Muslim worker ordered to change hijab due to 'terrorist affiliation'

A Muslim woman is suing her employer for discrimination after she was allegedly ordered to remove her black hijab because of its "terrorist affiliation".

The estate agent, who has not been named, worked at Harvey Dean in Bury, Greater Manchester, for around a year. Her managers took issue with her hijab when she was moved to a public facing office.

A complaint filed at the Manchester Employment Tribunal, said that the woman was told that moving from a back office into public view meant "that it would be in the best interest of the business for her to change the colour of her hijab, due to the supposed terrorist affiliation with the colour black" – The Independent reports.

A colleague allegedly claimed that the predominantly non-Muslim community would "feel intimidated and scared if they saw the claimant".

The woman, who wore a black headscarf that left her face uncovered since starting at the estate agent, was quoted as saying that she was not prepared to change her attire for the reasons given. She refused in a phone call and a meeting held the following day with her male manager, who allegedly brought in coloured hijabs for her.

Hours after the meeting, she said she was reprimanded for sending a text message on her lunch break, according to the complaint. Her manager then “went on a tirade accusing the claimant of not working. The claimant informed him that she was on her lunch break but he told her that he did not care (and) then proceeded to tell her to: 'Get the f*** out of here’.”

The former housing sales negotiator left the office and heard nothing from her employer. The following week, she submitted a letter of resignation.