Even though a language can never be the measure to gauge someone’s intelligence level, often we see that people who are not fluent in English are made fun of. According to News18, something similar happened when Uzma Chaudary and Dia Haider (owners of Islamabad’s ‘Cannoli by Cafe Soul’) mocked their manager Awais Aftab in a video posted (now deleted) on the cafe’s Instagram handle.
They were heard saying, “So, this is our manager who has been with us for nine years. And this is the beautiful English he speaks. This is what we paid for… and a very good salary, mind you.”
A video purportedly showing the owners of a high-end restaurant in Islamabad giving a dressing down to the manager of the establishment for his inability to speak in #English has gone #viral. pic.twitter.com/rgS7ibk1pf
— The Express Tribune (@etribune) January 20, 2021
The women were slammed online for not treating their loyal employees with respect and having a ‘gora complex’. Many also pointed out how they were without face masks while the manager was following COVID-19 safety protocols. Soon #BoycottCannoli started trending online.
Humiliating your countrymen so you’ll be accepted by foreigners always ends in being rejected by both. #BoycottCannoli https://t.co/hORo2XL1Ta
— Jeremy McLellan (@JeremyMcLellan) January 21, 2021
Guarantee you these women would LOVE my horrible Urdu while they mock a working man who speaks multiple languages.
— Jeremy McLellan (@JeremyMcLellan) January 21, 2021
Also why is he wearing a mask and they aren’t? English gonna protect you from Corona?
— Jeremy McLellan (@JeremyMcLellan) January 21, 2021
Maybe they have…gora-navirus
— Jeremy McLellan (@JeremyMcLellan) January 21, 2021
#BoycottCannoli
If GORA COMPLEX had ha face pic.twitter.com/ABvHiAmYxW— PINKY is dead bcz of blonde JUNGKOOK🇵🇰⁷ (@pinkyjklove) January 21, 2021
Re: #BoycottCannoliIslamabad #BoycottCannoli
It's good to see many ppl supporting the manager of Cannoli. I hope someone offers him a better job.
Women struggle in many ways, so it's truly sad to see 'empowered' women treat one of their loyal employees of 9 years this way. https://t.co/aAAQHI1Siq
— Cynthia D. Ritchie (@CynthiaDRitchie) January 21, 2021
Owais looks more educated then these ladies. He is in mask and following SOP.
He has been running the restaurant for 9 years with the same language and making money for your inferiority complexed souls. Shame on you low lifes.#BoycottCannoli #Shameful pic.twitter.com/rtG9xG4XOw— Ali (@Survivor994) January 21, 2021
Disgusting and shameful!
what a sick mentality, I think language is just a way of communication. However, in different country, speaking Eng makes you feel elite or a kind of superior than others. English is just a language not to define how capable someone is. #BoycottCannoli pic.twitter.com/bA7XmyQB1D— Robert Winston (@ImRobertWin) January 21, 2021
To the female owners of Cannoli who filmed this man Awais and made FUN of his English, this is called WORKPLACE HARASSMENT and what you two privileged BURGERS did is the most DISGUSTING thing. ENGLISH IS NOT THE MEASURE OF INTELLIGENCE!!!!#BoycottCannoli pic.twitter.com/LLuqUUONiI
— Amber Khurshid Raja (@AmberKhurshid_) January 21, 2021
To the owners of Cannoli restaurant,
Is this English good enough for you?"LEARN TO TREAT YOUR EMPLOYEES WITH RESPECT."#BoycottCannoli
— Mariam's Madness (@MaddyForLabour) January 21, 2021
Later, they issued an apology saying, “This video depicts the gup shup between us as a team, and is never meant or taken in a hurtful or negative way. If anyone was hurt or offended we apologize, however that was never our intention.”
Do you agree that Mr. Awais deserves better employers without an elitist mindset? Tell us.