Apple refused to sell an Iranian 19 year old girl an iPad

Sahar Sabet (pictured above) is an American citizen, 19 years old, a student at the University of Georgia, and she owns an Apple iPhone and a MacBook Pro. She recently visited a local Apple Store with her uncle to buy an iPad as a gift for her cousin. While there she spoke to her uncle using her mother tongue: Farsi. The employees working at the Apple Store, recognizing that Farsi is the language that Iranians speak, refused to sell her an iPad citing rules set forth by the United States government that say Apple can’t sell their hardware to Iran. The exact line the employee used: “I just can’t sell this to you. Our countries have bad relations.” Sahar didn’t make a scene, she just sunk her head down, teared up a little, left, and just ordered an iPad off the internet. Instead of staying silent about the treatment she received, she called her local news station and told them her story. They made a short video which you can watch on their website.

There are multiple ways to interpret this story. If you’re a hardcore supporter of a smartphone platform that isn’t iOS, you’re probably thinking to yourself that what happened to Sahar proves that Apple is indeed the worst company on the face of this planet. If on the other hand you have a shrine in your garage dedicated to Steve Jobs and own multiple copies of the authorized Isaacson biography, then chances are you think Apple Store employees were just following the rules, so they didn’t make a mistake. Here’s our opinion: Apple tries their best not to hire idiot douchebags, but sometimes it happens. Said douchebags slip up, stir up a bit of controversy, and then a week later no one remembers what happened in the first place.

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About The Author

Stefan Constantinescu

Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.

mitchell sheehan

This is rubbish. I though the age of racism is over. They indeed are idiot douchebags.
- Commiehomo
  
  what race are iranians?
  - Alfredo Raul Huerta Rupay
    
    It’s not a race but subrace. Arabs. They all are mixed together in the same way as Mexicans, Spaniards, Peruvians, argentinians are called hispanics ( We prefer being called latinos, though)
    - Alfredo Raul Huerta Rupay
      
      Often the term race is used in the wrong way, such as saying Jewish
      people are a ‘race’ instead of a religion or ethnic group. I don’t think
      people who describe themselves as “Hispanic” or “Arab” are thinking of
      themselves as being a ‘race’, but ethnic or cultural group. And “White”
      probably means Germanic, or Anglo Saxon or northern or western
      European, not all Caucasians.
      
      But Hispanic is more complicated, Hispanics can be of one race, or more.
      It is just kind of an umbrella term. Many Puerto Ricans and Cubans are
      part African and white, many Mexicans are White and Native Mexican, all
      Native or all white. I don’t know why all Hispanics are lumped together
      when there are clear differences between a Puerto Rican and Mexican for
      example, or a DOminincan and someone from El Salvador, or someone from
      Spain and someone from the mountains of Peru.
      
      Arabs are also largely a group based on language, there are many ethnic groups.
      
      And whether you believe in Adam and Eve or totally in evolution, we are
      proven to be descended from one female at some point in history. So race
      isn’t everything.
    - Francis. R.
      
      I’m peruvian and i hate been called “latino”, i’m native so my culture, religion (i’m not christian) and language (although for education i must to speak a foreign language as spanish) is different from the culture, religion and language spoken by the latinos
      
      I suppose that the employees had to ask for an ID before think they were iranies. Don’t were racism, just dumbness.
      - Alfredo Raul Huerta Rupay
        
        I must disagree with you. But I love being called latino rico ( my gf is white, and her voice is really sexy). I’m chalaco btw
      - Francis. R.
        
        I lived a time in Callao, nice people, very warm and friendly. I’m from the border with Bolivia, so in my case be called latino is the same that be called russian or japanese. In your case actually u are latino. Regards.
      - Alfredo Raul Huerta Rupay
        
        Date una vuelta en julio x New Jersey, if you still love Peru. Regards
    - Rachel
      
      I feel I should correct here: Iranians aren’t Arabs at all. They are Persians. They had over 3000 years of war against the Arabs so it’s best to distinguish them.
      
      They also speak a different language, eat different things, have a different culture, history, and used to have a different religion until the Arabs brought islam to them. (unfortunately, I would say, but that is my opinion).
      
      Also: A lot of Iranian aren’t muslims, especially the ones that can affoard to fly or leave the country. A lot of them (mostly the poorest that can’t live their country) are also ignorants fanatics. Same apply in the US, we have our poorest ignorant fanatics, (tea party).
      
      I wish we could have a world just for them, tea party members, evangelist, crazy muslims, jewish extremist, and let them fight and die in their own world and allow the other ones to live at peace.
      
