Muslim woman told remove Hijab or give up on job hope

A woman was asked to remove her hijab when she applied for a job in a jewelry store and was told her application would be a waste of time if she refused, the New Zealand Herald has reported.

Mona Alfadli, 25, told the newspaper that she had been receiving benefits ever since she completed her studies in New Zealand, but was eager to find work, when she applied to the James Pascoe Group for a position as a sales assistant.

But when she approached the manager of the store she was told her application was a ‘waste of time’ if she did not remove her hijab, the report added.

"I felt embarrassed as it took a lot of courage to walk into the shop and speak to the manager regarding a job, especially since I was afraid of the rejection," she explained.

Now the company has responded to the incident, warning its staff in a statement that prejudice will not be tolerated by their firm.

According to the newspaper this is the second such incident to occur within the last nine months. Another woman was also turned away from the same jewelry chain in October. She complained and was later given part time employment, the report added.

Alfadli told the newspaper she wanted to provide her family with a ‘safe’ home, having immigrated from Kuwait in 2008.
“I can do any job, I don't mind, but I will keep my hijab,” she explained. “I will keep my identity, and respect my culture and my religion."

Responding to the incident Stewart Dawsons group chief financial officer Kevin Turner told the Herald that he was “devastated” when he heard the incident.

He added: “The manager in question is new to the company, so she hadn't been with us for very long.”

"Having said that she should have known better, she was not following company policy. We are taking this absolutely seriously, it's not okay and we will be following it up in the appropriate manner."

And he added that the company would apologize for the incident.