A letter to Indigo Restaurant

Parkgatan 18
Mariehamn 22100
Tel: 0408795270
E-post: xaritnexna@gmail.com

7th June, 2009.

Manager
Indigo Restaurant
Nygatan 1
22100 Mariehamn

Dear Sir,

REQUEST FOR AN APOLOGY

My name is Alieu Khan, a Gambian immigrant living in Mariehamn, Åland. I moved to the Island a year ago and since then your restaurant/bar has been my favourite hang out place and this I mentioned in my book-Within a Year-An African Immigrant on the Åland Islands.

I want to bring your attention to a very dehumanising encounter I had with your security guard on duty, Friday night 5th June 2009.

I had a friend from Italy (also Gambian) and I decided to take him out to see the Island’s night life. When we arrived at the Indigo main entrance, the security guard let me in (because he recognised me as a regular customer) but asked my friend to show his identity. My friend did so and was also let in. After staying in the bar for about 20 minutes, I decided to take him to also see Dinos, leaving our jackets behind.

When we returned to Indigo the security guard surprisingly asked both of us to show our identities.

“But my friend already did so and I guess you recognise me,” I said to him.

He insisted that we should show him and we complied. After checking our identities, he interesting said to us that he doubt our ages and not sure of our identities.

“You are not invited today. You can come back another time,” he revealed.

“But we have our jackets in and if we are not invited why did you let us in, in the first place?” I asked him.

I tried to make him understand that I am a regular customer and Indigo is my favourite place and that’s why I decided to bring my visitor there. He insisted that we should collect our jackets and leave. It was a very embarrassing moment because there were lot of other people outside.

When I entered to collect my jacket, I felt I shouldn’t allow the security guard to take the law into his own hands and make us a subject of discrimination. I boldly told him that I am not leaving until he tells me, why we are not invited.

I wasn’t drunk ( I don’t even drink likewise my friend), I have never created trouble in Indigo and I am not underage, so why should I be asked to leave a place that open its doors to the general public.

The security wasn’t ready to budge and we spent close to an hour push and pulling. At the end some members of your staff called the police and they came for me. The police disappointedly wasn’t even interested in hearing our story and they started to check our identities like if we were criminals. They asked us to leave and we just did that.

As far as I am concerned I think what your security guard did was tantamount to discrimination. I was just a decent guy, who was out to have fun with a friend. It’s very clear that owners of restaurants, bars, night clubs etc have all right to remove people from their property BUT provided they do so fairly and give their reason for doing so. Security guards must learn to treat people equally and should not discriminate. I have the right to the same treatment and courtesy as anyone else.

Throughout my one year stay on Åland I have never been mistreated and disrespected like your guard did last Friday. I would like to share with you some of the reactions I have been receiving after I posted the incident on my facebook profile and hope you will reflect over it;

“They all bunch of racists that’s all,” Mo Hawk a hip hop musician based in Stockholm.

“Sorry to hear that Alieu. you should come to Old Pueblo in arizona and we will love you!” Saundra Levitz, an American university student.


“That stinks. I'm so sorry you had to go through such a mean-spirited, hateful experience. if you feel like it, you might think about writing Amnesty International or another human rights organization about what happened. big hug!” Jodi Rafkin, an American Human Rights lawyer.


“Sorry to hear this Alieu, just shows that people are still ignorant and that racism is very much alive and kicking. You should feel sorry for these people what are they so afraid of to treat you so badly? Are there no laws to protect human rights on the Åland Islands?” Nadia Barnett, a British teacher.

“I'm very sorry, Alieu ! Some people just need to show abusing control to feel better about them selfs..It's very sad,” Tina Bonn, a Finnish national.

“For heaven sake, someone need to tell those people we are not in the 18th century. Europe, we are in the 21st century!” Murhi Baks, a Gambian immigrant in Helsinki.

I’m requesting for an apology from your restaurant for treating me like a sub human being. I think this is the easiest thing you can do and make me regain my confidence and love for your restaurant.

In a situation, where you feel your guard was completely right for hand picking me and my friend and asking us to leave with NO REASON, then I would be very disappointed and thinks that might require a sort of protest.

Remember the business slogan:-The customer is always right!

Looking forward to hear from you.

Regards,


Alieu Khan
Founder and Coordinator: Hej Åland, an initiative geared towards bridging the gap between immigrants and the local people of Åland