29 September, 2008

Paris: Bank, driving school reject women with headscarf


The following statement was received by Islamophobie.net from a woman who tried to enter a BNP bank branch and was refused on account of her headscarf. Together with the story below they sees it as a sign of Islamophobia in France.

The woman says that she came to the BNP branch at the Paris suburb of Fontenay-aux-Roses on Sept. 23rd, 2008 at 9:15am to perform operations in her bank account. She wore a scarf on her head which covered her hair but left her face visible. She entered the door by pressing the green button, and then pressed the button to open the second door in order to enter. Here, one of the employees told her via loudspeaker that for security reasons she must remove her veil to enter." She was stunned as usually she goes into the branch without problems and without any concern or remark. She therefore remained shocked and stuck in the doorway, a customer behind her waiting impatiently did not understand why she wasn't going in. She pressed the button again and the employee said to her that as already explained she must remove her veil in order to enter. She responded that she didn't agree, to which the employee answered that if she doesn't remove it, she won't enter.

The woman was therefore obliged to turn around and go back through the entrance door. She asked the customer who witnessed this to have the employee write down what she'd said (regarding the prohibition of entering with a veil or scarf) and she answered that it was written outside. The sign outside (see source link) doesn't mention removing a headscarf, but rather removing anything which covers the face and not the hair. She remained outside the bank, crying, feeling humiliated for being prohibited from entering the bank (like an animal) where she and her family have always been clients. She feels she's been discriminated and had also sent the bank a letter about it.

Source: Islamophobie (French)

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MRAP (Movement Against Racism and for Friendship between Peoples) announced Wednesday they petitioned HALDE (High authority for fighting discrimination) on behalf of a young woman who was rejected by a driving school in Seine-Saint-Denis since she was wearing a veil.

Sabeh Kadi (20) wanted to sign up at the Cabriolet Roadster driving school in Les Pavillons-sous-Bois and was told that 'chadors' and 'scarves' were 'prohibited'. She was advised to find a different driving school. The French woman of North African origin, mother of three children, told AFP that she was 'shocked' and 'injured'.

The instructor she met told AFP that his school doesn't prevent people from signing up but warns applicants that all head coverings must be removed in the room and during driving lessons. Their rules do not distinguish between applicants, ensuring that everybody is equal, he added, invoking 'the Republic'. He explained that religion is not taken into account and that the driving school doesn't discriminate racially. He also added that head coverings might also interfere with hearing.

In the internal regulations displayed in the school office it says that one must dress correctly and appropriately and disqualifies the following head coverings: caps, turbans, scarves, hats.

According to MRAP, the conditions posed by the school constitute 'refusal of service due to religious discrimination' according to the penal code. The association says it will lodge a complaint with the Bobigny prosecutor in the near future.

Source: Le Parisien (French)
via Islam in Europe by Esther

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