Muslim sues Disneyland over headscarf

From The Telegraph U.K.

Muslim woman sues Disneyland over headscarf

A Muslim woman is suing Disneyland, accusing the company’s California theme park of discrimination for telling her she could not serve customers if she chose to wear a headscarf.

Published: 5:53PM BST 19 Aug 2010

Imane Boudal is now bringing Disney before the US Equal Opportunity Commission

Imane Boudal is now bringing Disney before the US Equal Opportunity Commission Photo: AP

Imane Boudal, 26, asked her employers at Disneyland’s Grand Californian Hotel several months ago whether they would permit her to wear a headcovering while working as a hostess, a spokesman for a worker’s union said.

But when no reply was forthcoming, she decided to don the headscarf anyway, timing her decision with the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Leigh Shelton, a spokesman for the Unite Here Local 11 union said.

“Disney told Boudlal that if she wanted to work as a hostess she had to remove her hijab because it did not comply with the ‘Disney Look,’” the spokesman said.

“Disney further advised Boudlal that if she refused to remove her hijab, she could either work a back-of-the-house position where any customers would not see her, or else go home.”

Miss Boudlal refused the compromise and is now bringing Disney before the US Equal Opportunity Commission, a federal agency that handles claims of workplace discrimination.

“Their offer to put me in the back is humiliating,” she said in a statement.

The local branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group, said it had sent a letter to Disney demanding that the firm accommodate Boudlal.

“There is no justification for Disney’s refusal to allow Ms Boudlal to wear her headscarf at work,” said Ameena Mirza Qazi, deputy executive director and staff attorney at the group.

“To say that her headscarf would somehow impact guests is not only insulting to her, but is deeply offensive to the thousands of Muslims who open up their pocketbooks at Disney parks and resorts every year.”

A Disney spokesman said Miss Boudlal has never been denied the opportunity to work.

“She’s been allowed to work,” said Disneyland spokesman Suzi Brown. “We’ve given her the opportunity to work in a backstage role the last several shifts that she’s come in.”

10 Replies to “Muslim sues Disneyland over headscarf”

  1. The height of Islamic arrogance – come to the West and use our laws and legal resources, our civil aircraft and the lives of our public, our benevolent nature, and use them against us to advance dar-al-islam. No wonder Islam has such a well-earned horrible reputation for disrespecting infidels. Any backlash against Islam in the West is long overdue and completely justified.

  2. She worked for two years with Disney with no problems.

    Why?

    Because she had not been granted her citizenship. To her credit, the moment she had her citizenship of the USA, and there was no real possibility of her being thrown out, she immediately started her Jihad against Disney. You can’t fault her on that. Its we who are the suckers – the all time suckers who make Henry Ford know he was right.

    As for the girls in Muslim countries who are fighting for the right NOT to wear coverings, these very same girls or most of them, if in Western countries, will fight to WEAR them.

    Its all about Islam. In Muslim countries, the fight to make it Islamic is over. They won, now they have to come to some understanding on how to run it. In the West, the Jihad is still on. Wearing the burqa or whatever, is a public statement of Islam in your face – “we are different and we will force you to accept our ways, and not the other way round”.

    In this context, if we understand the strategy of Jihad, the measure to make the burqa illegal, is a good one. In effect we are saying, that the rules are defined by us, which annoys Muslims. It does not matter if there are just a handful of women wearing the burqa – it is trumping the Islamic claim to superiority, and defining the mores of society, that is the issue.

    The same applies to minarets.

    Why such an outrage, when the mosque, the centre of worship was not affected by the ban, and just the pointy minarets were?

    To Muslims, the ban on minarets, meant two things

    1. That the mosque was being allowed as a charitable dispensation at the discretion of the Infidel authority, i.e.,submission to the Infidel law. The mosque without the minarets was really a castrated mosque – a symbol of subservience to the Infidel, then one of victory.

    2. A Swiss mosque sans minarets, is viewed by Muslims, as a symbol of Infidel insult to Muslims.

    This is the reason why Muslims are fighting to overturn the ban on minarets in Switzerland. Its a very strong symbolism.

