Jedi ordered to remove hood in Tescos

[clippedgull]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/18/jedi-religion-tesco-hood-jones

Tesco has been accused of religious discrimination after the company ordered the founder of a Jedi religion to remove his hood or leave a branch of the supermarket in north Wales.

Daniel Jones, founder of the religion inspired by the Star Wars films, says he was humiliated and victimised for his beliefs following the incident at a Tesco store in Bangor.

The 23-year-old, who founded the International Church of Jediism, which has 500,000 followers worldwide, was told the hood flouted store rules.

But the grocery empire struck back, claiming that the three best known Jedi Knights in the Star Wars movies – Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker – all appeared in public without their hoods. Jones, from Holyhead, who is known by the Jedi name Morda Hehol, said his religion dictated that he should wear the hood in public places and is considering legal action against the chain.

"It states in our Jedi doctrination that I can wear headwear. It just covers the back of my head," he said.

"You have a choice of wearing headwear in your home or at work but you have to wear a cover for your head when you are in public."

He said he'd gone to the store to buy something to eat during his lunch break when staff approached him and ordered him to the checkout where they explained he would have to remove the offending hood or leave the store.

"They said: 'Take it off', and I said: 'No, its part of my religion. It's part of my religious right.' I gave them a Jedi church business card.

"They weren't listening to me and were rude. They had three people around me. It was intimidating." Jones, who has made an official complaint to Tesco, is considering a boycott of the store and is seeking legal advice.

Tesco said: "He hasn't been banned. Jedis are very welcome to shop in our stores although we would ask them to remove their hoods.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Luke Skywalker all appeared hoodless without ever going over to the Dark Side and we are only aware of the Emperor as one who never removed his hood.

"If Jedi walk around our stores with their hoods on, they'll miss lots of special offers."

 

[Northstander]

He needs a woman me thinks!

 

[HampshireSeagulls]

Superb reply by Tesco. Can't see them getting away with that quite so easily with Burqas and Niqabs though...

"We have checked the Quran and at no point does it say you must shop whilst looking through a letterbox. As far as we are aware, Mohammed shopped in the Mecca branch of Tescos without ever demanding that heads were covered."

Of course, if they all looked like this when they shopped, we wouldn't mind!

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

why didn't he use a Jedi mind trick ?

 

[Barrel of Fun]

why didn't he use a Jedi mind trick ?

Apparently Tesco employees are more powerful and he was FORCED to act on their wishes.

Another jolly good reason to boycott Tesco.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

It's the start of a very slippery slope by the looks of things. Those Sith Tesco bastards will be banning Lightsabres with anything other than red blades next! I can feel The Farce, people. Can you?

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Or as master Yoda would say "Tesco's , f***ed up by them you will"

 

[Adopted Brightonian]

What a f***ing loser.

 

[Dr Q]

He's from Holyhead for gawd's sake, what do you expect.

Then again most of the pubs in Bangor look like the Bar Scene in the first Start Wars, so he probably felt at home!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Didnt all the nonsense about if enough people put their religion on the census forms as Jedi it would be recognized get disproved?

 

[dougdeep]

Not another Hatgate thread.

 

[northampton_seagull]

Why did he not use the force?
I dont hate him as much as I hate people who call themselves Druids. Dont get me started on those tossers

 

[Yoda]

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Luke Skywalker all appeared hoodless without ever going over to the Dark Side and we are only aware of the Emperor as one who never removed his hood.

Obviously never watched Episodes 1, 2 & 3 then.

 

[sam86]

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Luke Skywalker all appeared hoodless without ever going over to the Dark Side and we are only aware of the Emperor as one who never removed his hood.

Obviously never watched Episodes 1, 2 & 3 then.

The great one has spoken.

 

[clapham_gull]

Oh dear, what a sad individual.

Reminds me of the people I used to see in Warrington you used to take their line dancing a little too seriously and walk round town doing their shopping dressed as Cowboys.

What a Star Wars freak doing at Tescos anyway ? They strike me as the type of people who shop at Asda.

 

[Norman Potting]

Would be interested to know what he was on his lunch break from when he went into Tesco. I suppose even Jedi have to eat sometimes!

 

[drew]

What a f***ing loser.

Exactly.

The dickhead can't even establish his own religion, he copies it from a story.

What next, someone comes up with a religion that states when in public you must have your suicide bomb with you at all times. Or maybe just that you are required to carry a gun.

What if the religion requires no clothes. Alright for those younger members of the sect but what if you're stuck in the checkout queue behind an old wrinkly!!!!

 

[Gwylan]

Then again most of the pubs in Bangor look like the Bar Scene in the first Start Wars, so he probably felt at home!

That made me spill my tea.

What makes it funnier, is that it's spot-on