycaller.com/2012/05/20/iran-committed-to-full-annihilation-of-israel-says-top-iranian-military-commander/#ixzz1vTNHVnPJ

Stop playing the victim card and stop blaming others for the problems that your own country creates--and has created for the past three and a half decades.  If West residing Iranians could have enough courage to criticize the actions of their own people beyond the lack of seasoning on the chelo kabab that they ate during their last summer trip to Iran, things could be different, 

 


Hafez for Beginners

Korean and Spanish speakers ???

by Hafez for Beginners on

Iranian-American is a US identity.

The reporter put it really well: "So do the Apple employees stop Korean speakers or Spanish speakers, too - given the embargo on North Korea and Cuba.)" This is a ridiculously shameful policy. If you speak Persian (and let's STOP the "Farsi" nonsense - no one knows what the heck it is - No one knows of "Farsi Poets" but everyone knows of "Persian Poets") - store clerks give themselves the right to stop you? Apple Employers need to be trained not to ask: 1. What Language are you speaking. That should have the ACLU on their backs. If their policy is against doing trade with Iran, the question perhaps should ask would be: 2. Do you intend to take this product and use it in Iran. Which still confuses me. Citizens are not forbidden to go to Iran. And citizens carry cell phones and lap tops and i-Pads with them when they travel. Which means the question should be: 3. Do you intend to buy 200 i-Pads and sell them in Iran?  Which is in most cases, a dumb question.  Apple not doing trade with Iran is different to an Apple customer traveling to Iran with an Apple product. The customer could be Japanese for goodness sake. Appalling stuff.

IRANLOVESISRAEL

Thanks to the democratic & free enterprise systems, USA & Isreal

by IRANLOVESISRAEL on

Businesses in America & Israel have every right to sell their products & services to whomever they wish! If the law says export and sales of certain merchandize to the IRR is illegal then it doesn't matter if the recipient of the merchandize is a female, a male, a monkey, a Muslim, an Iranian, a member of IRR, an American-Iranian, an Iranian-American, or any combination of the above. It's simply illegal! Just because Iranians are not used to abide by the law despite their living in America in the past 34 years doesn't mean America is not going to reinforce them! 

Shlomo Loves Israel


Fesenjoon2

dude

by Fesenjoon2 on

youre the one whose book calls for the killing of the infidels, not me.

Go figure. It's youre beloved Islam.

I'm just trying to stop you from doing to America what you did to Iran: 

//lh6.ggpht.com/_YZw_XemggYA/TZxkVivXxQI/AAAAAAAADRw/4JQnnnLh4LA/s1600-h/9_11_war_stop_sharia_protest_poster-p228018806043593571tdcp_400%5B2%5D.jpg  


MeyBokhor_Manbarbesuzan

I had my doubts but thanks to your link..

by MeyBokhor_Manbarbesuzan on

I am sure now that your kind, hezbollah and Hitler's youth operate using same tactics. Thanks again.


MeyBokhor_Manbarbesuzan

Sieg Heil! Fesenjoon und

by MeyBokhor_Manbarbesuzan on

Ja vol mein herr!


Fesenjoon2

Actually,

by Fesenjoon2 on

I hope that all stores and retailers start implementing such policies.

Only then can we weed out agha-zadeh US residing closet islamists from the truly Americans of Iranian heritage.

I'm sick of seeing these IRI groupies everywhere:

//www.pyknet.net/1390/04azar/21/page/32California.php


Bavafa

I am from Iran....

by Bavafa on

And according to some of our genius members here, JJ may need to look into it and possibly kick me out of IC for that reason :)

'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory 

Mehrdad


iraj khan

The Last Time

by iraj khan on

that I checked my zipcode

I realized I was living in U.S.

The last time I checked my birth certificate

it said I was born in 'the country of Iran'.

That makes me an Iranian American,

hence,

how the Iranian Americans are treated here

is very important to me

First Of All.


مآمور

it is hard , I have tried

by مآمور on

to take apple products to Iran!!

In Iran, there is no macbook, no ipad, no iphone..... 

IRGC is working hard to land one intact some where in Iranian plateau, but it is not as easy as it was with the drone!!

