A hairdressing salon is being sued for refusing to hire a Muslim woman in a headscarf?

Question

Bushra Noah, a devout Muslim, was turned down for a job by the Wedge salon in Kings Cross. She is suing the salon for religious discrimination. Salon owner Sarah Desrosiers says she turned down the woman to maintain the image of her salon. She is now being sued for 15,000 pounds. Ms Desrosiers says that her stylists are required to show their own hairstyles to maintain the 'urban funky' image. It transpires that Miss Noah, who says she has always wanted to be a hairdresser, has now been rejected 25 times. Does this fact tell you something? Or is she right to sue over the grounds she is using? Miss Desrosiers did ask her if she was willing to work without the headscarf and she refused, saying it was part of her religion. Do you think she would have got the job if she had agreed to remove it whilst working?

We've had some good answers here already. I agree with quite a few. I also think that, having been turned down 25 times, she should take the hint. I wonder what reasons all the previous hairdressers gave for their refusals. It does seem now that she's suing out of spite. And I also agree that employers should have the right to take on whom they wish. If the salon owner didn't feel that she would fit in then I think she has every right to refuse her a job. That is what I am going to base the winning answer on.

I saw this on the news on TV tonight as well. As well as the two individuals involved, there were the views of other people, including a male hairdresser. He supported the view of the salon as did some of the other people. And after watching Ms Noah, I've come to the conclusion that she is one of the 'compensation culture' people that are coming to the fore in society nowadays, getting all she can from a situation. Whatever arguments people come up with, this is Britain, we have always had a British culture. It is being eroded because of people like Ms Noah. Good luck to the salon, I hope they win the case, this should never go to court. An employer, in my opinion, should have the right to employ whoever he or she wants.

Answer 1

The salon owner has risked her savings and started her own business, i believe that she has a right to hire whomever she wants, whats the world come to when owners cannot choose their employees. She should pick a salon that accepts her to work with her attire, its unfair of her to punish this woman for not hiring her while 25 others did the same......i think she needs to take a hint

Answer 2

Actually, her headscarf is NOT part of her religion, it's part of her tradition.

Muslim women in other parts of the world don't wear headscarves.



As for Noah being rejected 25 times by salons.

I think that it's more likely that she was rejected more on due her personality than her traditional outfit, since salons are always looking for employees no matter on how they look.

One thing for sure, by suing the salon, she proves that in her true nature, she's not a muslim despite what she claimed to be. Bushra Noah, is NOT a devout Muslim.



As for the salon.

It's correct that that the salon have the right to choose on what kind of employee that it wants.

However, it's also correct that the salon done a discrimination, even though that it's hairstyle discrimination (as it claimed), indirectly it also a tradition discrimination (as it also claimed, indirectly).

The problem is that these days, discrimination is considered as illegal. What Noah did is legal, despite not being approved by most people.


But nevertheless, the salon must have really made some people upset other than Noah, or else the case won't be even be considered and publicized.

Answer 3

It reminds me of how I felt for being fired. Why? Because I did not attend "voluntary weekly prayer meetings". When I was asked about it, I politely replied I did not share their beliefs. "An ATHEIST?" I was gone the next day. I appealed to the state and won my job plus back wages.

Everyone where I work now has Bibles on their desks, wears huge crosses and play the "I'm so religious" game all day long. If they find out I'm atheist, I wonder what will happen after ten years of silence on my part.

Note: not all Muslim women cover their faces. It varies region to region. Many wear the simple hijab, which in many cases shows some hair atop their heads.

Answer 4

i read the article in todays Metro..
aslong she can cut hair,then what does it matter if she wears headscarf..i don't know the full facts behind this story but suing is taking it a bit far i think,im devout muslim myself...it kinda give decent muslims a bad name aswell..
if it was me that got rejected,it would make me even more determined too prove people wrong by working even harder in trying to land a job in the required field..

she can always apply for job in hairdressers owned or run by muslims,or even start her own business...

