LEBANON: Islamic hijab not welcome in Beirut offices, says frustrated job-seeker

Landing a job interview in Beirut has proved a daunting task for 21-year old Lebanese university student Lubna Mohamad.

Not because there are no jobs, but because she is veiled, she claims.

Mohamad, who sports a casual conservative look consisting of jeans, long-sleeved shirts, nail polish and an Islamic headscarf, claims she has been turned down from no less than three recent job interviews -- over the phone -- simply because she admits that she observes Islamic dress code.

When she applied for a secretarial position at a small firm in predominantly Christian East Beirut, she says the phone conversation she  had with the office manager quickly drew to an end when she asked him whether the office would have a problem with her being veiled.

"Yes, we do," was purportedly his answer.

Discrimination at some Beirut companies against women wearing the headscarf is a phenomenon Lebanese acknowledge but seldom talk about. One employee at a large and prominent company said she had not spotted a single woman with a headscarf among the 1,000 employees.

The jobs she applied for were low-key administrative posts such as typist or secretarial positions. Mohamad, a student of English literature and psychology at the American University of Beirut, says she just sought a part-time job to help cover some of her student expenses.

Soon after she got turned down at her first interview, she applied for a position as a translator for a TV show. There, she says, she got a big thumbs down as well.

When she contacted the person in charge of the hiring, she was confronted with a string of odd questions about her "looks." In Lebanon, it is not uncommon that job candidates are asked to submit a photo of themselves with their applications.

"He asked me for my height and weight and if I think that I am pretty," she said. Mohamad answered that she wore the Islamic headscarf. The conversation didn't last much longer.

It's an issue that infuriates her and makes her lose faith in her country. She believes it symbolizes a lack of respect, discrimination and blatant prejudice.

"Everywhere you go they have a fear of Islam," she told Babylon & Beyond. "Apparently also here."

There is also the suspicion in her mind that it might be a uniquely Beirut worry about image. Some firms, even some small mom-and-pop shops, might be afraid of being perceived as backward if they have veiled women working in their offices.

Mohamad applied for most jobs through employment ads that she found in local newspapers and on the Internet. She says, however, that she lost or threw away the contact information to most places where she allegedly faced hardship because of her veil.

The straw that broke the camel's back and which spurred Mohamad to go public was when she says she was denied an interview for an administrative position at a law firm in predominantly Muslim West Beirut.

"I contact an office located in Hamra," she wrote in an opinion piece she hopes to publish.

"The lawyer is offering a part-time job for an Arabic typist. And I get surprised when the secretary asked me, 'Are you veiled?'"

The question came after she had already taken down her number and given her the office address to show up for a job interview.

"'Yes,' I told her, and I hear an 'Ahhh' at the end of the line," she writes.

"I ask her, 'Is there a problem with that?'"

"'Yes', she says. 'I’m sorry.'"

--Alexandra Sandels in Beirut

Photos, from top: A Lebanese newspaper ad for an administrative position in Beirut; 21-year old student Lubna Mohamad says she is having a hard time finding a job in Beirut because she is veiled. Photos courtesy of Lubna Mohamad

Comments

[Jobs in lebanon]

Hi m sam parker m learning about blogs i saw your blog your blog design is very good m also try to design blog for Jobs in lebanon its a site who connect people together

[Verballistic]

If businesses are FORCED to accept employees wearing Islamic clothing accessories ON THE JOB that is simply institutionalizing Sharia Law.

That may be tenable in Muslim countries, but when Sharia-promoting groups like the Saudi-funded pressure group CAIR start suing companies like Disneyland, they are trying to institutionalize Sharia here in the US...UNACCEPTABLE. Especially since Disneyland bans ALL religious accessories for employees on company time.

[Mr_Agnostic]

I am agnostic and while I don't approve of women's covering themselves due to religion, I find the practice mentioned in the article discriminatory.

[steveg68]

Never mind the hijab, get rid of that striped Minnie Mouse purse!

[RB]

I think people are missing the point of this article. Lubna is a Lebanese female living in Lebanon which is now predominantly Muslim. Thus, it's ridiculous to discriminate against her since she wears the hijab (not niqab where her whole face is covered) when a lot of the employers are Muslims themselves.
Companies are afraid or shy away from hiring girls with hijab in fear of being perceived as 'close-minded', 'extremist', or 'regressive'.