      That apple store guy is a f… moron obviously.
  - guest
    
    The original Iranian are the oldest tribe in the world. they are called parsi. Iran herself was called Persia. There king was Cyrus the great. Religion was Zoroasterian.It is the oldest religion in the world. They are the real Aryan race which Hitler fantasies about. The Arabs invaded Iran and destroying their cities forcefully converted them in to Islam. original Iranian neither Muslim nor Arabs.
http://www.emstracking.us/ Tanya

Hmmmm….Seems like being racism really
http://twitter.com/EthanThorn Robert Hoellering

If the ipad was being shipped to her cousin that lives in iran then the person working in the apple store was following US law now if this cousin lives in the USA and is a citizen then yes it could be called racism.
http://www.facebook.com/don.noll Don Noll

This is one of the worst articles and misleading titles for an article I have ever read. Apple Store Employee, not Apple, refused the sale, because they were an idiot, so is the writer
Stefan Constantinescu
http://www.facebook.com/people/James-Scott/100002401159073 James Scott

It seems to me that the managers at the store have not fully explained to their employees what they can do and what they should not do, of course this particular employee may not be the best and brightest they have to offer.
http://www.matthewdlyons.com/ matthewdlyons

This is just dumb.

I wouldn’t have a problem with an associate denying a sale if he/she clearly overheard that the iPad was going to be shipped to Iran, or if the girl explicitly asked. But relying solely on Farsi being spoken as proof that this girl an American citizen is ridiculous. Are we to assume that merely because speak French in the Apple store, they’re from France? (Insert any language and respective country.)

I think that it’s worth noting that the second and third sentences of the last paragraph of this blurb are completely unnecessary. If if you were trying to be tongue-in-cheek, it comes across as petty and lacks journalistic tact. It’s hard to know if this is reporting or opinion, since you do a little bit of both. If it’s the latter, take the high road and just offer your opinion on the matter.. Flame wars, or attempts to incite them, are just as stupid as the in the Apple store speculating about the girls national origin.
Commiehomo

This has to be crap. First of all, all anti american reporters know that no one in the usa would recognize farsi because they would think it’s mexican
- beeza
  
  farsi doesnt sound anything like mexican you idiot
  - Commiehomo
    
    i was being sarcastic you idiot
    - Commiehomo
      
      and PS….the language is called SPANISH you humorless leftist retarded pice of shit
      - Rachel
        
        you didn’t sound Sarcastic at all you ignorant clown.
      - http://profile.yahoo.com/7WPSTDSB6XEA4H6JWE2WJXMCGA Mara
        
        My ?eighbo?’s m?ther-i?-l?w Ma?es $8O hou?ly on the lapto?. She has b??n out of w0r? for 7 ?onths but l?st ?onth her i?come w?s $8734 just wor?i?g on th? la?t0? for a ƒew hours. G? to this web si?e and ?ead mor?.. C&#97shLazy.com
- Alfredo Raul Huerta Rupay
  
  do you speak English or American???? It’s not mexican… It’s Spanish… Go study to increase your knowledge.
Zapatero

I suppose you morons believe the artcles about Israelis making candies out of palestinian children too.
http://www.twitter.com/gtinari George Tinari

I think this is hard for any of us to judge because we would need to be there to get the full story.
Tino Q.

And that’s why I stay away from Evil Apple!
She went ahead and bought an iPad anyway?!?!?! She’s stupid! I would stop buying anything Apple and tell everybody to stay away from that company and they’re products!
The Hell with Apple!!!
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Racist

So being discriminated because a person spoke Farsi is not a big deal. Yeah, who cares about racism in this day and age, eh? Ain’t that right, Mr. Ceau?escu?
Racist

So being discriminated because a person spoke Farsi is not a big deal. Yeah, who cares about racism in this day and age, eh? Ain’t that right, Mr. Ceau?escu?
One

Sounds like BS to me. Produce the supposed store employee who just happened to be able to recognize Farsi. Just another person making up race baiting stories to stir the pot. I’ll believe this happened when someone catches it on video.
- Quadmux
  
  One – dont be surprised on how many people speak farsi. Plus, its not hard to pick out, even if you dont speak it
Quadmux

One – dont be surprised on how many people speak farsi. Plus, its not hard to pick out, even if you dont speak it
James

This is so stupid as this reporter is……at least he got one thing right….sadly it will be forgotten after a week….Did apple fire the douchebag? or according to Apple, Farsi speaking person should not be able to buy anything in this country????
LOL…………….
Kr

She could not have been too offended going and buying an iPad after that anyway. Way to show them!
http://twitter.com/unclekennybobs Bishop Sharp

Cocks