Discrimination?

[R13]

ANAHEIM, Calif. ? A Muslim woman who works as a hostess at a Disneyland restaurant alleged Wednesday the theme park would not allow her to appear in front of customers while wearing her head scarf.

Imane Boudlal, 26, appeared outside the resort's Grand Californian Hotel after filing a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

She said when she wore the hijab to work Sunday, her supervisors told her to remove it, work where customers couldn't see her, or go home.

Boudlal, who wore the scarf in observance of Ramadan, chose to go home but reported to work for the next two days and was told the same thing.

"Miss Boudlal has effectively understood that they're not interested in accommodating her request either in timing or good faith," said Ameena Qazi, an attorney from the Council on American-Islamic Relations who is consulting with Boudlal.

Disneyland spokeswoman Suzi Brown said Disney has a policy not to discriminate. The resort offered Boudlal a chance to work with the head covering away from customers while Disneyland tries to find a compromise that would allow Boudlal to cover her head in a way that fits with her hostess uniform, Brown said.

"Typically, somebody in an on-stage position like hers wouldn't wear something like that, that's not part of the costume," Brown said. "We were trying to accommodate her with a backstage position that would allow her to work. We gave her a couple of different options and she chose not to take those and to go home."

Boudlal, who is a native of Morocco, has worked at the Storyteller restaurant at the hotel for 2? years but only realized she could wear her hijab to work after studying for her U.S. citizenship exam in June, Qazi said.

She asked her supervisors if she could wear the scarf and was told they would consult with the corporate office, Qazi said. Boudlal didn't hear anything for two months and was then told she could wear a head scarf, but it had to be designed by Disneyland's costume department to comply with the Disney look, Qazi said.

She was fitted for a Disney-supplied head scarf but was not given a date when the garment would be finished and was told she couldn't wear her own hijab in the interim.

Boudlal wore her own hijab to work for the first time Sunday.

"After these two months and this complicated process, she decided to come forward," Qazi said. "She really wanted to be able to wear it on Ramadan."

Boudlal has the support of her union, which has been in a bitter fight for months with Disneyland over an expired contract for hotel workers. Brown accused the union of distorting the facts in Boudlal's case to distract from the key issues in the contract fight.

Leigh Shelton, a spokeswoman for the union, said Boudlal's coming forward now had nothing to do with the negotiations.

"There's absolutely no correlation," said Shelton, who's with Unite Here Local 11

Muslim employee: Disney banned her head scarf - U.S. news - msnbc.com

[Milk3]

I don't see anything wrong with what Disney did. If it's not part of what she has to wear for her job then that's her problem. If it were a Jew wanting to wear a yarmulke I'm sure the same thing would have happened. Rules are rules at work. If people don't like them they're not being forced to work there. It was brave of her to leave because of what she believed in though. Most people wouldn't have the guts to do that.

[CoeburnCane]

I don't see anything wrong with what Disney did. If it's not part of what she has to wear for her job then that's her problem. If it were a Jew wanting to wear a yarmulke I'm sure the same thing would have happened. Rules are rules at work. If people don't like them they're not being forced to work there.

What if it had been a Christian wanting to wear a cross to work, and they denied it?

Also, Disney did the right thing up to a point, by saying they would design her a head dress. Where they went wrong though was dragging their feet on the process, and someone had to know throughout this thing that Ramadan was coming up, and how important a head dress would be to this woman during that religious observance. They basically ended up saying they'd work with her and then didn't follow through on it.

However--I will say this--I've never been a big fan of religious holidays (Christmas included) being observed at a workplace. If you want to worship, then do so in your personal time. When you're on the clock, you're supposed to be on the company's time.

It was brave of her to leave because of what she believed in though. Most people wouldn't have the guts to do that.

Agreed.

[1inStripes]

Also, Disney did the right thing up to a point, by saying they would design her a head dress. Where they went wrong though was dragging their feet on the process, and someone had to know throughout this thing that Ramadan was coming up, and how important a head dress would be to this woman during that religious observance. They basically ended up saying they'd work with her and then didn't follow through on it.

