Daniel Jones aka Master Morda Hehol, who created the International Church of Jediism (UK Church of the Jedi) with his brother Barney Jones (Master Jonba Hehol), claims he was victimised over his beliefs by staff at the local Tesco in Bangor, North Wales.
The church requires believers to cover their heads in public places. But the supermarket staff ejected him from the store over security fears, beause he refused to remove his hood.
Morda Hehol told the Sun:
I told them it was a requirement of my religion but they just sniggered and ordered me to leave. I walked past a Muslim lady in a veil. Surely the same rules should apply to everyone. It was discrimination. I was really upset. Nobody should be treated like that. I’ll advise worshippers to boycott Tesco if it happens again. They will feel the Force.
The jedi holocron handbook clearly states that “Jedis must wear a hood up in any public place of a large audience.”
A Tesco spokeswoman said:
Jedi 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 went hoodless without going to the Dark Side. If Jedi walk around our stores with their hoods on, they’ll miss lots of special offers.
The UK Church of Jedi was established in 2008. Jediism is practised 500,000 people around the world.