The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today condemned an anti-Muslim tirade directed at a group of visibly Muslim women at an In-N-Out Burger in La Habra, Calif., and called for a thorough investigation into the apparent hate incident.
CAIR-LA also praised the In-N-Out employee who reportedly refused to serve the man responsible for the harassment and demanded that he leave the premises.
In a video recently posted to TikTok, a man wearing an O’Reilly Auto Parts shirt with the name “Sean” on it can be heard yelling profanities at the women, all of whom are wearing the hijab. He accuses them of being part of a Satanic cult, tells them to “get out of [his] country,” and falsely claims that “Islam teaches hate.” The footage also shows the In-N-Out employee threatening to call the police if the man does not leave the area.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said:
“This alleged hate-filled outburst is yet another example of the rising Islamophobia that American Muslims, especially visibly Muslim women, continue to face across the country. No one should be subjected to verbal abuse or threats simply for their faith or appearance.
“We commend the In-N-Out employee who stepped up in defense of these young women and demonstrated what it means to be an ally in the face of hate.
“We call on the Los Angeles Police Department to investigate this disturbing, anti-Muslim tirade as a hate incident, and we urge O’Reilly Auto Parts to take immediate action if the individual is confirmed to be one of their employees.”
Ayloush also emphasized that CAIR-LA remains committed to protecting the rights and dignity of all individuals and urged community members to report any hate crimes or bias incidents by calling (714) 776-1177 or filing a report online.