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Minn. Muslims don't want Jesus with their popcorn shrimp

By Emily Kaiser in Mall of America

Monday, Dec. 22 2008 @ 10:30AM

When a Muslim family ate a meal at the Long John Silver's Mall of America restaurant, they ordered their 3-year-old a kids meal. To their surprise, the "toy" included in the meal was a "Build with Jesus" notepad with a Bible verse along the bottom.

When the family asked if the fast food restaurant offered toy alternatives, they were told the notepads were their only options. Apparently Long John Silver loves the Jesus and you have to deal with it.

The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) filed a complaint against Long John Silver's parent company, Yum! Brands, asking the company to look into claims that religious literature was distributed with a children's meal.

The cover of the notepad can be viewed here. Here is what CAIR had to say about the children's meal toy:

"While the restaurant has the right to distribute whatever materials it wishes, we believe it is inappropriate to include such texts in children's meals without first making parents aware of the religious content," said CAIR-MN Civil Rights Director Taneeza Islam. "It would be more appropriate if the restaurant offered toys that included wisdom from different faiths and offered a non-religious alternative."

CAIR-MN is asking Yum! Brands to:

1. Investigate the incident.

2. Offer the Muslim family a formal written apology.

3. Review the toy distribution policy for all restaurants and ensure that such incidents are not repeated.

4. Participate in CAIR's sensitivity and diversity training.

The irony of all this? Yum! says diversity is their "way of life".

We're not quite sure what the purpose of the Long John Silver's notepads was in the first place. They seem pretty lame. Build with Jesus? If you are going to distribute religious material to kids, at least make it interesting. Talk about a snoozer of a kids toy. Get with it, LGS! Kids don't write anymore. Jesus on a hot rod? Jesus superstar? Jesus would be so disappointed.

This story comes after the Mall of America received a lot of attention for creating a prayer room for Muslims. Is MOA doing enough to accommodate all visitors? Does MOA has any responsibility to address what their stores and restaurants are providing to visitors?

Tags: fast food, Jesus, Long John Silvers, Mall of America, Minnesota, Muslim, restaurant, toy

12 comment(s) / Post a Comment

superman says:

"It would be more appropriate if the restaurant offered toys that included wisdom from different faiths and offered a non-religious alternative."

That's bull. Long John Silver's shouldn't be offering toys with "wisdom" from any "faiths". While it's nice to see someone pointing out the fact that a fast food restaurant passing out religious tracts to children is reprehensible, it is sad that the organization doing so is itself representing a religion and just seems to want in on the free-publicity train. How about offering a kids meal without religion? Would that be so hard?

Posted On: Monday, Dec. 22 2008 @ 11:04AM

Mrs Marcos says:

Can you imagine the uproar if a fast food restaurant put Muslim beliefs on their childrens meal toys? Leave religious training to parents and religious organizations.

Posted On: Monday, Dec. 22 2008 @ 11:57AM

Helm Matthews says:

I wonder how the Enkankarians feel about this. And please don't forget the Scientologists!

Posted On: Monday, Dec. 22 2008 @ 1:28PM

curtis sittko says:

I'd exercise my democratic rights and just eat somewhere else.

Posted On: Monday, Dec. 22 2008 @ 2:51PM

Trey says:

It's amazing that CAIR, the Front Group created for the terrorist organization - Hamas, is given any attention - EVER.

ONE Muslim family is "offended" by a toy they could have just thrown away - like MOST AMERICANS would have done - but they knew they could go to CAIR who would cry "Victim" and the media would break down into PC hyperventilation.

Long John Silver's can give out any kind of toy they damn well choose - if you don't like it, EAT ELSEWHERE.

We surely have become a nation of suckers.

Posted On: Monday, Dec. 22 2008 @ 3:35PM

ThomasW says:

Why is the family complaining about material about a prophet of Islam?

And does CAIR-MN have any comments about the nonexistence of CAIR DC?

Posted On: Tuesday, Dec. 23 2008 @ 12:09AM

Jane says:

Thank you to CAIR-MN for upholding this country's principles of freedom and equality! A restaurant is not the time or the place for a religious education, most especially without the parents' consent.

Posted On: Tuesday, Dec. 23 2008 @ 1:38AM

Eddie says:

While I do agree that a fast-food restaurant probably should stay away from religious themes, I just can't see what this family found so offensive. After all, don't the Muslim apologists constantly carp that Islam "reveres" Jesus, too? This simply sounds like CAIR and their lackeys just looking for another opportunity to cry victim.

Posted On: Tuesday, Dec. 23 2008 @ 8:16AM

SNK says:

Why are there so many anti-Muslim/anti-CAIR people responding? Why so personal? Jealousy is an ugly thing. We should commend CAIR for taking the lead on this and getting this resolved. Who knows how many others got this ridiculous toy and didn't do anything about it!

Posted On: Wednesday, Dec. 24 2008 @ 2:00AM

trey says:

SNK:

Anti-CAIR, yes. Anti-Muslim, NO.

An FBI investigation has concluded that CAIR is a Front group created for Hamas.

CAIR should be CONDEMNED by all for supporting terrorism and using religion to mask their fascist ideology.

This has nothing to do with Muslims, everything to do with opposing the fascist provocations of CAIR.

Posted On: Wednesday, Dec. 24 2008 @ 8:25AM

DaBroad says:

And I was thinking about stopping at LJS to try out their new menu...but I've decided not to eat there until I know more about this situation.

Was this just the one restaurant, where a manager or employee decided to do this on his or her own? If they ran out of "official" toys, this might have been his or her idea of a nifty substitute. Poorly chosen; looks like something you can pick up a big pack of at the dollar store.

If this is a corporate thing, I won't be eating at LJS. I don't shop at places that blatantly play up the religion of the owner if the business is not religion-related. What the religion of the owner has to do with real estate, house painting, selling clothes, etc. is beyond me. If I want religion, I'll go to a place of worship; if I want religious items, I'll go to a store that sells them. But I don't want religion with my fries.

Posted On: Wednesday, Dec. 24 2008 @ 9:08AM

Bou says:

I don't know beans about CAIR (and I'm not taking anything I read here about this group at face value). But what CAIR may or may not be is of no consequence in this matter. LJS may have the RIGHT to distribute such matter, but simply having the right to do something doesn't mean it's a good idea. Passing off religious ideas from ANY religion (and yes, I'm a Christian) as a "kids' toy" and circumventing parental guidance in this regard is not a good thing.

Posted On: Sunday, Dec. 28 2008 @ 10:30AM