  3. Islam belongs in Disneyland! They have been living in their own disneyland since 600AD Can you imagine the Disney characters in burkas
    i seem to remember Bugs Bunny in an old cartoon wearing a niqab you will have to dig that one out……..

  4. I remember Bugs in the classic toon veil, not so much the actual Muslim thing. I wonder if its worth searching youtube for.

  5. Beyond her citizenship status affecting the timing of this litigation, there is another issue being somewhat overlooked. It is reported that she first arrived at work wearing the veil on Sunday . . .one of the first few days of Ramadan fasting. Since she is assigned to work in the aromatic environment of this Disney cafe, it begs the question, was this just a rouse to get out of working near food during Ramadan? or a rouse to avoid working on an empty stomach and dry mouth? Showing up at work, with this indignant attitude left Disney short handed, not once but on three separate occassions. Fire her. Did this deceptive move escalate when Disney offered to accomodate her with a less visible position, perhaps offering her a job working in the kitchen with the food, or soiled plates? Was that beneath this famished tart? Disney also reportedly offered to have their professional costume department create a company approved head covering which apparently wasn’t prepared in time for Ramadan. Was this the camel that broke the camel’s proverbial back and snowballed into CAIR’s litigeous lap?
    The deception of Islam is everywhere. Why should this muslima’s suddenly embraced dress code trump Disney’s consistent, well documented, long established dress code? She signed a contract with Disney. Disney did NOT sign a contract with Islam and shouldn’t be forced into litigation to defend itself.
    Fire her.

  6. Knowing that Pirates exist because of islam, the Pirates of the Caribbean movies have a different slant to me now…

  7. The high jacking of the US and Canada soon. France and some European countries are fighting back, Even Bangladesh courst have made it ill legar for any one forcing a woman to wear a head cover.

    Try building a church or any christian bldg in the mouslim world? They come to this country with head bowed down, wait to get their cherished citizenship and kick the nation that gave them a voice. They raise their heads and show their fangs. This is our problem for being a fair nation , where even the terrorist can stand for a fair and just trial in a real cour. not a sham. what is next? did any one see that article of the Saudi judge requesting a hospital to damage the spine of a guy who was responsibe for and attack on another who was paralyzed or killed in the fight? This is what they hope to import into the west…….Freedom of religion, yes, but not freedom of terror

  8. As an Ex_cast member of several years service from Disney.

    When she was hired you go thru your first 1/2 day of orientation going over the Disney look. You are a cast member in a theater, so required to wear and look a certain way.

    this woman after 2 years decides to change her costume that has been selected to create an illusion for the part she is playing.. she was not fired for changing it, but was offered another postion as the cast out of public view,.

    If she wants to wear her ‘hijab’ out in public, all she needs to do is transfer to Walt Disney World (Florida) request to work for Epcot, at Morocco…. there the cast members wear the ‘hijab’ as it is part of the costume. Problem solved.

    I for one support the methods of what Disney is doing. if they didn’t set guidelines for the Disney look. would you like to meet Aladin and have him covered in tattoos wearing nose rings? Mickey getting warm, and just ripping off his head for a breath of fresh air right in front of your child… these rules are in place to give a magic to the place, for us to relive the cartoon most of us grew up with …

    Thank you for listening to my rant

    A Friend Of “Goofy”

    Walter H.

  9. Walter,
    We do appreciate rants here. I believe this woman is nothing more than an opportunist looking to seek benefit from a law suit. The timing, the opposition to explained employment standards and the ‘sudden’ perceived offense should all be considered when considering this case. Lawfare at it’s best, I’d say.

  10. Muslims will not take over our country!
    Get out of our American disneyland and out country!
    This country has had it and we are NOT tolerant…
    Allah is a dead cult leader and we will drag his name throgh the mud in front of her!
    allah is a piece of @#$#$#@
    hey stupid chick, leave, your not in Iran!
    we will win the war and tear dwoun all the 1500 mosque in this beautiful CHRISTIAN NATION, America!