YouTubers Sham Idrees and Queen Froggy took to their social media recently to accuse Canadian café chain Demetres of Islamophobic behaviour.
In a video shared by both of them on their Instagrams, the duo alleged that their family was refused to be served because they were evidently Muslim. Following this, the café chain denied the claims and reserved that they refused to serve them because of seating restrictions.
Narrating details of the incident, Idrees shared, "We just had the worst experience of our lives. The racist servers told us they will not serve 'people of your kind'. My wife and family members included hijabis."
Alongside the video posted on her handle, Queen Froggy added, "I am so heartbroken. Demetres Oakville didn’t take our order and told us to leave because we are Muslim and wear hijab. I am so disgusted. Go to Google Maps, click review and give 1 star [to Demetres] and write #Banislamophobia. Let’s make sure it never happens to anyone again!”
In the video, she recounted, "We just got back from Demetres. It's a dessert café in Ontario Canada. I took my kids, my family and some of my hijabi friends. We just wanted to have some dessert and a night out. The servers at that location did not want to take our order. They asked us to leave the restaurant and said if we didn't leave the restaurant they will call the cops, which they did because we are Muslim and they didn't want to take our order.”
In a statement issued by Demetres, the restaurant has claimed that it believes “there was a misunderstanding between employees and our guests regarding seating arrangements due to Covid-19 restrictions.” It added, "The situation escalated and the guests were asked to leave."
While several are supporting Idrees and Froggy’s claims, many on social media are of the view that the café representatives’ words may have been misconstrued and thus, the picture being presented by the YouTubers may be exaggerated.
Some have gone as far as accusing Idrees and Froggy of 'lying'. Popular Facebook group Soul Sisters Pakistan’s founder Kanwal Ahmed took to Instagram to share the vloggers’ story to call them out for doing a "disservice to Muslims in Canada by faking a scenario of his wife being discriminated against her hijab". She believes their allegation “undermines actual complaints of Islamophobia."
The 31-year-old, who is one of Facebook’s 115 Community Leaders using the social network to help others, included testimonies from individuals attesting Idrees’ family was barred from the café because they refused to follow Covid-19 regulations.
I’m begging you guys to cancel this corny ass couple. They came into the restaurant with 22 people and caused a scene when told to follow COVID rules. Now they’re crying Islamophobia like pls the restaurant is owned by Muslims https://t.co/8tGzb8zweZ
— zainab 🌷 (@zainabxfatima) September 8, 2021
Majority of netizens are also pointing out how the video shared by the vloggers is providing a one-sided narrative, especially with the restaurant managers’ voice being inaudible.
Idrees, however, has responded to the criticism by posting another video about the incident "with proof". But several are still asking the YouTuber to share the entire confrontation rather than snippets of the event simply placed together.
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