Page 7 - IAV Digital Magazine #488

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Muslim Woman Served Pepperoni Pizza In Dark Theater: Lawsuit
By Emily Holland, Patch Staff
REDONDO BEACH, CA — A Muslim woman is suing a movie theater chain, alleging she ordered a cheese pizza at a Redondo Beach theater in 2017 and instead was given pepperoni pizza, which she accidentally ate a portion of in the dark auditorium, violating her reli- gious laws against consum- ing pork.
Kiara Rivers is suing American Multi-Cinema Inc., alleging reli- gious discrimina- tion, battery, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional dis- tress and negli- gence. The suit filed Thursday seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive dam- ages.
"As a devout Muslim, (Rivers) considers the consumption of pork a violation of
her duties as a Muslim and detri- mental to her spiritual purity to the point that nothing can be done to restore her spiritual integrity," the suit states.
An AMC repre- sentative did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The lawsuit states Rivers bought a ticket for "Justice League" about 6 p.m. Nov. 23,
2017, and explained to the clerk that eating pork is a violation of her religion. She asked the employee to make sure the pizza did not con- tain any pepper- oni and the clerk assured her it would not, according to the suit.
Khan was wear- ing her hijab, a headscarf worn by Muslim women, the suit states.
About 10 to 15 minutes after ordering the pizza, it was delivered to her seat, the suit states. Never considering that the clerk would put pork on the pizza, she began eating and real- ized too late that there were pep- peronis on it, the suit states.
She immediately spat out the pep- peroni remains, the suit states.
"The dark nature of the movie the- ater made it impossible for (Rivers) to see the pepperonis prior to taking a bite," the suit states. (Rivers) was devastated because she had consumed pork and immediately began to feel hor- ror and fear. (She) was visibly upset because of the ramifications of her having consumed pork in violation of her
religious beliefs."
The effects of eating pork will be long-lasting on Rivers, the suit alleges.
"(Rivers) has gone into depres- sion because she believes that the bacteria from the pork that she consumed can never and will never leave her body, no matter what she does," according to the suit.
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