AC staff at SFO allegedly asked a 12yr old to remove her hijab before boarding
Aug 6, 2019, 9:43 pm
#46
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Aug 6, 2019, 10:09 pm
#47
Join Date: Apr 2017
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Frankly, the notion that a baseball cap is equivalent to a hijab is ridiculous. A better analogy would be asking a bald woman to remove her wig in public. Or asking a Jewish man to remove his Kippah, or a Sikh to remove his turban.
Some cultural sensitivity is definitely in order in this instance. Whatever the reason for the GA’s request to remove the hijab (presumably a doc check), the girl should have been allowed to comply in private instead of in the terminal. AC should be prepared for this eventuality.
Plenty of airports manage to solve this issue without embarrassing or offending people. For instance, at DXB passport control has specific lanes for women wearing hijab or niqab. Those booths are enclosed by a perimeter of electronic privacy glass, providing women the opportunity to remove the veil or scarf for the immigration officer without being seen by the general public.
Some cultural sensitivity is definitely in order in this instance. Whatever the reason for the GA’s request to remove the hijab (presumably a doc check), the girl should have been allowed to comply in private instead of in the terminal. AC should be prepared for this eventuality.
Plenty of airports manage to solve this issue without embarrassing or offending people. For instance, at DXB passport control has specific lanes for women wearing hijab or niqab. Those booths are enclosed by a perimeter of electronic privacy glass, providing women the opportunity to remove the veil or scarf for the immigration officer without being seen by the general public.
Aug 6, 2019, 10:36 pm
#48
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 30
If headscarves had to be removed how do you think anyone flies around the Middle East? With Muslims as 15% of the world's population - people in hijab fly every day on all airlines including Air Canada.
There are women in hijab and men with turbans working as airport support, and as flight attendants and pilots. They don't have to remove their head coverings. Hell I guarantee there are hijabi employees of Air Canada who are going to be questioning what happened here as well.
This was racism.
There are women in hijab and men with turbans working as airport support, and as flight attendants and pilots. They don't have to remove their head coverings. Hell I guarantee there are hijabi employees of Air Canada who are going to be questioning what happened here as well.
This was racism.
Aug 7, 2019, 2:47 am
#52
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Aug 7, 2019, 4:47 am
#53
Join Date: Jun 2017
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Why? They are both head coverings. The meaning someone gives to their head covering is irrelevant.
That said, why not do away with ID checking at the gate. Solves a whole lot of issues, and boarding can be done faster, using automatic gates like is common at many airports.
Aug 7, 2019, 6:27 am
#55
Join Date: Apr 2017
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Why? They are both head coverings. The meaning someone gives to their head covering is irrelevant.
That said, why not do away with ID checking at the gate. Solves a whole lot of issues, and boarding can be done faster, using automatic gates like is common at many airports.
That said, why not do away with ID checking at the gate. Solves a whole lot of issues, and boarding can be done faster, using automatic gates like is common at many airports.
That said, while I personally find no special significance in any religious headwear and custom, I do recognize that many other people don’t feel the same. Thus, their beliefs should be respected even though I don’t share them (or might even find them silly).
Aug 7, 2019, 7:37 am
#57
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Disclaimer: this is not a racist comment.
If someone can remove their hijab for an immigration or other security officer, why on earth can't they just remove it altogether? Especially if their passport photograph shows no hijab, so it clearly wouldn't be the first time they had done it. In some places in Europe, the wearing of the hijab is actually banned.
As indicated by others upthread, there is a very thin line between something required as a religious observance (like a turban or a nun's habit) and something required for cultural, social or functional reasons (like Islamic headgear, a cowboy hat or a crash helmet), and we run the risk of confusing the two, as do the wearers of these accoutrements.
If someone can remove their hijab for an immigration or other security officer, why on earth can't they just remove it altogether? Especially if their passport photograph shows no hijab, so it clearly wouldn't be the first time they had done it. In some places in Europe, the wearing of the hijab is actually banned.
As indicated by others upthread, there is a very thin line between something required as a religious observance (like a turban or a nun's habit) and something required for cultural, social or functional reasons (like Islamic headgear, a cowboy hat or a crash helmet), and we run the risk of confusing the two, as do the wearers of these accoutrements.
Aug 7, 2019, 7:53 am
#58
Original Poster
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Disclaimer: this is not a racist comment.
If someone can remove their hijab for an immigration or other security officer, why on earth can't they just remove it altogether? Especially if their passport photograph shows no hijab, so it clearly wouldn't be the first time they had done it. In some places in Europe, the wearing of the hijab is actually banned.
As indicated by others upthread, there is a very thin line between something required as a religious observance (like a turban or a nun's habit) and something required for cultural, social or functional reasons (like Islamic headgear, a cowboy hat or a crash helmet), and we run the risk of confusing the two, as do the wearers of these accoutrements.
If someone can remove their hijab for an immigration or other security officer, why on earth can't they just remove it altogether? Especially if their passport photograph shows no hijab, so it clearly wouldn't be the first time they had done it. In some places in Europe, the wearing of the hijab is actually banned.
As indicated by others upthread, there is a very thin line between something required as a religious observance (like a turban or a nun's habit) and something required for cultural, social or functional reasons (like Islamic headgear, a cowboy hat or a crash helmet), and we run the risk of confusing the two, as do the wearers of these accoutrements.
After that comes customer service, PR and everything else.
Aug 7, 2019, 8:02 am
#59
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 18,007
Where is that? I have heard of various laws and restrictions of full face coverings, like burkas, but head scarves like the young girl was wearing are seldom banned. France has rules against wearing conspicuous religious symbols, including headscarves but also kippas and crucifixes, in French state schools and government offices but never on a flight, train, or other public places.
Aug 7, 2019, 8:30 am
#60
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: YOW, LHR, SIN
Programs: AC-SE, EK-G, GF-G
Posts: 674
Disclaimer: this is not a racist comment.
If someone can remove their hijab for an immigration or other security officer, why on earth can't they just remove it altogether? Especially if their passport photograph shows no hijab, so it clearly wouldn't be the first time they had done it. In some places in Europe, the wearing of the hijab is actually banned.
As indicated by others upthread, there is a very thin line between something required as a religious observance (like a turban or a nun's habit) and something required for cultural, social or functional reasons (like Islamic headgear, a cowboy hat or a crash helmet), and we run the risk of confusing the two, as do the wearers of these accoutrements.
If someone can remove their hijab for an immigration or other security officer, why on earth can't they just remove it altogether? Especially if their passport photograph shows no hijab, so it clearly wouldn't be the first time they had done it. In some places in Europe, the wearing of the hijab is actually banned.
As indicated by others upthread, there is a very thin line between something required as a religious observance (like a turban or a nun's habit) and something required for cultural, social or functional reasons (like Islamic headgear, a cowboy hat or a crash helmet), and we run the risk of confusing the two, as do the wearers of these accoutrements.