CasaCandeux

On the surface it appeared to be an argument about shopping bags – the woman in the line next to me checking out at the local grocery store seemed to ask if she could have more shopping bags after her groceries were already bagged and in the cart. The cashier refused, wherein the woman (older and traditionally dressed) started shouting at her. Next thing we knew the customer and the cashier were having a tug-of-war with the wooden divider (used to separate different customers’ groceries). The cashier, being younger and stronger, won and then started swinging the divider at the customer. A security guard restrained the customer who fought him off and started throwing groceries (not her own but those of my friend who was in line behind her) at the cashier. The cashier came out of her niche and began yelling again and swinging fists. Finally the manager arrived and a new cashier began ringing up my friend’s groceries. The customer was led away, clearly still angry over the whole incident.

Being from the US where the customer is always right, the scene was surprising. But learning more and more about the Arab culture in which I now live I was more shocked at the lack of respect the cashier showed to the customer, who was an older woman. Age is seen as wisdom here, it is to be both respected and revered – for the cashier to yell and swing at an older person was to bring shame upon them both.

I often wonder what it is like to live life without hope, to have no assurance that anything you do will matter, to worry if you will make it to heaven. People who follow Islam have no hope. They view God as capricious. They never know if He will be in a good mood when they need Him, or worse – when they get to the seat of judgment. Will their good deeds measure up? Will it even matter? Another reason I was so shocked by the shopping bag incident. Not only did the cashier shame the older woman, she definitely did not earn points with her maker either.