abcNEWS Would You Stop Muslim Discrimination ?

Quiñones: How mad to do you get when you
see something wrong taking place?

Just take another look at what happens
when our innocent bystanders

reach the boiling point.

[country music]

Deep in the heart of Texas, at this little roadside bakery,

bigotry is being served with a coffee and danish.

Woman: Sir, I have a question.

Clerk: No, ma'am, we don't serve Muslims here.

Woman: I'm sorry?
Clerk: This is America.

We're at war with your people.

Woman: I don't know what you think
I am. I'm just trying to get an apple.

Clerk: Well, you're a terrorist
is what you are, so...

Woman: Excuse me?!

Clerk: You gotta take your business
elsewhere. We don't serve your kind here.

Quiñones: The other customers at this
bakery near Waco seemed to hear everything.

But they barely look at the Muslim woman,
even when the language is tough to take.

Clerk: Get back on the camel and go
back wherever you came from.

Woman: Sir, I'm an American.
I was born and raised in this country.

Clerk: No, you're not.
Americans don't wear towels on their head.

Quiñones: Muslim Americans say
these are words they hear all the time

and in all parts of the country. But
here at the bakery, what the customers

don't know is that this Muslim woman
and the man behind the counter are actors.

The bakery is working with us, all part of
a PrimeTime hidden camera experiment

on prejudice and patriotism.

Clerk: Please take your business
elsewhere. Am I asking too much?

Quiñones: When no one even tries
to help her, she makes a direct appeal.

Sir, would you mind ordering me
an apple strudel? That's why I'm here.

Man: I don't... this... I mean, I...
Woman: I can give you the money.

Man: It's not a problem
with the money, hon.

How much?
Clerk: Please, no, sir.

Man: Huh?
Clerk: I'm not going to let you—

Man: How much do I owe you?

Quiñones: But when he gives her the
cold shoulder, she finally just leaves.

You could have helped her. You
could have spoken up. Why not?

Man: Me speak up for her?

Well, if he would try to do some harm
to her or somethin', then I would have.

Quiñones: But why not try to set him straight?

Man: I really think that a person
that owns his own business

should be able to say who they sell to.

Clerk: She's not American.

Quiñones: Others seem to agree with our
actor as to who's an American and who's not.

Is it all based on the way we look?

Woman: I'm an American citizen.
I just would like an apple strudel, please.

Clerk: Well, I'm sorry, then why don't you dress
like an American if you're so American?

Woman: This is for religious purposes, sir.

And I don't think you have
any right to say anything—

Clerk: So? I'm religious. I don't wear,
you know, Halloween costumes around.

I mean, am I wrong here, sir?
Man: Not me, no!

Clerk: I run my business
the way I want to run it.

Man: That's right! That's right!

Don't come in here without
your shoes and shirt on.

Quiñones: This customer is adamant

that the man behind the counter
is doing the right thing.

But the fact is, it's against the law

to deny service to someone based
on their race or religion.

My name is John Quiñones
and I'm with ABC News.

What did you think of what you heard here?

Man: I didn't hear anything racist.
Quiñones: He told her he wouldn't serve her.

Man: Well, he can say he wouldn't serve you

if you come in here barefoot
or without a shirt on.

Quiñones: But she wasn't
barefoot or without a shirt on.

Man: Well, she wasn't dressed right.
Quiñones: What do you mean?

Man: If I was running the place,
I'd do the same thing.

Quiñones: You wouldn't
let Muslims shop at your store?

Man: I sure wouldn't.

Quiñones: We never expected
customers to be so candid.

Clerk: How do I know you don't
have a bomb in there?

Quiñones: Watch what happens this time,

when once again our Muslim woman
is denied service...

Woman: This is not right.
Quiñones: ...and again leaves.

Clerk: I mean, we reserve
the right to not serve.

Man: That's right. That's...
you know, I appreciate you sayin' that.

I think that's the first time
I've ever seen that.

Quiñones: He not only commends
the man behind the counter for

his discriminatory behavior, but he gives
him the "thumbs up" not once, but twice...

Man: Good job!
Clerk: All right. Thank you.

Quiñones: ...as he leaves.

Can I talk to you, sir, for a second?

But, when I approach...

Sir, we're with ABC News.

...there was no "thumbs up" for me.

We staged a little experiment in there
to see how people would react

to that kind of attitude.

Man: You're not an American.
Quiñones: I am an American.

That man took it a bit far there,
telling me I'm not an American.

Jack Dovidio: He was threatened.

Quiñones: Jack Dovidio is a
social psychologist at Yale University.

Jack: So when we as Americans
feel threatened from the outside,

we're going to define ourselves in very
rigid fashions. Either you're with me,

and if you're not, really, one of me,

then you must be somebody else
who's against me.

Quiñones: The young woman
in our experiment is an actor,

but for this woman,
discrimination is all too real.

Nahia Javed helped us
design our experiment.

Although born in Chicago, she says she's
constantly characterized by fellow Americans

as the enemy.

Nahia: They always start off with "you're a
terrorist," "Osama lover," "towelhead,"

"camel jockey," on and on.

Quiñones: While attending
college in Texas,

she says she continually
suffered verbal abuse

and has even been physically attacked
just because she's Muslim.

Nahia: They assume I'm not from here, and if
I tell them I'm American, they're like,

"No, you're not. Just because you were
born here doesn't make you American."

