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| Britain |
| Glasgow jeweler bans customers wearing veils after robbery |
| 2009-04-29 |
| The owners of an Asian jewellery shop robbed by two men who disguised themselves in traditional Muslim veils have said they will now refuse to serve customers who cover their faces. Rukhsana Sadiq, who runs Ataa Jewellers in Glasgow, said people wearing the full niqab headwear must remove their veil before entering the store. Ms Sadiq, who was attacked during the robbery earlier this month, said the policy was being implemented for the security of the shop staff. "We cannot afford to be victims of crime simply because we respect what other people wear," she said. The family-run business, which has been based in the city's West End for more than two decades, was targeted by two Asian men posing as female customers. Dressed in full Muslim female dress and niqab headwear, they carried handbags and asked to browse various items before striking the staff and making off with jewellery worth thousands of pounds. Ms Sadiq, who described her assailants as "wimps" and "cowards", said the incident had left her with no option but to screen people entering the shop. From now on, women wearing the niqab will have to remove it to show their face, or call the shop beforehand to arrange an appointment. Anyone turning up unsolicited who refuses to remove the veil will be turned away. "At the end of the day, these people were disguising themselves. We respect people who wear devout forms of dress, but this isn't about disrespecting what people wear," Ms Sadiq said. Hanzala Malik, the family's local councillor, said the Sadiqs were within their legal rights to introduce the policy, and he expressed sympathy with them. "Banks up and down the country take the view that people wearing helmets won't be served, and I think, more and more, issues about identity will arise. There may come a time when ladies wearing the niqab may find themselves disadvantaged," he said Mr Malik, a Labour member of Glasgow City Council, said he believed the community would support the family's decision. But Madihah Ansari, 19, a student in the city, said: "I just really don't like the idea. It is like prejudice about one type of person. Just because two guys did a crime and they were dressed up in that kind of outfit, you can't prejudice everyone else." Osama Saeed, the chief executive of the Scottish-Islamic Foundation, said it was important people did not victimise people who wear veils. "We wouldn't want to see another witch hunt against people that choose to cover their faces, even though most Muslim women do not do this," he said. "People have the right to wear what they wish in a free society. We do, though, have sympathy with security concerns in certain situations, for example in banks and schools." The incident echoes previous crimes where perpetrators have made use of Muslim clothing. Would-be bomber Yassin Omar escaped from London to Birmingham by dressing in a burka, following the failed attacks on 21 July, 2005. Fardosa Abdullahi had given the plot ringleader Omar her mother's long black robe to help him flee the capital the day after the attempted bombings. In February, the theft of a £15,000 ring from an Edinburgh diamond shop was linked to a series of raids by a robber who dresses as a Muslim woman. Last year, a man made his way into a locked jewellery store in Birmingham by posing as a Muslim woman before attacking staff with four accomplices, who stole £200,000 of gold items. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #2 Mazel und bruchas. |
| Posted by: Eric Jablow 2009-04-29 21:28 |
| #1 "We cannot afford to be victims of crime simply because we respect what other people wear," Oh, yes you can. If you weren't Muslim yourselves, the Human Rights Commission would be all over you for racism. As it is, they'll probably still get complaints and be labeled "Uncle Toms". |
| Posted by: gromky 2009-04-29 07:37 |