It must have not been that important in the past 2 Ramadans she has worked there if this is the first time she has attempted to wear it. I agree on the other parts of your statement, and that at least they did try to work her into a different part of the department. By agreeing to work a position in a theme/costume position you know you will have to give up some liberties in dress as well.

[centennialdawg]

What is the problem here? She worked in an "on stage" performance setting and the hjab did not fit into the programming and they told her that. I realize it is her right to wear it, but come on now, she had a "performing" job. It is a theme restaurant for Disney, not a religious freedom restaurant. Yeah, I'm certain that some of the performers probably were a cross necklace or something like it, but I would venture to guess that it is covered so as not to show during the performances. Wouldn't Disney have the right to require her to wear the proper costume?

[CoeburnCane]

What is the problem here? She worked in an "on stage" performance setting and the hjab did not fit into the programming and they told her that. I realize it is her right to wear it, but come on now, she had a "performing" job. It is a theme restaurant for Disney, not a religious freedom restaurant. Yeah, I'm certain that some of the performers probably were a cross necklace or something like it, but I would venture to guess that it is covered so as not to show during the performances. Wouldn't Disney have the right to require her to wear the proper costume?

All great points--but what if, for instance, a Christian lady who played Jasmine from Aladdin wanted to wear a cross not under but on the outside of her costume? How should Disney react? It's certainly out of place from her costume...would they be in the right to tell her to cover it up/wear it under the costume? What would be the backlash from Christian groups wanting to protect her rights to wear it?

I guess my point is--instead of seeing Muslim and automatically discounting her right to religious expression, flip the story around to if the person were of another religion (namely, in our country, Christian) and see if you have the same reaction. If you do--bravo. If you don't, then there's a double-standard that shouldn't be there.

[R13]

I don't think she was a "performer", it's just their outfits, they always are dressed in some character or whatever the theme is at that part of the park - been there a few times, but it's been awhile, that's what I remember.

With all of that said, I do not support this lady. As it's been pointed out, she signed a contract and she waited two years to just decide to do this. I watched her in a interview, think it was live too, and she was asked several times why she waited two years. Her first excuse was, she felt that she should wear it because she was old enough or it was the right time. Then it was asked again and pointed out that it was around the same time she got her citizenship(which was just a few months ago) and she said she read the constitution or looked at it and it said she could, so she did. Sounded like bull to me, she really didn't have a legitimate argument the whole interview, sounds too funny to me.

Disney has been more than accommodating IMO, think they said she's on paid leave while they find a way to incorporate it into her uniform or find another job away from the public that doesn't require her to be in costume or whatever. I know they are doing it to cover their ass, but that's far more than she deserves.

[Milk3]

What if it had been a Christian wanting to wear a cross to work, and they denied it?

I would say the same thing about that too. If it's against dress code for work you can't wear it. If you don't like it leave. I would however think if they left because of their believes that would be great for them to stand up for what they believe in just like with this lady.

If you don't stand up for what you believe in what's the point in living? IMO

[centennialdawg]

I don't think she was a "performer", it's just their outfits, they always are dressed in some character or whatever the theme is at that part of the park - been there a few times, but it's been awhile, that's what I remember.

With all of that said, I do not support this lady. As it's been pointed out, she signed a contract and she waited two years to just decide to do this. I watched her in a interview, think it was live too, and she was asked several times why she waited two years. Her first excuse was, she felt that she should wear it because she was old enough or it was the right time. Then it was asked again and pointed out that it was around the same time she got her citizenship(which was just a few months ago) and she said she read the constitution or looked at it and it said she could, so she did. Sounded like bull to me, she really didn't have a legitimate argument the whole interview, sounds too funny to me.

Disney has been more than accommodating IMO, think they said she's on paid leave while they find a way to incorporate it into her uniform or find another job away from the public that doesn't require her to be in costume or whatever. I know they are doing it to cover their ass, but that's far more than she deserves.

Well, finally, I agree with you on this. Yes, it was a "performance" restaurant where the costumes are required to be worn.