Muslim woman says roller-skating rink discriminated against her

[sara..... 371]

She had the option of wearing a helmet so she didn't HAVE to leave the arena. She chose to leave on her own. Her decision.

Next...

i did wonder when i read the story why she did not opt for wearing the helmet over her hijab.....everyone has to compromise if they want to wear hijab seemed like a logical solution to me

sara

[sandinista! 1,816]

it's weird and ridiculous to force someone to wear a helmet in the place when they're not even going to be on skates.

“These were two women who were not allowed in because they wore this headscarf,” he said. “They had absolutely no intention to skate.”

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/11/24/connecticut-roller-rink-defends-policy-headscarves-muslim-customer-complains/#ixzz16WlDH6DL

the "safety issue" thing is just funny. i had no idea that in all the years i've been ice skating on privately owned rinks in the winter, bundled up in a scarf, hat and mittens, surrounded by people dressed exactly the same, of varying skill, wearing sharp metal skates on really hard ice, that i've been basically putting my life in huge, abject danger. or is that ice skating is just inherently safer than roller skating, lol. those sharp metal blades aren't as dangerous as plastic roller skate wheels, and ice isn't as hard as a skate rink? the scarves worn for warmth and fashion on the ice rink are magically less likely to fly off than the hijab of a woman who's not even gonna be on skates. a-mazing!

[slim 1,530]

Next...

Exactly.

[Danno 1,228]

When the sign says "No exceptions" what exactly does this woman think that means?

Evidently rules are for everyone except those who think they are the exception.

Another daily example of how DIVERSITY is so often a divider.

[Danno 1,228]

the "safety issue" thing is just funny. i had no idea that in all the years i've been ice skating on privately owned rinks in the winter, bundled up in a scarf, hat and mittens, surrounded by people dressed exactly the same, of varying skill, wearing sharp metal skates on really hard ice, that i've been basically putting my life in huge, abject danger. or is that ice skating is just inherently safer than roller skating, lol. those sharp metal blades aren't as dangerous as plastic roller skate wheels, and ice isn't as hard as a skate rink? the scarves worn for warmth and fashion on the ice rink are magically less likely to fly off than the hijab of a woman who's not even gonna be on skates. a-mazing!

The safety issue is a real issue.

Ice skating around out on a lake is one thing, but if this was rollerskating on a circular track situation, thats a whole nuther issue.

I used to skate as a teen and even the smallest object on the floor can cause a rapid slam to the maple floor.

With people to the left and right going at a high speed as we did, there is no way to maneuver around an object... even if you even have time to see it.

ABC Reports I saw indicated, they did want to skate.

If in fact they were not skating, I can't see what the problem was but this should be up to no one but the rink managers.

[sandinista! 1,816]

i've never been ice skating on a lake before. only on indoor rinks, that are exactly the same as a roller skating rink, only with ice, and a couple of man-made outdoor rinks, again roughly the same size as a roller rink, and virtually indistinguishable from a roller rink other than what the floor surface consists of. but really, go on thinking that hats and scarves and mittens on ice skaters out on the rink are inherently less dangerous than a woman in a hijab, not wearing skates, who says she expressed she had no intention whatsoever to skate.

there was a roller rink in upstate ny a few years ago that kicked out a girl in hijab who wouldn't take off her scarf either-the manager contacted her, apologized for the incident, and said she was welcome to skate there in her hijab anytime she wanted. that roller rink must be so very, very, very different in their safety needs from this rink in ct too...

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Sandi some low paid slob was just enforcing the rules, it was not, nor should it be a religious issue.

[sandinista! 1,816]

where have i mentioned anything to do with religion? i'm questioning the "safety issue" based on my experience ice skating in hats and scarves, alongside similarly dressed patrons, along with the magically different skating rink in upstate ny, whose owner says it's not a safety issue either for a girl in a hijab to skate at his rink.

[Nagishkaw 510]

After a barrage of phone calls from activist groups and others, the rink management apologized and said Shah could skate with her headscarf.

[desert_fox 32]

I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.

[sandinista! 1,816]

and?

i'm highly, highly skeptical that any business owner with legitimate safety concerns and pressing insurance demands would simply wave his hands in defeat over a barrage of phone calls. not if he wanted to stay in business very long, and keep his insurance provider. insurance companies certainly don't care about phone call barrages.

She received a phone call from Tony Labede, a manager at the rink, who apologized for the incident.

“He said that he was sorry,” said Shah, “and that if I brought a note in from my Mosque saying that I wear the scarf for religious purposes, then I could skate. But that seems to go against the so-called strict insurance policy I was originally told about. I mean, if the issue is safety, then how can a note help that?”

Charles Martin, the general manager of Guptill, said that the whole incident was a big misunderstanding and that he was surprised to hear that Shah was still upset.

“I thought that when Tony called, it had all been cleared up,” said Martin. “The employee at the door that day made a mistake and he did not understand our policy. She does not need a note from her mosque. She can come in and skate anytime.”

http://www.metroland.net/back_issues/vol_25_no50/newsfront.html

[Danno 1,228]

So does that mean Steve can skate with his hippy bandana on or is she the only exception?