Super Witty Starbucks Barrista Can't Help Naming ‘Aziz’ as ‘ISIS’

The story of the Muslim man whose name was written by a Starbucks barista as “ISIS” has gone viral on the internet.

{"preview_thumbnail":"https://cdn.flowplayer.com/6684a05f-6468-4ecd-87d5-a748773282a3/i/v-i-8…","video_id":"8920a085-1e78-4294-aae3-6a2b8c684fb3","player_id":"8ca46225-42a2-4245-9c20-7850ae937431","provider":"flowplayer","video":"Hong Kong Couple Allegedly Beaten by Police in Subway Goes Viral (Video)"}

The story started when Niquel Johnson had entered Starbucks in Philadelphia last Sunday wearing an Islamic dress, and in the typical Starbucks way, the employee asked him for his name when he said “Aziz”. Johnson’s cup was ready when he found his name written as “ISIS”, the acronym for Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Aziz, who did not realize the name until later when a friend pointed it out at a bookstore, has confirmed using his name countless times in the store and he has never faced such an incident believing it rooted in discrimination.

A photo of Aziz’s receipt that was labeled with the name ISIS has gone viral on the internet after Aziz shared it and was widely reported by the Western media.

While the story was reported as an incident of racism and Islamophobia, some have argued the similarities in spelling both “ISIS” and “Aziz” which might have confused the employer.

However, Aziz has confirmed to the Washington Post that several unusual things happened on this occasion; first when the staffer has called his order by the drink type, not his name, and then when four days later, Starbucks called him to claim the company had already rectified the situation in conversation with his niece - a person he claimed doesn't exist.

Meanwhile and in response, Starbucks' social media team has issued an official response claiming the incident “Was a case of discrimination or profiling. The customer approached and provided the name Aziz. The barista mistakenly spelled it incorrectly.”

An apology was also issued by  CEO Kevin Johnson and national staff training on unconscious bias at 8,000 stores.

Yet, the global chain’s history with accusations of racism and discrimination made it hard for some to believe it was a “mistake”. In 2018, a Starbucks employee last year called police on black men for sitting quietly, two men in Islamic dress walked into a different Starbucks store for a drink.