Life gives us opportunities to do the right thing – ordinary decisions that can make society just a little better.

Life also gives us opportunities to show the pettiness, the inconsideration and just plain hate of which the human species is capable.

It’s increasingly apparent that many people seek to do the wrong thing at a time when small acts of kindness could make a difference.

Consider the following: a mom and her young daughter go to a McDonald’s and order a plain fish sandwich for the little girl. After purchasing it they realize the sandwich is designed to show hate.
Here is the story: “The Massachusetts chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MA) today announced that it has filed a complaint against McDonald’s with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) on behalf of a Muslim woman after employees stuffed her fish sandwich full of bacon.”

“Employees at a McDonald’s restaurant in Chicopee, MA added three to four strips of bacon to a fish sandwich ordered by Ghadir Alahmar for her 7-year-old child, despite her explicit request for a plain sandwich. Alahmar is visibly Muslim, as she wears a hijab, or Islamic headscarf, and abaya, a long Islamic dress. It is commonly known that Islam forbids Muslims from eating pork.”

The mother noted, “McDonald’s made my children and me feel unwanted and worthless by intentionally stuffing a fish sandwich full of bacon for no other reason than to punish us for our faith and religious convictions. This really hurt us. My children now wonder if they are welcome in their own country. They ask me, ‘Do they hate us?’ How is a mother supposed to answer that question?”

Out of the mouth of children: “Do they hate us?”

According to the complaint filed with the MCAD, it was the McDonald’s on Meadow Street.

The sight of seeing Muslims dressed in clothing traditional with their faith and culture is not unusual in Western Massachusetts. Muslims have long been part of our communities.

This wasn’t a mistake born out of ignorance. This was a calculated act.
According to the complaint, the husband of the woman returned to the restaurant with the sandwich to speak with the manager.

The complaint noted, “The manager acknowledged that it was highly unlikely Employee No. 1 could accidentally press the ‘add bacon’ button instead of the ‘plain’ button, given their respective locations on the screen. The manager refunded to Complainant/s husband the price of the fish sandwich and two half-strips of bacon.”

Refunding the money was a minor part of addressing the issue. This problem goes far deeper than that.

Nationally McDonald’s has long presented itself as a member of the communities and neighborhood it serves. This incident certainly goes counter to that image.

I called the office of the franchise owners for comment, and Jorge Gomez replied with the following statement: “My organization has an unwavering commitment to ensure that, at every interaction, all are welcome, comfortable and safe. In support of these efforts, we provide comprehensive DEI (diversity and inclusion) training to all employees throughout the onboarding process. These claims go against everything we stand for, and we’re actively looking into the matter.”

I hope so.