Bank sued by employee over Islamic dress code

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - A CHRISTIAN Jordanian woman is suing her Arab employer for wrongful dismissal after she refused to adopt a new dress code forcing her to cover her head.Vivian Salameh, 45, yesterday said she had worked for Jordan’s Industrial Development Bank for 25 years until it was acquired in 2010 by the Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank – a subsidiary of the Dubai Islamic Bank based in the United Arab Emirates.In January 2011, the new management issued a regulation stipulating a unified dress code for its workers, including waist-to-heel skirts and head covers for female employees.Ms Salameh accepted the uniform, but refused to wear the head cover on grounds that it violated her religious beliefs and the contract she signed when she was taken on did not oblige her to a dress code.When Ms Salameh refused the head cover, “no action was taken against me for nearly 17 months until two weeks ago, when I was suddenly given two notices, five days apart, warning me that I will lose my job if I don’t wear the head cover,” she said.“When I stuck by my decision, I was verbally fired last Sunday,” she said, adding that she filed a lawsuit against the bank.The incident is rare and could stir religious tensions in Jordan, a predominantly conservative Muslim nation.“We must continue to enjoy personal and religious freedoms as stipulated by our constitution,” said Ms Salameh. “Why should I wear something not dictated by my religion?” /129