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On July 24, 2008,
two Muslim women filed a lawsuit against the world's largest fast food
restaurant chain, McDonald's, its management company at Dearborn, Michigan, USA,
and one of its managers, alleging that they had been discriminated against
during their job interviews because they were wearing the hijab1.2 In the lawsuit
filed in Wayne County Circuit Court, Michigan, the women claimed that the
discrimination had been going on for years and demanded US$10 million as
compensation.3
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The two women Toi Whitfield (Whitfield) of Detroit,
and Quiana Pugh (Pugh) of Dearborn alleged that the manager had told
them that they would not be considered for employment unless they
removed their hijab.
According to the women, Pugh had approached
McDonald's for an interview in July 2008, while Whitfield had her
interview in November 2006.
In not providing them with a job opportunity due to their religious
beliefs, the company had violated a state civil rights law and the
representatives of the plaintiffs were considering filing civil rights
complaints with the federal and state governments, the women claimed.
The lawsuit came at a time when restaurants in the US were taking
initiatives to tap the opportunity provided by the large Muslim
population in the country. There were around six to seven million
Muslims living in the US and Dearborn, in particular, was a
Muslim-dominated area.4
Many restaurants in Dearborn had started offering menus with halal5 food
to target this segment and the McDonald's outlet in Dearborn was one of
them. In fact, the Dearborn restaurant was one of only the two
McDonald's restaurants in the US that served halal Chicken McNuggets.6
The case drew a lot of criticism from lawyers and Muslim bodies against
McDonald's. "They'll take Muslim dollars, but won't hire Muslim female
employees,"7 said Dawud Walid,
executive director of the Council on American Islamic
Relations-Michigan.
However, Finley Management Inc., the management company that ran the
McDonald's outlet in Dearborn, claimed that it had a strict
non-discrimination policy.
"Finley Management has a strict policy prohibiting any form of
discrimination with regard to race, gender, religion, or national
origin, in hiring or in any other aspect of employment... We would caution
anyone from jumping to conclusions without having all the facts,"8 it
said in a statement.
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1] The common meaning of hijab is of "modest dress for women," which most Islamic legal systems define as covering everything except the face and hands in public. Since the 1970s, the hijab has emerged as a symbol of Islamic consciousness "and an affirmation of Islamic identity and morality" in opposition to "Western materialism, commercialism, and values." (Source: www.en.wikipedia.org)
2] Gregg Krupa, "Dearborn McDonald's Sued by 2 Muslim Women," www.detnews.com, July 25, 2008.
3] Dawud Walid, "Muslim Women Seek $10 Million from McDonalds Regarding Discrimination," http://dawudwalid.wordpress.com, July 24, 2008.
4] "Anti-hijab McDonald's," www.islamiconline.net, July 25, 2008.
5] Halal is an Arabic term meaning "permissible". In the English language, it most frequently refers to food that is permissible according to Islamic law. (Source: www.en.wikipedia.org)
6] "Suit Alleges Discrimination against Hijab," www.zibb.com, July 25, 2008.
7] "Women File Discrimination Suit against McDonald's over Hijab," www.guardian.co.uk, July 25, 2008.
8] Gregg Krupa, "Dearborn McDonald's Sued by 2 Muslim Women," www.detnews.com, July 25, 2008. |
