Comments Posted About Lisa Ashton’s Stand Against BMI Discrimination
The following comments have all been posted on various on line versions of the worlds Newspaper media.
“I was born and lived in Saudi for more than 30 years. There is no such thing as where should women walk in relation to men (not in any islamic or arabic culture I have heared of).
Who is advicing those people ? how could they get away with sacking employees for that ? absolutely shocking !”
kamal, Manchester,
“thereis no way that islam dictates that a women has to walk behind a man, even if it is husband and wife. in fact the prophet muhammed (peace be upon him) showed the utmost respect to his wifes, also the mother has a special status in islam, infact too many to name in the note.”
altaf, dundee
“That’s ridiculous! I’m half Saudi myself, and have lived there for 15 years and never heard of women having to walk behind men, at all! What’s more I’ve never seen any airline staff wear the abaya when they’re in the airport (arriving or departing). BMI are pushing a stereotype that isn’t there!”
Sarah, London, England
“I am a Muslim who wears hijab, but if BMI had asked me to walk behind men I know where I would tell them to go.
There is no LAW in Islam that states that a women should walk behind a man. Oh I would not wear their abaya either.
Good luck to Lisa Ashton”
Zahra, Tehran, Iran
“I am horrified by the decision of BMI to discriminate against this woman. One thing is certain. I book flights for an International company and we had over $300,000 in bookings on B,M.I. last year. That’s the last cent they will ever get from my company.”
Kelly Reilly, New York, USA
“If BMI had dimissed a black employee for refusing to walk behind white employees when they flew to pre-apartheid South Africa, would British unions and the Manchester government have argued that the black employee should accept South Africa’s “different culture”? What utter rot.”
Notadhimmi, USA,
“It just proves thath the glass ceiling no longer exists- its actually beenconcreted over by people like BMI. I wont be flyng with them again.”
elaine elkington, Birmingham,
“This decision is another step down a dodgy road which may end in a BNP controlled council like Stoke or Dagenham forcing staff to do things they disagree with and quoting this as case law along with the Islington registrar”
Ian, London, UK
“So, a fully trained and experienced staff member of a british company is sacked because she will not do what some superstitious religious freaks believe she should.
Anybody who believes in sexual equality should never fly with BMI. A disgrace.”
J mathews, glasgow , Scotland
“This is disgraceful. Surely if you go to live somewhere or you go there on holiday, you can be expected to make fundamental changes to the way you dress, but I don’t think this applies to going somewhere to work!”
Rosie, London,
“Y couldn’t they just respect her feelings and let her work other flights. I’m sure with all the flight attendants BMI have there must have been others that felt the same way or weren’t bothered. If they don’t do that in other Islamic countries y Saudi?”
Steve, Slough, England
“Why aren’t Liberty all over this like a rash?
If I were a REALLY cynical person I would wonder if the tribunal had been nobbled or the members extraordinarily biased at least. I hope lots of my fellow PAs read this article and think hard about who they are booking flights with as a result.”
Helen, London, England
“Boycott BMI!”
Linda, Oslo, Norway
“last time I fly with them!”
Alan, London, UK
“You miss the point alan, its was not what Romans do that she was objecting to it was what BMI demanded she did.
I f you had read the story carefully you would see BMI were the people who said women had to walk behind the men irrespective of rank it was NOT the Saudi…..thats the whole point”
Henry, Cardiff, Wales
“Look – when in Rome you do as Rome does. If you don’t like it, go somewhere else. (Aren’t bloggers continually telling Britain’s Moslems to do so?)”
alan, germany,
“Have BMI issued this instruction to their female pilots? To become a commercial pilot a woman has to demonstrate great determination and strength of character. I cannot imagine that a woman possessing these characteristics would be willing to comply with such discriminatory practice”.
Pat, London, UK
“I think it’s purely positive discrimination and sexism. Why did BMI not respect that she is a practicing christian and it might offend her religion.And for the work tribunal, how idiotic. how is it reasonable or justified for BMI to do that. I won’t be flying with BMI anymore.”
christopher, blackpool, uk
“I find this ruling incredible. When Lisa Ashton joined BMI they didn’t fly to Saudi and to conclude that there was no evidence that women would regard BMI’s requirements on wearing the abaya, or walking behind men, as “placing them under any disadvantage” is unbelievable. Tolerance?”
Elizabeth, Ipswich,
“I think that the BMI and the British govt. are doing a huge disservice to this flight attendant. If it isn’t required to wear the clothes that are worn by women in Saudi Arabia, she shouldn’t have to comply. Is it in her contract that she has to wear other than her flight clothing?”
Joe Crisafulli, Santa Clara, us
“This is ridiculous. I am speechless. A British company has sacked a British woman because she is not willing to be subservient to men. You could not find a clearer case of discrimination.”
Rob, Liverpool, UK
“Why did BMI not just have male stewards on the flights into Saudi? That would have sidestepped the issue entirely, and allowed those that desired to conform to this misogynistic practice to do so, and allow others to defer.”
Mike, Detroit, MI, US
“It is obvious that BMI have done themselves no good. I will certainly boycott use of their flights”
Douglas Holder, Cambridge,
“Good luck to the lady. I find BMI’s request utterly outrageous and an attack on the woman’s dignity. What I find even more outrageous is the ruling by the industrial tribunal in BMI’s favour. I for one will never ever again travel with BMI.”
Patrick, Eastbourne, UK
“If the boot were on the other foot and the air stewardess were Muslim and asked to do something she did not believe in then what do you think would happen? Say no more on this one. One rule for one and one for everybody else in this “enriched” country.”
Mark, Leeds,
“Good on ya Girl. Did you hear anyone going on about Gender Apartheid at the UN conference….nope. I vote Lisa the leader of the UK on this matter.”
- Jeanette, london UK,
“The abaya disadvantages women – there is no way I can walk, relate, joke, express myself equally with anyone if I am covered head to foot in some kind of blanket. You can’t see steps when you are walking down, other people can’t see your face so you can’t step outside of your social circle. You are hampered and shackled in a similar way to the footbinding process of rural China. This is sexual discrimination as it is only asked of women. Walk behind??? How insulting to both genders! There is a desperate need for an intelligent position that can appreciate the benefits of cultural relativism (doing what the Romans do when in Rome) but at the same time understanding the hierarchy of desirable philosophies (equality over religion). Manchester tribunal possibly fearing it would offend its large Muslim population – but Islam doesn’t demand the abaya or walking behind. Idiots!”
- anne, london,
“BMI are an ignorant bunch of fools who deserve to go out of business! There are no laws in Saudi about either of these idiotic ideas and such idiocy is what is ruining such companies. I for one will never fly with them!! The name of the company is British Midland International, not Saudi Airlines, BRITISH! We do not bow down to any other traditions than our own and this kind of inane action is what should be dealt with by the government, as un English!!”
- Nigel, Somerset
