US Islamophobes mistake Shia martyr for 9/11 terrorist

Houston store sign3HOUSTON — A Harwin shop owner has been dealing with outrage and threats after he posted a sign on the store window saying Perfume Planet was closed on September 11 to honor the martyr Iman Ali.

The sign generated a lot of bitter comments on the Internet and dozens of angry calls each day at the Harwin Central Mart. Folks were shocked, believing the shop was honoring a 9/11 terrorist.

“When we came back today, I didn’t go back into the store,” said Luke Vizena, who saw the sign last week. “I won’t do business with this store,” said his friend. Internet traffic was much angrier. One wrote, “This is sickening!!! How long will it take for us to become a Muslim country?” Another said, “I could not stay in the building it made me so sick.”

Store manager Imran Chunawala was stunned because the holiday had nothing to do with 9 /11. Then he realized what happened. This year a key Ramadan Holiday happened to fall on 9/11. “We did not explain enough in the sign because that is the exact same sign we put up every year on this particular day for this particular reason,” said Chunawala. He apologized for the confusion and put up a new sign thoroughly explaining the martyr they were honoring died in 661 AD.

“1400 years ago. That was a long time ago,” said shopper Dolly Korenek.

khou.com, 16 September 2009

See also Partisan Gridlock, 17 September 2009 and Snopes, 20 September 2009