U R A JOKE

I wear an Omega watch


Roozbeh_Gilani

Wow! The indignation! The outrage! The activism!

by Roozbeh_Gilani on

 Too bad that none of this anger, indignation & outrage is ever expressed:

Upon the news of  Syrian babies & their mothers being knifed to death  by the crazy dicatpor Asad 's forces aided by Khamenei's bassiji thugs.

Or upon the news of daily execution of Iran's political prisoners.

Or upon the news of 60 Iranian Labor activists beaten up, arrested, jailed for no other reason than daring to hold a peaceful meeting to decide how to feed their families.....

The list goes on....

Well, I guess non of above deserve this outcray, since they just can't afford buying the Apple (the fruit!!) for their kids, let alone the latest  "Apple IPod"!

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."


Kabriat

At least someone is taking action

by Kabriat on


iraj khan

NIAC Calls on Apple and US Government to to End Sanctions

by iraj khan on

Discrimination:

Washington, DC – The National Iranian American Council calls on Apple to take immediate steps to ensure its policies regarding the enforcement of Iran sanctions do not continue to discriminate against Iranian Americans and Iranians in the U.S.
 
 
“Nowhere in the sanctions laws does it say you can’t buy an iPad because you speak Persian," said NIAC Policy Director Jamal Abdi.  “What does preventing an Iranian-American teenager from buying an iPad have to do with preventing the Iranian government from getting a nuclear weapon?”
 
NIAC also calls on the U.S. Government to take the necessary steps to ensure sanctions do not continue to be misapplied or over-enforced to the detriment of Iranian Americans and Iranians.
 
“Unfortunately, this is part of an escalating pattern in which increasingly broad sanctions on Iran are hitting the wrong people,” said Abdi.  “Some of it is by design of Congress and the Administration, some of it is a lack of clarity about what is permitted, and some of it is over-enforcement of sanctions by private companies worried about running afoul of the law.”
 
This is just the latest case of companies, including tech companies, over-enforcing the sanctions on Iran.  While Iranian Americans are now facing difficulty in buying Apple products, ordinary citizens inside of Iran are unable to access basic communication software--not just because of the repression from their own government, but due to U.S. sanctions and the over-enforcement of those sanctions by private companies.
 
NIAC is in contact with Apple to ensure the company clarifies what is its policy regarding the sale of Apple products to Iranian Americans and understands what is the law in this regard.  NIAC is also in contact with the U.S. Government to press for better clarification of the sanctions requirements and proper education and outreach with the private sector.
 
“These companies must stop over-enforcing the sanctions, but we also must recognize that this type of collateral damage is inevitable under broad sancitons,” said Abdi.  “At the very least, there must be a corresponding effort by the U.S. government to clarify all ambiguities—intentional and unintentional—to ensure everyone understands what is permitted under the sanctions.”


Anonymous Observer

Gives me an incentive to buy another MacBook

by Anonymous Observer on

knowing that Apple is so stringent about not allowing computer technology to fall in the hands of terrorits resgimes such as the IR.

Also, one cannot compare this person's situation with that of blacks and women in the U.S.  African Americans and women were (and are) inseparable parts of America's history.  They helped build this nation from the ground up, and have always been here, since the first settlements arrived on its shores.  A fresh off the boat  Iranian on a student visa: not so much.  As Fesenjoon noted, she identified herself as an "Iranian."  Therefore, laws regarding transfer of technology to citizens of Iran apply to her.  Moreover, as someone who just got off the boat and who is NOT a U.S. citizen, she (and the America hating peanut gallery on this thread) cannot claim that she shouldn't be told to go back to Iran if she doesn't like it because that will be akin to teling African Americans to return to Africa if they don't like it.  She's here as a guest, and we can treat her according to laws that affect her country of citizenship.

Plus, this woman is a student here.  This means that she recently graduated from either a university or a high school in Iran, where she particpated in chanting "death to America" everyday as part of her school routine.  Any objections from the esteemed commenters here to that despicable conduct?  Or are you still blinded by your narcissism?

And as Anahid said below, women in Iran face much harsher institutional discrimination...which of course, we never hear the America hating peanut gallery on this thread talk about.  Instead, they prefer to, of course, talk about discrimination in Israel:

//iranian.com/main/news/2012/06/04/four-hurt-africans-home-torched-jerusalem