And I'm like, "So what makes you American?"
Quiñones: It's a daily battle.

Nahia: Mm-hmm. And I don't feel like, living in
America, I should have to fight this battle.

Quiñones: Meanwhile, back at
the bakery, our actor is at it again.

But how do I know you're not
a terrorist? Terrorists look like you.

Quiñones: But this time the customers
are sympathizing with the Muslim woman.

[woman speaking inaudibly]

Clerk: Right, I know.
But can you blame me?

Man: Yeah, I can
blame you, actually.

Clerk: Why? What's the problem?

Man: All right,
we'll get out of here.

You need to go
[censored] yourself, actually.

Woman: Thank you, sir.
Clerk: Okay, sir.

I'm a good American, all right?
We're at war with these people.

Man: We're all Americans.
My dad's a veteran. Go [censored] yourself!

Clerk: So is mine!

Quiñones: And he's not the
only one who walks out in anger.

Woman: You need to stop
segregating against people. It's wrong.

Clerk: Excuse me?

Woman: She's an
American just like anyone else.

Clerk: No, you're a bad American!

Quiñones: Time and again,
people speak out with their pocketbooks.

Female customer: You lost a
couple of customers, just so you know.

Quiñones: But look what happens
when this man threatens to leave.

Clerk: You're not
a good American, sir.

Man: I believe
I am a good American.

My son just came back from serving
in the Army for over a year in Iraq.

And that has nothing to do with her rights.
Clerk: I understand.

Woman: Thank you, sir.

Clerk: And I hear
what you're saying, but, I...

I can't believe you would be so
discriminatory. I'm deeply offended by that.

Clerk: I-I'm sorry to offend you,
sir. But I've gotta live with myself.

Quiñones: Seething,
the man vows to fight back.

Man: I will let people know
this. I've stopped here every time

I've come by this place,
and I'll never stop here again.

Quiñones: Why did folks get so upset?
Jack: They saw an injustice.

It's justice that binds us together.
It's justice that makes us a society.

Any threat to that kind of sense of justice
and fairness undermines the entire system.

Woman: You're really not gonna serve her
because of what she's wearing?

Clerk: No, I'm not!
Quiñones: Perhaps that's why

more customers are outraged by our actor's
hateful behavior than approve of it.

Clerk: You're not dressed like an American
and I don't know what you have under...

Quiñones: But no one is more
persistent than these two young women

who can't believe what they're hearing.

Clerk: Take your jihad,
take it back out to the parking lot.

Woman: Excuse me?
Clerk: I mean, I gotta protect my customers, okay?

Woman: You're really offensive
and disgusting.

Clerk: Well, I'm sorry.
I'm just trying to protect you here.

Muslim customer: Thank you. Thank you.
Woman: You're sick!

Woman: Just because you're
dressed like that doesn't mean anything.

Woman: This is a different culture...
Clerk: How do you know?

Woman: You are so ignorant.
Clerk: These people are trying

to kill Americans.
Woman: ...it's disgusting.

Woman: She is my culture!

So you're ready to serve me,
but you're not ready to serve her?

Man: You're obviously
dressed like an American.

Woman: Big deal!
Woman: She's Muslim!

Quiñones: And unlike the others,
they don't just leave in anger—

they stand their ground.

So you're going to regulate
what people wear?

Clerk: Yes, because
I believe the degree of...

Woman: Are you the manager?
Clerk: No, I'm not the manager.

Woman: Can I speak to your manager?
Woman: Well, please call the manager.

Quiñones: I'm John
Quiñones with ABC News...

It's only when we catch up
with our heroines

that they finally let their guards down.

I'm with my friend who's [voice breaking],
you know, Muslim.

And that's... I've just seen... um...

[sniffling] how people
treat them differently.

And it really hurts me.

Quiñones: Just watching them
stand up for what they believe in

touches Professor Dovidio.

Jack: In a way, they defended America,
and I was impressed by that

Because they wanted this to be a
just society, a just place, a just bakery.

Quiñones: I'm John Quiñones.
Man: Hi.

Quiñones: And remember this
man whose son served in Iraq?

He's also moved to tears.

Man: Every person deserves to be
treated with, um, respect and dignity.

Quiñones: No matter how they're dressed?
Man: In every situation.

No matter how they're dressed.

Quiñones: Never have we seen reactions
so polarized, from a "thumbs up" for prejudice

to an emphatic "thumbs down."
Man: Go [censored] yourself!

Quiñones: Two different Americas,
both convinced they're patriotic.

At the end of the day, 13 people
stood up for the Muslim woman,

while six sided with the clerk.

But the majority of the bystanders—
22—did or said absolutely nothing.

That's what's most frightening
to Muslims like Nahia,

who was watching our experiment—

in fact, so frightening that they often
avoid going out by themselves.

Nahia: It's really sad because I'm old
enough to be able to do things by myself.

I shouldn't need a chaperone all the time.
But that one time that I'm alone

and something bad might happen,
I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Quiñones: It's no wonder
this young woman was so moved

by the people who came forward to protect
a stranger who just happens to be Muslim.

Nahia: Thank you so much for
what you did. I wish more people

would do these type of things.
Man: I do, too.

Nahia: It would make my life a lot easier.
[man chuckles]

Man: God go with you.
Nahia: Thank you.