Can't Discriminate Against Devout Muslims in Sweden

Muslim woman wins handshake discrimination

case in Sweden

By Susan McFarland

(UPI) -- A Swedish court has ruled in favor of a Muslim woman who was cut short at a job interview because she wouldn't shake hands for religious reasons.

Farah Alhajeh, 24, was called to the interview with a company that offers interpretation services via telephone or video. When she declined to shake hands with a male interviewer, he terminated the meeting.

Alhajeh placed her hand over her heart instead, hoping he wouldn't take offense.

The court ruled the company discriminated against Alhajeh and ordered it to pay her $4,350.

Sweden's discrimination ombudsman took the case to court last year to argue for Alhajeh.

The company, whose policy asks employees to treat all colleagues the same regardless of gender, considers germophobia and autism legitimate reasons for not shaking hands.

The company said the move was not directed at Muslims as a whole, noting most male and female Muslims do shake hands.

The court ruling criticized the company's policy "for excluding those people who interpret Islam in the same way" as Alhajeh, but said it doesn't believe the employer's action was intentional.

In other words, devout Muslims. Devout Muslims are far more liable to be redicalized and therefore become possible terrorists. Employers now have to gamble with their employees.

“I came to the absolute conviction that it is impossible…impossible…for any human being to read the biography of Mohammed and believe in it, and then emerge a psychologically and mentally healthy person.” - Syrian Psychiatrist Dr. Wafa Sultan

Scuffle Breaks Out as First Woman Fined for Flaunting Denmark’s ‘Burqa Ban’

© Andrew Kelly/Reuters

A 28-year-old woman wearing a niqab has become the first person to be fined for flaunting Denmark’s contentious face-covering ban, which came into effect on Wednesday.

The incident happened in a shopping center in the Danish city of Horsholm on Friday, after police were called to a public disturbance upon the outbreak of a scuffle after another woman attempted to forcefully remove the woman’s niqab, according to local media.

“During the fight her niqab came off, but by the time we arrived she had put it back on again,” police officer David Borchersen told the Ritzau news agency. They took a photograph of the woman and obtained security camera footage of the incident.

Borchersen added that the woman was informed she would receive a fine of 1,000 kroner ($156) in the post for wearing the facial covering, and that she would need to remove the veil or leave the public space.

"She chose the latter," Borchersen said.

Coming into force on August 1, Denmark’s ban prohibits the wearing of facial coverings such a balaclavas, masks and false beards. While the law does not mention Islamic facial coverings such as burqas or niqabs by name, Human Rights Watch has labelled the ban as "discriminatory" and said it was the "latest in a harmful trend."

The law is definitely aimed at Muslims, but only those Muslims who are very devout or even radical. Devout or radical Islam is a much more harmful 'trend' than discriminating against them, unless you like the idea of Sharia Law, child brides, Danish girls being raped, etc., etc.

Having said that, the woman who attacked her had no right to do that and should also be fined for her violent behaviour.

Supporters of the law, meanwhile, claim the law will better integrate Muslims into Danish society.

Those caught wearing such coverings face a fine of 1,000 kroner, while repeat offenders can face fines of 10,000 kroner.

On Wednesday, hundreds of people took to the streets of Copenhagen in protest with demonstrators openly wearing facial coverings in opposition to the new law.