A WOMAN wearing a Muslim headscarf was told by a bus driver to take off her "mask" because it was against the law to wear it on board.

Australian-born mother of two Khadijah Ouararhni-Grech was wearing the pink floral headscarf known as a niqab when she tried to board the HillsBus vehicle at Merrylands Rd, Greystanes.

"As I was stepping on to the bus, the driver said: 'You can't get on the bus wearing your mask'," Ms Ouararhni-Grech told The Daily Telegraph yesterday.

After politely telling him that the niqab was not a mask, he insisted, saying: "Sorry, it is the law."

She said a number of passengers witnessed the incident.

"I told him it wasn't the law and he said 'You have to show me your face'," she said.

"There were others present, there was a lady with a baby who was also disgusted about the discrimination that was brought upon me.

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"I was just going to visit my mum. I was born here in Parramatta. I'm Maltese and I'm Muslim because I choose to be Muslim.

"I said to him 'There's no difference between me and that lady sitting there who chooses to not wear what I'm wearing'."

After a heated discussion that lasted more than five minutes, the driver allowed Ms Ouararhni-Grech to travel on the bus.

HillsBus, Sydney's largest private bus company, has confirmed it is investigating Tuesday's incident. It is yet to contact Ms Ouararhni-Grech.

"At HillsBus we take complaints seriously and we value our record of customer service," a spokesperson said yesterday.

"We received the complaint on Tuesday and an internal inquiry is now under way.

"Until the matter is investigated it would obviously not be appropriate to offer further public commentary."

The HillsBus driver in question was yesterday approached by The Daily Telegraph for an explanation but denied the incident took place.

Ms Ouararhni-Grech said she wanted the bus company to improve driver education, rather than punish the driver. "I'd just like to change his attitude, I just want him to be educated on the subject," she said.

I don't believe in any god but I do believe in safety for passengers on public transport. While I don't think this woman was a threat to anybody, it would be very easy for people to commit crimes under the "mask".
I think they should be banned on all public transport and particular buildings like government buildings and banks.

abu_rashid wrote on Jul 24^th, 2009 at 6:06pm:




A couple of points....


Many moslem women [living in the West] don't find it necessary to fully cover their faces.

If this woman is very devout [wishing to cover her face], why was this woman allowed out of the house alone [unaccompanied by a male relative]???

This incident would have never happened in Saudi Arabia....
.....which is exactly where this woman should be living.

If moslems want to live within non-moslem communities, they should be prepared to adopt non-moslem community values.

And must not INSIST on applying their religious values upon non-moslem society, when/where their religious values are clearly in conflict with non-moslem society norms.






Allowing such unconscionable behaviour, by such women, to become commonplace in our society [by imposing the witnessing of this alien culture upon ourselves],
.....is allowing a 'Sharia by stealth' strategy, being imposed upon non-moslem communities, by moslems.

And, such conduct by moslem women, is promoting, empowering the ISLAMIC Jihad here.

And while such behaviour [insisting upon OUR acceptance of her behaviour/dress], is at the lower end of ISLAMIC violence [being actively visited upon non-moslem communities], it should not be tolerated.


If such behaviour is tolerated by ourselves, non-moslems, then expect yet more and more, [ISLAMIC/Sharia] cultural demands to be also made upon us.

Such behaviour, on the part of moslems, is the thin end of the wedge, YOU CAN BELIEVE IT.






Consider, Western women who visit Saudi Arabia [which is the source, and home, of ISLAM], are not allowed to wear bikinis, on Saudi beaches.

Why not?

Because to do so would be culturally inappropriate.

And it is the same principle, vise-versa!

If this woman is very devout, she should consider leaving Australia, to go to live in a full-on ISLAMIC society, where the ISLAMIC society norms, will better suit her life and society expectations more appropriately.

Yadda,

Quote:


The vast majority do not. Covering of the face is not a very widespread practise. That's irrelevant though. Kinda like saying because the majority of non-Muslim girls don't cover their cleaveage, therefore the minority must be forbidden from doing so. (Obviously the identity factor comes into it, but not on this point alone it doesn't).

Quote:


Contrary to the narrow minded, bigoted prejudiced misconceptions of some non-Muslims, there is no Islamic stipulation preventing women from leaving their homes alone.

Quote:


Why should she be living in Saudi Arabia? If she's not a Saudi citizen, then she has no possible way of living there. Saudi Arabia is not an Islamic state whatsoever, and you probably have more chance of living there than she would. Again, contrary to the narrow minded views of some non-Muslims.

Quote:


Like the British adopted the values of the first Australians you mean? Bit rich to be making such demands if you ask me. Also I don't see you making the same demands of the Jews for instance, who've been permitted to place a fence around an entire Sydney suburb (and want to do it to another) so that it suits their religious observances. I doubt you'd even blink an eyelid at such an occurence. You're a bigot plain and simple.

Quote:


The girl covers her own body/face, not someone elses. I don't think she's tried to apply anything on anyone.

Quote:


Time to take your medication...

Quote:


It's a bit different, and I'm sure you know it. Covering more does not contravene public indecency laws, covering less does.

If you traveled to PNG, would you like it if they insisted your wife/daughters take off their tops and walk around topless, because that's the level of public nudity that their culture permits? (I don't expect an answer to this by the way, since I know many Christians have completely lost all moral decency and couldn't care less if this happened).

abu_rashid wrote on Jul 25^th, 2009 at 2:38pm:



abu,

That is your opinion.

And you are entitled to express it.

And i disagree with your assertion.






+++++++






In any debate with moslems, when you disagree with their point of view, moslems will often accuse you of 'intolerance', being contentious, of being a 'bigot'.

It is a common tactic [by some], to suggest that those who hold 'politically incorrect' views [such as myself] are 'bigots', and are motivated by hatred,  ...for 'others'.

But who is really revealing their intolerance?

Is it Yadda, or moslems / ISLAM?

And, who are the real bigots?

Open a dictionary,
bigot = = a person who is prejudiced in their views and intolerant of the opinions of others.

The real bigots, are those people who are,

".....intolerant of the opinions of others."

An Oz moslem cleric, explains ISLAM's reason for being....

Australian Islamic leader defends jihad
".....Abu Bakr says he does not accept other religions.
"I am telling you that my religion doesn't tolerate other religion. It doesn't tolerate," he said.
"The only one law which needs to spread, it can be here or anywhere else, is Islam." "

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200508/s1430551.htm

My religion says I can wear balaclavas in banks.