New Delhi: The Christmas holiday spirit in Pakistan has been dampened after two bakeries in Karachi — Delizia and Auntie Munaver — were accused of discrimination by allegedly refusing to write “Merry Christmas” on customers’ cakes.
“Are Christians lesser Pakistanis that they cannot be served or are popular bakeries just for Muslims?” asked author Shamila Ghyas.
“Two well known bakeries refusing to write “Merry Christmas” on their cakes in Karachi, a huge majority defending the decision as well,” said Pakistani musician Daniel Panjwaneey.
Two well known bakeries refusing to write "Merry Christmas" on their cakes in Karachi, a huge majority defending the the decision as well. Thanks to the digital age Pakistanis are finally getting to see some shit minorities have dealt with in quiet for so long.
— Daniel Panjwaneey (@alienpandajury) December 22, 2021
On 21 December, a woman by the name of Celestia Naseem Khan took to Facebook to narrate how a worker at Delizia in Karachi’s Khayaban-e-Jami area refused to write ‘Merry Christmas’ on a cake as it was an “order (to not write the message) from the kitchen”. The woman further said: “If they’re so against the minorities and their religion then they should not even make money from these occasions.”
A day later, a woman accused staff at Auntie Munaver, located in Clifton’s Bokhari Commercial Area of Karachi, of refusing to write the seasonal message on a cake following “instructions from the management”. While Delizia told Dawn that the incident was an act of an individual and that it would be “taking action” against the staffer, Auntie Munaver is yet to respond to the allegations.
A starkly similar incident took place in 2018 at Delizia’s Badar Commercial branch after which the bakery reportedly dismissed some staff. Some social media users recalled the 2018 case asserting that they weren’t convinced the latest incident was the result of an individual’s act.
Meanwhile, others pledged to never order from Delizia bakery, encouraging others to boycott the chain.
I wont be purchasing anything from #Delizia from now onwards !! #ShameOnYou #BoycottDelizia #Bakery #Christmas #Karachi pic.twitter.com/Q214MHu6Qu
— Qaiser (@Kali_Ghata) December 23, 2021
Never going to delizia ever again
— fatso uzair (@uzepar) December 23, 2021
Some users jokingly posted seasonal greetings, saying: “Merry Christmas Delizia and Auntie Munaver. May you lose (at least) some of your biases in 2022. (sic)”
This came as journalist Naila Inayat and others accused Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed of “seasonal rhetoric” following his remarks that Christians are a “peace loving” community. “Pakistani Christians remain one of the most persecuted religious minority groups. Try to undo the discriminatory laws against them, instead of seasonal rhetoric,” said the journalist.
Even then Pakistani Christians remain one of the most persecuted religious minority groups. Try to undo the discriminatory laws against them, instead of seasonal rhetoric. https://t.co/Dn8Mky2Mkj
— Naila Inayat (@nailainayat) December 22, 2021
‘See the flag’
Enraged by the incident, some users accused Delizia of forgetting what the white in the Pakistan flag stands for. The Pakistani flag, which shows white star and a crescent on a dark green field, has the colour green to represent Islam, the dominant religion followed in the country, and white to represent minority religions in the country.
Meanwhile, Paris-based Pakistani journalist Taha Siddiqui said while cakes are a “luxury item”, one could only imagine what under-privileged non-Muslim minorities must face in the country.
Pakistani bakery #Delizia in Karachi refuses to write #MerryChristmas on a cake being bought by this customer. This is the discrimination someone is facing in buying a cake – a luxury item. Imagine what under privileged non Muslim minorities must be going through! pic.twitter.com/DK9PTnjl8K
— Taha Siddiqui (@TahaSSiddiqui) December 22, 2021
Some online users defended Delizia by saying negative social media campaigns can hurt the jobs of employees at the bakery.
Responding to those defending Delizia and saying customers can simply write the message on the cake by themselves, one Facebook user wrote: “All the people here saying write it yourself, would you say the same if something like this happened abroad to a Muslim? We have to protect our minorities.”