Apple Store Locator: Student Denied Purchase of iPad at Georgia Shop for Being Irani

Apple employees assist customers with purchases of the new iPad at the Apple flagship retail store in San Francisco(Photo : Reuters)

By Zanub Saeed

 A customer trying to purchase an Apple iPad at an Apple Store in Georgia was denied their sale due to the fact that they were found speaking Farsi and from Iran, which is apparently against Apple's policy, as they will not sell products to the Asian nation.

Sahar Sabet, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen, tried to purchase the iPad from an Apple Store inside North Pointe Mall in the town of Alpharetta, Ga., on Thursday, but when the Apple employee heard her speaking Farsi, and made note that she was from Iran, she was denied her purchase, according to a report from WSBTV.com on Monday.  

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Sabet said she was purchasing the iPad for her cousin residing in Iran.

"When we said 'Farsi, I'm from Iran,' he said, 'I just can't sell this to you. Our countries have bad relations,'" Sabet told WSBTV.

According to Apple's policy, due to the bad relations between the United States and Iran, the exportation, sale, or suplly from the U.S. to Iran of any Apple Goods is strictly prohibited without authorization by the U.S. government, reported WSBTV. It is possible for Irani people to purchase the goods as long as they make no mention of the fact that they are from Iran, or are seen speaking Farsi without hearing range of an Apple employee. A representative of the U.S. State Department told WSBTV that it was illegal to travel to Iran with laptops or satellite cellphones without U.S. authorization.

"Discrimination. Racially profiled. He didn't have any business asking me what country I was from," Sabet told WSBTV. Apparently after Sabet called customer service, they told her she could purchase the iPad online through Apple's website.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called for Apple to change its policy when hearing about the report by WSBTV.

"Apple must revise its policies to ensure that customers do not face discriminatory treatment based on their religion, ethnicity or national origin," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "If the actions of these Apple employees reflected company policy, that policy must be changed and all employees retrained."