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'Headscarf doesn't fit our funky image' says salon owner who turned down Muslim stylist
Last updated at 01:52am on 02.04.08The owner of a fashionable hair salon today denied being a racist after turning down a headscarf-wearing Muslim who applied for a stylist's job.
Sarah Desrosiers, 32, told a tribunal it was vital that all her staff show off "flamboyant" haircuts at the Wedge salon in King's Cross.
And Miss Desrosiers, from Hackney, said 19-year-old Mrs Bushra Noah's headscarf was out of keeping with the "ultra-modern, urban, edgy and funky" style of her business.
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£34,000 claim: Bushra Noah (right) is seeking compensation from Sarah Desrosiers for what she says is religious discrimination
The salon owner added she adopted a cutting-edge hair style on entering the industry which she says is essential to work as a stylist.
Miss Desrosiers told Central London Employment Tribunal that Mrs Noah's religious beliefs played no part in her decision to turn the then 18-year-old down in March last year.
"I am not a racist and I do not discriminate against anyone on any grounds, not least of all race, religion or belief.
"I have no prejudice against Muslims or any other religion for that matter," she said.
"My hair salon is unique in the area where I work and is seen and perceived as an alternative salon.
"Anyone who works in my salon would be expected to help with the promotion of the salon.
"If an employee in my salon wore any type of head covering I would ask them to remove it."
Mrs Noah is claiming £34,000 in compensation for religious discrimination from Miss Desrosiers, who says she faces financial ruin if she loses the case.
Mrs Noah, from Acton, claims she could have done well at the salon with walls adorned with graffiti, despite insisting that keeping her headscarf on is essential to her beliefs.
She told the tribunal: "I know my punk from my funk and my urban from my trendy."
Miss Desrosiers founded her salon in King's Cross to target the "large population who wear their hair in the way that I offer."
She added: "In every hair salon, I have ever worked the stylists and assistant stylists have been expected to, and did, exhibit their hairstyles, which changed on a regular basis.
"When I set up Wedge, it was my intention to offer an alternative form of hairdressing, which is ultra-modern and may be described as urban, edgy and funky."
The businesswoman said she initially ruled Mrs Noah out for the job because she lived too far from the salon to be 'on call' but agreed to an interview after Mrs Noah begged to be seen.
She denied Mrs Noah's claims that she also offered her a trial day and was "in shock" when she first saw the interviewee's headscarf.
"Mrs Noah's reasons for wearing the headscarf did not play any part in my thinking in relation to whether or not I offered her a job," she said.
But Mrs Noah, who had worked as a stylist before getting married in Syria in June 2006, claims she was so depressed by Miss Desrosiers rejection that she left the hair dressing trade soon afterwards.
She is now studying tourism and said of the interview at the Wedge salon: "She [Miss Desrosiers] just looked at me as if I was wasting her time.
"She said: 'You really should have told me on the phone that you wore a headscarf and I would have told you not to come in'."
"I was so depressed after my interview with Miss Desrosiers that I decided to try a different career. Having dreamed of being a hairdresser since an early age, this was a big decision for me."
The hearing continues.
Reader views (25)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
It's very obvious that this is religious discrimination. If Sarah would have to ask Bushra to actually remove her scarf, then it is. I think headscarfs are super stylish and would attract many different types of people to get their hair cut. People love integration (well, most do anyway). I'm taking Bushra's side here. But, if that was me, i would've just made a smart remark, badmouthed her business, find a new salon, and work on making them look way cooler then Sarah's.
- Hawwa, Fridley, U.S.A
I'm sorry...but I agree with the salon owner 100%. I would not get my hair done by someone who had ugly hair themselves, and if they wore a headscarf, how could I even see what kind of skill they had. It's all about image in a salon...if she was going for a certain kind of image, and whatsherface came in and didn't fit that image, of course she shouldn't have hired her. Just like if a preppy, girl next door type with a cute little pony tail went in for an interview she would likely not get the job either.
Sounds like the Noah chick is just looking for an excuse to take someone to court for "discrimination." If she was that good, wouldn't she have found a job somewhere else. I am sure that this is not the only salon in all of London. Noah needs to get a life.
- Erin, Vancouver, Canada
I can not believe all these remarks ..This is clear racial and religious discrimination, I have and am still a licensed Muslim head scarf wearing Muslim with a flourishing clientèle of 19 years. How dare you all disrespect this Muslim woman. It is her religious obligation to wear her hijab it has nothing to do with her skill. Imagine if you weren't given a position because you were a Christian or a Jew. Then this discussion would not even have taken place..stop being racists all of you. My lord Allaah will give Bushrah what she deserves and sarah what she deserves..He is Just although mankind is not. Bushrah open your own business and get the support of your community and leave the Sarah's of the world to people who are like them racists and biast.
- Nur Davis, America
Good luck Sarah. This trial is a farce and I hope it’s over in one day with you winning and being awarded costs. Bushra is either greedy, delusional or both.
- James Duffy, London
That is what I need, someone to work on my hair wearing a hoodie.
- Rich, San Angelo USA
Good luck to Ms Desrosiers. I'll be "devastated" if this Noah woman gets away with this blatant piece of grievance-mongering.