Answer 5

Well, to answer your last question, I could only suppose so. However, it IS a part of her religion. If I had a business and I refused to hire someone because they wore a cross all the time, I'm sure they'd sue me faster than I could say, "Oh sh1t." Would the Christian get his/her job if they took off the cross? I don't know, resume my friend. I guess it is a TYPE of religious prosecution, since I'm sure those girls working there would have on crosses, Rosemarie's, etc. I think she's in the right, but perhaps she should also make an exception to the cover-the-face routine whilst at work.

Hope this helps! ^_^

Answer 6

It does seem more than a little odd. Muslims supposedly cover their hair because of a belief that women should be modest; that showing your hair is immodest. So what is a woman who believes that showing your hair is immodest doing asking for a job which creates hair-dos which are meant to be seen?

She is colluding in an immodest activity! If she were serious about her religious beliefs, there is no way she would want to work in a fashion salon. Perhaps she might justify working in a salon doing modest haircuts for Muslim women - one where the women are not visible to the public and get to come and go flaunting their head gear, not their hair.

I conclude, therefore, that she is NOT devout but is in fact seeking out attention.

Answer 7

The salon owner should not be prosecuted for not employing someone she didn't feel suitable. If Ms Noah (ironic?) has been rejected 25 times previously has she also sued each of the previous employers? If so she has become a vexatious litigant. If she feels so strongly she should stick to applying to muslim employers. If Miss Desrosiers was willing to employ her without the scarf it's hardly religious discrimination is it?

Answer 8

First of all, there are Muslims in every country that are FROM that country, yes born there!! Surprised?? So when you say something as ignorant as "they come to our country" you look really stupid.
Secondly, Muslim women go to Salons all the time! We don't always wear our hijabs! We have hair too!!! We are also not slobs that don't take care of our bodies and hair, we are supposed to make ourselves look appealing for our hubbys! The only difference in Muslim countries is that women can walk into a salon, whip off her hijab knowing that men will not even DARE to walk in! We do everything to our hair that you do! We get our hair permed, straightened, colored, done up, cut into bobs, shaped around our faces, feathered, layered, you name it.
When Muslim women get together, we take off our hijabs, go figure.....
At any rate, I think that she should sue but only if that was the only reason keeping her from getting the job, and as for the other 25 places, they probably were't stupid enough to tell her it was because of her religious beliefs that she didn't get the job!!!
I find it so funny that in America a person can sue for any reason, but when a Muslim does it, its because they are so pushy!!! And I speak of America because that is My homeland......................

Answer 9

This person has just gone out to make an example of the 1 shop if she was to be fare then she should be sueing all 25 shops, as they all turned her down........I would agree with the shop owner as they need to show their hair styles and the staff genualy are the models that sell the place by their own hair styles.
These people should remember that the UK is classed CHRISTIAN Country even though these days only 5% of it population actually attend a church every week! & if we go to any Muslim country we would be expected to cover up (Especially if you are female) when out in public so they should expect to be treated in the same way as we would be treated in their country!

Answer 10

Too right she should sue! I know people who wear headscarves and are hairdressers and they cut hair way better than anyone else. i totally agree with Pangel. At the end of the day so what if there is an "image" to present" someone can easily choose not to. She doesn't have to sell an image through herself exactly she can easily sell the product through other ways.

Xyclo – A lot of us muslims are born here and bred here and have adapted to maintain our religion whilst living in british culture. THIS IS WHERE WE ARE FROM.

She’s only being provided with discrimination. If someone was being denied to work because they wore a cross, you’re telling me you wouldn’t get angry? Or if someone who didn’t believe in religion was being sacked because they weren’t participating?

Her hijab does not interfere with the way she works so there shouldn’t be a problem. I don’t feel she’s imposing her beliefs on anyone. Hijabs our choice,our lifestyle we aren’t going around telling other women to go and wear one.

The fact that she was denied work on the pretences of her headscarf underlies religious discrimination. The government was the one who set it up, yet when it happens to another person of another faith, people flare up on how those people are overreacting! Its double standards, and I hope she does win.