Our Shared Shelf discussion

Hello everybody,
my sister is gonna have an interview tomorrow and we were actually talking about a commun question in interviews with muslim women.
My sister is making Hijab (Hijab: a head covering worn in public by some Muslim women). The interview she will have tomorrow will allow her to go to Europe to study, if she is been accepted.
Anyways, the commun question is: "if taking off your Hijab is a condition to accept you, would you take it off or not?".
My sister and I talked way so long about that question, and we really want to hear your opinions. what would answer if you were in my sister's place?


sorry if I made any mistake I'm not so good in english.

Gee, as I see it it comes down to what is more important to the person in question, her believe/customs or her will to further her education. Given that a Hijab is just a custom, my personal answer, if I happened to be a woman would be "Sure I would take it off, why not?"

But then as man and atheist I wouldn't ever find myself in the position to have to answer that question. :)

I think that depends a lot on the culture of the company. Do they require people to wear a special outfit? do they accept people wearing other religious signs (cross, kippa...)? If everyone working for them follows the rule of wearing a similar dress-code and not showing any religious item, I guess I would also accept the company policy.
However I'm agnostic, so my relationship with God is absolutely imaginary ;-)
Good luck to your sister!!!

Gerd wrote: "Gee, as I see it it comes down to what is more important to the person in question, her believe/customs or her will to further her education. Given that a Hijab is just a custom, my personal answer..."

if she says: "I would take off", they may think that she hasn't a strong personality even to defend her choices.

Laure wrote: "I think that depends a lot on the culture of the company. Do they require people to wear a special outfit? do they accept people wearing other religious signs (cross, kippa...)? If everyone working..."

it's not an interview to work but to get access to a school in a foreign country. they actually don't have any conditions, but they ask that question just to know how the person who has been asked would react.

Emma wrote: "Disclaimer: I am atheist, so the whole religious-headcoverings-thing is not something I personally experience or claim to totally understand.

I don't think it is fair to require someone to take a ..."

it's not an interview to work but to get access to a school in a foreign country. they actually don't have any conditions, but they ask that question just to know how the person who has been asked would react. I already said that.

they are not asking her to take it off, they are just trying to know how she would react. so, we were thinking that if she said:" I can take it off", they will think that she hasn't a strong personality; and if she says:" I wouldn't take it off", they will say she is a sectarian.

So it's the classic "darn if I do, damn if I don't", eh?