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Muslim women, hijab and employment

Guardian Unlimited: Why are so many of Britain's Muslim women unemployed?

A report from yesterday's Guardian on how women from ethnic minorities generally, but particularly those of Bangladeshi and Pakistani origin have low economic activity and high unemployment, not due to lack of qualifications or ambition but due to discrimination. Reasons include hostility to hijab, not being taken seriously due to height and colour, and refusal to take part in work "socials" at the pub. (More at the BBC here, via Pickled Politics.)

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Among the Muslims I know, the women are employed and are hard working and the men drift in and out of jobs. Why this should be, and whether it is generally true, I don't know.

Which Muslims do you know pRickler? I doubt any Muslim has the time or taste for aging nazis like you.

Word of advice Dr M. By using the term Nazi as label for anyone whose opinions don't like you're actually helping zionism. You're adding rhetorical weight to their reflexive use of the spectre of nazism.

Which Muslims do you know pRickler?

A few, including a couple of close friends. They don't like my views on Islam, nor on politics for that matter, but people are human beings first and foremost and religion and politics need not get in the way.

But why do you have to resort to personal attacks, when I was making a general comment? Why not discuss the issue?

In my - albeit limited - experience Muslim women in the workplace work harder than Muslim men.

Right pRickler, you're just oozing with Muslim friends arent you. I very much doubt Muslim would choose BNP rejects as their buddies. You've got some nerve complaining of "personal attacks" given your record.

I've yet to see DrM address the topic. Perhaps he has nothing to say.

DrM, why do you call Old Pickler a "BNP reject"? He doesn't seem racist to me.

Now Naveen (from Osama Saeed's blog) yes - he is openly racist.

Maybe because they work at home? Because their husbands may be conservative and not approve of working out of hte home? In any case it's hardly as if all Pakistani and Bangladeshi women here wear the hijab.

Women are generally discriminated in workplace (with lower wages, harassment by collegues etc.) Veiled women (women with hijabs) are discriminated more, even by some muslim male employers. Because if a woman wears hijab she has limited job alternatives, and little oppurtunity to rise in her job. Those men employing women think that, they are granting to those women something very important, so women has to assent their lower wages.

This is the case in Turkey, where more than 90% of population define themselves 'muslim'.(the fact that practicing muslims are lesser than the half does not change the situation, practicing muslim bosses also exploit their employee).

Discrimination of 'muslim'women in Britain do not surprise me in that sense.

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