Web Retailer Apologizes After Employee's Anti-War Comment Stirs Controversy

[OhioChick]

Discount-mats.com says it fired the employee who made the anti-war comment and disagrees with the views he expressed.

Jan 29, 2007 12:32 PM

A routine question by an Army sergeant mushroomed into a national controversy when an employee of an online retailer responded with an anti-Iraqi war comment. That employee is now unemployed and the company has posted an apology on its Web site.

Last week, U.S. Army Sgt. Jason Hess posted an e-mail exchange in which he asked whether Discount-mats.com would ship floor mats to an Army Post Office. An employee responded by writing, "We would NEVER ship to Iraq. If you were sensible, you and your troops would pull out of Iraq."

Military blogs, discussion groups, and reporters sent news of the reply around the globe. Critics identified and posted personal information about co-owner Faisal Khetani and his family members. Complaints poured in through Khetani's business and personal phone lines and e-mail addresses. The companyWeb site shut down for several days.

By Monday, the Milwaukee-based company's home page contained an apology and an explanation of what had happened.


http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197001316

<snip> "That's dishonest, untrue, and an attempt to malign the Muslim community," he said. "Unfortunately, some of these individual bloggers, and whoever, have made a lot of threats and have written really vile and vulgar comments and e-mails -- not just to them but to the entire Muslim community."

Atta said he would have no problem if people had called for a boycott. He said some people crossed a line by targeting Muslims in general. Atta, who does not know Khetani, said that someone who was upset over the Discount-mats employee's comments, e-mailed him to say, "Muslims are a scourge and should go to hell."

[Ecumenist]

1. I wouldn't buy a mat from this company

if I had 4 miles of 3 foot deep muck urrounding my house. I hate weakness and brown nosers.

[Mike Daniels]

3. What weakness ?- The company rightfully had a PR disaster on hand

I don't condone any threats made to the company or the owners but the employee was out of line once he went beyond explaining their shipment policy.

[cigsandcoffee]

2. That employee earned the shitstorm, IMO

That was a silly reply to make to a business inquiry, regardless of the origins - not the time or place for it.

[Roland99]

4. Agreed.

[Ecumenist]

5. I stand my ground....What's right is right and I don't think

that bowing and scraping to satisfy someone's idea for what others think is the "politically correct". at least in this present environment. This is the whole reason we're in this mess in the first place. We need to start thinking about HUMAN BEINGS and what they require to exist. escalating war with Rah-Rah cheerleaders will end society if allowed to go to the apocalyptic heights some of these idiots actually want. Then, there'll be no bottom line because there'll be noone to buy a mat or anything else. I stand by my ground---I wouldn't buy anything from these jokers if my life depended on it.