Bakery owner says customer canceled cake order after finding out she was Muslim
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WXMI) -- A West Michigan bakery owner is upset after she says a customer canceled a cake order after finding out she and her husband are Muslim.
Zeinab Mohamed says when the buyer found out her last name she canceled the order, saying a her husband was a war veteran and would never buy a cake from a Muslim. Mohamed's husband is not only Muslim, but a war veteran himself.
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Mohamed, the owner of Sweetcakez, says she received the customer's hurtful message last week. The message read:
Hey actually were [sic] going to order our cake somewhere else my husband just found out your [sic] Muslim. And I'm not against it but he is because he was in Iraq fighting for our country against your people. He even changed his new doctor because the new one he was referred to was Muslim and he just said somethings [sic] and said he doesnt [sic] feel comfortable having you make our cake. I'm so sorry.
"I was trying to understand it, trying to comprehend what I was reading and I was just in complete shock" said Mohamed. "My only response to her was 'My people? What does that mean?'"
The sender claimed her husband fought in Iraq and doesn't feel comfortable with Mohamed making their cake.
"My people aren't from Iraq, I am from Somalia" said Mohamed. "I just couldn't comprehend what she was saying . I was baffled. I really didn't have a response for her."
Mohamed's husband, also Muslim, fought for our country, serving three years in the United States Navy.
"When I heard it I was let down, but also really just hurt by it because I had thought we've moved away from some of that" said Javon Borst, Zeinab's husband. "To have it hit so close to some was hurtful."
Borst was a Navy medic, and says it didn't matter a person's race or religion when someone needed help during his time of service.