Security Firm Fires Woman for Wearing Headscarf

June 18, 2006

Source: IranMania

http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=43744&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

On June 18, 2006 IranMania reported, "The Belgian security firm, Group 4 Securicor, has sacked one of its workers: a female receptionist who insisted on wearing the head scarf, IRNA [Islamic Republic News Agency] reported. The website Flandersnews quoted the Flemish daily De Standaard reporting on Saturday that Samira Achbita now intends to take legal action against her dismissal. The woman had been working for Group 4 for 3 years. Her employer was highly satisfied with her work until she decided to start wearing a headscarf a couple of months ago, said the paper. A Group 4 spokesman said that the company always asked employees to act in a neutral fashion and not to display their religious, philosophical or political beliefs. The Muslim woman now intends to take the matter to a labour tribunal. She doesn't want to leave the house without her head scarf any more. Achbita told the daily that she would rather die than go out without the Islamic head scarf."