[John Williams]

The issue may not have anything to do with Islam:

How many offices would hire someone who wanted to wear a motorcycle helmet at their desk? Even if it was so no one could see them saying prayers?

[ORDONY]

@RWh
you wrote "tell her to go to Afghanistan"
why don't you go to hell.
she is Lebanese ,she is living in her OWN country ,Lebanon NOW is predominantly Muslim country.

[RWh]

Tell her to go to Afghanistan or Iran. I'm sure they will let her wear the hijab there. The Islamists emigrate to France and then tell the French that they need to change their society to accommodate them. In Britain, they want their own Sharia law to supplant British common law. Look at this and then decide if you want more religion in government in the U.S.

[Verballistic]

Wow...nice to know that we Americans arent the ONLY ones who are "Islamophobic bigots".

Here's what a group of MODERATE Muslim clerics have to say about pro-Sharia lobby groups like Saudi-funded CAIR which love to play the "Islamophobia" card:
islamicpluralism.org/documents/982.pdf

"We, the undersigned American Muslims, have long known the true character of CAIR and its allies. Therefore:

We observe their commitment to radical aims, their attempts to chill free speech by calling critics of radical Islam “Islamophobes,” and their false, ugly accusations against moderate American Muslims who disagree with their agenda."

Essentially, "Islamophobia" is a pseudo-scientific concept that denotes a supposed "psychological disorder" on the part of those who do not agree with Sharia Law & other facets of the radical Islamic AGENDA.

Let businesses decide for THEMSELVES the dress code they choose for THEIR employees...to FORCE them to give preferential treatment to Islamic customs & traditions is nothing more than acquiescing to Sharia Law & the radical ideologues who push it.

[Julie]

As an American convert to Islam who wears proudly wears the veil, I find it terrible how other countries can discriminate. But now is the time for you to do something about it. Start an organization for women who cover in Lebanon and band together. There is power in numbers. Also be thankful these backward thinking businesses don't want to hire you! See the veil protected you from that guy who asked if you are pretty... he's probably a pervert and would have sexually harassed you. Forget them... start doing freelance work over the internet from home, there is plenty of work for people with your kind of skills as a freelancer. Stay Strong... Julie

[mo]

re: sam

the article mentions that the girl wears jeans and long sleeve shirts so im pretty sure her face isnt covered .. just her hair ..
women who cover their faces tend to wear an abaya ..

[Kiljoy616]

And this is bad how?

[RB]

The way a person looks unfortunately always affects the way people treat them or react to them.
Too much cleavage at a job is unprofessional, showing up in shorts/flip flops is unprofessional...Getting turned down from a job because of these makes sense.
Getting turned down for a religious veil is nonsense!
I may understand that a veiled woman in sales/customer service jobs might "affect" the customer in Western countries..But NOT in office jobs and especially NOT in Lebanon (which is almost predominantly Muslim)!

[sam]

@taraman taraman
was it not an american tv presenter,who was told that she was too well dressed and showed to much clevage,and to tone herself down,i saw the clip and this girl was well dressed not ott,yet she was told she looked to sexy, i'm sure she was confused as most companies want viewers,and use the female form,to gain them as they do a handsome man. thank you.

[sam]

a couple of years ago i did see a programe about women who wear veils,how do people get on with these females,and how do they feel,working/talking with them,some said they didn't mind but,a large amount did say that they,were put off not being able to see the persons face,this was as i recal not just office workers but veiled women working face to face with the public,and to be honest i can understand this from people in countries,where it is not part of their native dress,but to work in an office it just does not make sence apart from it may be viewed as part of the radical terrorist muslim garb. thank you.

[Taraman Taraman]

Dress codes are standard in many parts of the world. Why should it be shocking not to get hired for wearing a headscarf when men are turned down regularly because they don't wear a suit? Would bleeding hearts bleed for a woman who is turned down for a job because she happens to be showing too much cleavage?

[RB]

As a previous HR Officer at a financial company located in Hamra (predominately Muslim area), we were directed not to hire women who wear veils. If someone shows up wearing a veil, we would do a brief interview and then never hire the person. It is appalling! It was embarrassing and frustrating for me since I had to be the hypocritical person who believes in tolerance and freedom of religion and yet couldn't hire a qualified person just because of their religious beliefs.
It is a sad situation. Good luck with the job hunt Lubna..Don't lose hope, keep applying till you find an ethical and worthy company that will hire you for your qualifications rather than your appearance.