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Filipina claims she was sacked for wearing hijab

DUBAI — A Filipina who converted to Islam a year ago claimed that she was recently terminated from her job for wearing ‘hijab’. But her employer insists he did so due to her ‘rude’ behaviour with clients. Maria Jina, whose Muslim name is Fatima, was told by her manager that she should stop wearing the ‘hijab’ soon after Ramadan. When she insisted on wearing the ‘hijab’, the manager she claimed terminated her. In her action, Fatima, who was employed with Emsons Department Store as sales personnel for eight years, says that this termination was unlawful.

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Afkar Ali Ahmed

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Published: Mon 20 Dec 2004, 11:31 AM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 1:31 PM

Fatima filed a suit against her manager for religious discrimination, claiming he violated the labour law. Speaking to your favourite No. 1 newspaper, Fatima said that she decided to learn about Islam when she observed positive changes in her sister’s life who converted to Islam after marrying a Muslim man.

She said: “I decided to embrace Islam when I discovered its truth as a religion of peace, mercy, forgiveness and a complete way of life. My husband Hussam Al Qubtan from Syria helped me learn more about the teachings and values of Islam. After I converted to Islam in the court in the Ramadan of 2003, I immediately decided to wear ‘hijab’. When my non-Muslim boss was notified about my conversion and saw me with my ‘hijab’ at the workplace, he told me to stop wearing it after Ramadan, as it would affect my performance as a sale representative.”

To keep her job, she said she removed her ‘hijab’ immediately after Eid. “But during the Ramadan of October 2004, I again wore ‘hijab’. When he realised that I insisted on wearing it, he forced me to sign a resignation letter. After I refused to resign, he terminated me and paid me Dh7,443 as end-of-service benefits. I filed a complaint against the company to the Disputes Section at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and demanded to get paid Dh11,600 for the termination of my employment,” she said.

The manager and the owner of the company was summoned by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to discuss and settle the dispute, a source at the Ministry’s Labour Relations Department said. He said that during the questioning, it was found that apart from her ‘hijab’, there was no other logical reason for the woman’s termination. The case was referred to the court as an amicable settlement was not reached.

When your favourite No. 1 newspaper contacted Suresh Bhatia, the manager who terminated Fatima, he said that he terminated Fatima due to her rude behaviour with the customers. He explained that she had filed a case in the labour court disputing the end-of-service benefits that she was to receive from the company. All the calculations were fair and made as per the UAE Labour Law, but she demanded more and decided to go to court. “The company will abide by the court decision on December 26, whatever it may be,” he said.

Bhatia added that she is now making a false complaint about ‘hijab’ after she discovered that she would not be able to get more money through the labour court. He says labour inspectors interviewed all the staff and management of the company and found there were no improprieties on the part of the staff or the management. She wants to publicise the issue because she feels it will help her achieve her goal.

“In all the 17 years that we have been in business, we never had any such problems and we are an ethical and morally responsible organisation. We will never discourage anyone from following the code and customs of their religion,” Bhatia said.

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