Will Professional
Boycotters Retaliate?
by Steven Shamrak
The
Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank fired a Christian employee who refused to wear a
scarf to cover her hair as part of uniform for female staff. Salameh said that
she “refused to wear the partial head cover because it is against my
principles,” and is religious coercion. “The bank uniform registered at the
trade and industry ministry does not include wearing anything to cover my
hair,” she added.
Hijab
- traditional Muslim dress - is not required by law in Jordan and not all
Muslims, let alone non-Muslims, choose to wear it. Queen Raina of Jordan is
frequently seen in public and on TV without a headscarf. She has stressed that
all women should have the right to choose whether to adopt hijab.
Just
imagine how much news it would create if a Muslim woman was sacked by a Western
bank for her religious beliefs! This is a perfect opportunity for Israel’s
antagonists to prove that they are not anti-Semites. Will they protest against
this act of discrimination and call for boycott of Dubai oil and its banks?
There
have been many anti-Israel boycotts instigated in recent history by so-called
Palestinian supporters. Those people who have been supporting them have a
perfect opportunity now to prove that they are not anti-Semites. Will they
start a boycott movement against the Dubai Islamic Bank? Will they exercise the
same ferocity and zealousness protesting against Muslim countries, including
Palestinian Authorities for discriminating against Christians and other minorities?
Will they protest against discrimination and abuse of women? How many
Westerners must rot in Islamic prisons of so-called friendly to the West Muslim
countries and denied justice in the shadow of deafening silence due to the
Western countries’ oil dependency?