- Gavin, Fulham
Ms Noah is a money grabber who has seen an opportunity to make a few bucks by flaunting her religion. Her claim is frivolous. The first thing I do when I go to a salon is assess the hairstyle of the stylist. If their hair does not look good it does not inspire any confidence in me what soever let alone if they are not showing their hair at all. I would not let such a person near my hair.
- Sasha, London
Unbelievable this is a blatant attempt to get a quick bit of money. How can this woman double the claim to £34k because of hate mail that she has received due to her own ridiculous behaviour. Why should Sarah Desrosiers pay for this or for that matter any of this. This should be laughed out of court and this woman should be expected to pay a proportion of the tax payers money incurred in bringing it this far.
- Fiona, London
"It is essential to my religion and is non-negotiable"?
Doesn't know her religion very well then does she!
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
This should never have come to court. Hopefully the magistrate will throw it out and award costs against Ms Noah and will grant Ms Desrosiers leave to sue Ms Noah for loss of earnings and damage to her reputation.
- Adam, Harrow, UK
Let us hope and pray this case has a judge with enough common sense to kick it out, and let the owner rebuild her life and career. If this becomes a ridiculous precedent, anyone turned down for a job can make a fast buck, and earn unscrupulous lawyers even more cash.
- Sal, London
This is a blatant disregard for wanting a job and just pure greed. I go to a hairdressers and would like to know that the person cutting and styling my hair has decent hair themselves. Going to a beauty salon you would want the beautician to represent the company - its basic common sense. It's people like this young lady who provoke racism. She should have stated that she wore a headscarf and perhaps not wasted anyone's time. If she is also so great at what she does why hasn't she got a job back where she used to work before she got married?
- Jk, London
Well this silly little girl is such a role model for the majority of our sensible British Muslims - not.
Also doing major good for her future employment prospects - lets hope the Benefits Agency take this into account - she's practically rendering herself unemployable - of course they won't!
- David Newton, Southampton
Miss Desrosiers, YOUR name isn't being dragged through the mud, let me tell you. Good luck with your fight, this is seems like a blatant attempt to get a quick buck, under the veil of religious discrimination.
- S-M Hearmon, London, UK
I understand the implications of religion. The whole point of working in a hairdressers is to show off hair! It's a bit ridiculous that she went for an interview in an uber-trendy salon where the owner had pink hair and the emphasis was on trendy wild hair! It doesn't merit £34,000 and I feel sorry for the owner who naturally only hired "similar stylists". That's not being racist, it's just how things are, she should have tried a less trendy salon!
- Jane, Bolton
Good luck Sarah. This lunacy must come to an end!
- Dannyp, Egham
Ms Noah wants money for nothing... an attitude far too prevalent in today's society. It's important that hairdressers look the part and convey the image that's crucial in attracting their core customers. Society shouldn't bow to blackmail.
- Ab, London
Brits had better wake up and pay attention to the judicial jihad taking place in their country. Bushra Noah has not been damaged in. She is a scheming, conniving little con artist who went after Sara Desrosiers to try and close her shop down because she doesn't dress or act like a good Muslima. This is a blatant case of discrimination on the part of the Muslim woman and she should not be allowed to profit in any way from the lie that Sarah caused her grief and anguish. Bushra knew exactly what she was doing when she went into Sara's shop looking like a pathetic frump. I'm sure she doesn't know anything about punk, funk, urban or trendy.
- Denise, Virginia, USA
I would say that applying for a job in an edgy style hair salon and insisting on dressing in Muslin garb is a way of attempting to extort money from a business through a tribunal. That it got to this stage is blatant political correctness gone mad and a lack of a realistic attitude. Her comments on the "Type" of person who has tattoos indicate a distaste for the salon and that she was never serious about wanting the job.
- Ian, Vancouver, Canada
I am not a hairdresser, but surely you need to be a role model of hair style to work in a hair salon. That is the whole point. The muslim is trying to be clever but she is so transparent and just using her religion to try to make money out of somebody. The owner should be suing her for loss of earnings and emotional stress. Besides she is slandering her reputation as a modern day stylist. Go sue her .She will get a shock!
- Leigh, West Cape
I hope Ms Noah is awarded a kick up the backside, some alternative career guidance and a huge lawyers bill. WHAT a silly girl.
- Marianne, SW France
As somebody on This is London said when this story first came to light a few months ago, the fact that Ms Noah has been "rejected for around 20 different hairdressing jobs after interviews" speaks volumes. As Ms Desrosiers rightly states, stylists should have their own hair on show in a salon with an urban funky image. This is not "blatant religious discrimination" as Ms Noah claims but sheer common sense for a hairdressers such as this. Ms Noah herself could benefit from such common sense herself and realise after "20 hairdressing job rejections", that this is not the career for her. The smug smile on her face in the photo is hardly the image of someone "devastated" but more of someone who thinks a quick buck can be made here. Its quite disturbing to see how frivolous Ms Noah is, about completely ruining someone's livelihood for the sake of her 21st job rejection.
- Stella, London, UK
Common-sense, Please. Stop playing the tired religion card and get on with the life you chose. Seems to me that you can't cut hair anyway.
- Martin, Victoria Canada
Does Bushra Noah really believe God cares whether or not she wears a headscarf? If yes, then perhaps she should just open her own hair salon and stop whining. On a different note, would any hair salon run by Muslims offer a job to a woman without a headscarf?
- Anonymous, London
Good grief, is this nonsense still going on?
- Rogan, Irving
