London: In a judgement that can have far-reaching ramifications, a British employment tribunal panel has awarded 4,000 pounds to a Muslim teenage hairdresser as compensation for injury to feelings after she was declined a job for wearing a headscarf.

Dismissing the claim of a religious discrimination put by 19-year-old Bushra Noah, the tribunal upheld her complaint of indirect discrimination, media reports said on Tuesday.

In its judgement on Monday, the tribunal said it accepted Noah had not been treated differently because of her Muslim headscarf, but that it doubted there was as severe a risk to the business by employing someone wearing a head covering as the owner believed.

Noah, who lives in Acton, west London, was called for an interview in May last year by Sarah Desrosiers, owner of Wedge salon in King s Cross, central London.

On reaching the salon, she found the Canadian salon owner was clearly shocked by her headscarf.

Desrosiers told the tribunal she was surprised that the fact was not mentioned earlier.

She added that she expected her staff to reflect the "funky, urban" image of her salon and needed stylists to showcase alternative hairstyles.

After hearing the case, the tribunal ordered her to pay 4,000 pounds to the Muslim hair stylist.

Reacting to the award last night the salon owner said: "I feel it is a bit steep for what actually happened. It s really scary for a small business."

"I never in a million years dreamt that somebody would be completely against the display of hair and be in this industry. I don t feel I deserve it," she added.
Source : PTI