Chairman of Ummah T&T, Imam Rasheed Karim, says he will be seeking a meeting with the relevant authorities, especially the law enforcement agencies in T&T, namely the Ministry of National Security, to discuss modification of uniforms to accommodate the Muslim community.
Karim's remarks came in light of Tuesday's judgment in the Equal Opportunity Tribunal, where Giselle Glaude, 31, of St Joseph, won her discrimination case against the Quality Security Bodyguard Services Limited.
Glaude was awarded $150,000 with an interest rate of six per cent per annum from the date of the filing of the complaint, arising out of an incident in which she was terminated for wearing her hijab as part of her uniform.
On March 26, 2012, Glaude was dismissed as a security guard for failing to wear the company’s approved uniform. She was accused of modifying the uniform by wearing a hijab shortly after becoming a Muslim on July 9, 2011.
The security company said Glaude had violated its uniform code, noting it was approved by the Ministry of National Security and they could not deviate from that. The company considered Glaude’s refusal to remove her hijab an act of gross misconduct.
Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Karim said that case ought to set the precedence for employers. He said too many times sisters in the faith had approached him to say they were having difficulties in getting a job because they wore the hijab and he himself had to intervene.
“Given what is happening in the world today, people are fearful of Muslims and people wearing the hijab, which is a form of discrimination and this must be addressed,” Karim said.
“I am going to make a call for the protective services in T&T to accommodate men and women in the Muslim faith to be allowed to grow their beards and have it well kept, for the men, and for the women, to wear their hijab because this is a country where every creed and race find an equal place,” he added.
He made it clear he would not be asking for the complete change of a uniform but at least for it to be more modest for women and add to it hijabs for Muslim women.
Head of the Islamic Front, Umar Abdullah, said he too received a lot of complaints from Muslim women.
“The complaints are too many and I am happy to see the outcome of this case and I hope employers now learn and allow hijabs,” Abdullah said.