Headscarf again centre of job dispute

Aucklander Fatima Abdulkarem, 19, has worn a hijab since she was 10. Photo / Nick Reed

Another Auckland woman has found her job prospects limited because she wears a Muslim headscarf.

Fatima Abdulkarem, 19, has turned down a job trial at a juice bar at Auckland Airport over what she felt was discriminatory and racist treatment during her job interview.

Her story followed that of Fatima Mohammadi, 20, who was turned away from an interview for Stewart Dawsons/Pascoes at Henderson Mall just over two weeks ago when she refused to agree to take off her hijab on the job.

When contacted by the Herald later, the jewellery chain's head office said it was not against company policy for staff to wear hijabs. Ms Mohammadi was offered a second interview and has since accepted a job at another Pascoes branch.

Ms Abdulkarem, a science student at AUT University, experienced similar treatment when she applied for the summer job at the airport juice bar, Juicy Details.

"I went to my interview and the interviewer tells me that I cannot work with my headscarf on because of health and safety reasons."

She claimed despite offering to adjust how she wore her headscarf to better meet the health and safety requirements she was turned down.

Ms Abdulkarem said she was later offered a job trial after she laid a complaint with a general manager and threatened to report the incident to the Human Rights Commission.

However, she was uncomfortable accepting the job trial given her experience and had decided to look for a job elsewhere.

"It's not going to be a nice environment to work in."

Ms Abdulkarem, a former Pakuranga College student who has lived in New Zealand since she was 4, said it wasn't fair to be judged by how she looked. The Iraqi-born woman, who lives in Auckland with her parents and three siblings, has worn a hijab since she was aged 10.

She said it was a choice she made on the basis of her religious beliefs.

"It's a part of my religion, it's not just a scarf on your head."

She said wearing a headscarf wasn't oppression, but being treated differently because she wore one was.

Anne Singe, general manager of the Auckland branch of HMS Host NZ, which runs the airport juice bar, said the company was investigating the incident.

"We would be very disappointed if such a statement were made as we have a culturally diverse workforce," she said. "Our policies around equal opportunity, anti-discrimination messages and customer focus are an everyday part of our business."