Muslim Dentist refuses treatment unless headscarf worn

Muslim Dentist refuses treatment unless headscarf worn

news.bbc.co.uk

Dr Omer Butt, from Greater Manchester, told a professional conduct committee he would "request" Muslim women to cover up but never ordered them.
He denies refusing to treat a woman because she did not follow his rules.
However, he admitted reducing fees to encourage patients to wear the Islamic headscarf, the hearing was told.
a non-practising Muslim known as Patient A, told the hearing that Dr Butt said she would have to find another dentist because she would not wear the headscarf during treatment.

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[edit on 26/9/2007 by budski]

I'm getting pretty tired of this kind of thing - nowhere in the koran does it say that women have to wear a headscarf.
The headscarf is traditionally worn in veneration of Mary - jesus' mother.

This kind of case does nothing to help foster good relations between the muslim community and others.
The very fact that there is a muslim only dentist fills me with disgust - if the shoe was on the other foot and it was a non muslims only dentist, there would be a huge outcry, and yet this case is getting very little attention.
These double standards regarding muslims are doing nothing except driving the wedge further into the divide.

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Generally speaking, when someone tries to impose their religious views on someone else it really gets under my skin.

I have to say though, in this case I don't find it to be such a big deal. I would imagine there are probably hundreds of other dentists in Manchester.

Now, personally, I disagree with what he's doing. My response would simply be not to go to him. I have to assume that will be the reaction from most other people. I know none of the female members are going to put on a head scarf to go get a cavity filled, so that would be that.

Legally, I'm not sure... I don't know what the laws are regarding private businesses in England.

The only bit of food for thought here would be what if the roles were reversed and a non-Muslim practicioner said "head scarves must be removed before treatment".

It's interesting debate I guess, but I don't think it's much of a big deal. I'll just have some other dentist pick at my teeth with sharp metal objects while I wince in pain!

reply to post by Djarums


I see your point, but one of the things that irks me about this kind of thing is that if another dentist had a policy of ONLY treating non muslims, there would be an outcry and rightly so. And yet a muslim can get away with treating ONLY muslims - it smacks of double standards to me. Muslims also have their own banks (due to usury being against islamic law) and their own charities - Islamic relief is a charity which provides money ONLY to other muslims. If the red cross only provided relief to christians, again, there would be uproar.
It seems the appeasement of muslims to the detriment of others is perfectly acceptable.

Originally posted by Djarums
Generally speaking, when someone tries to impose their religious views on someone else it really gets under my skin.

I have to say though, in this case I don't find it to be such a big deal. I would imagine there are probably hundreds of other dentists in Manchester.

I agree. It's his business they can find another dentist. It is America isn't it? Put in business terms - he's being a prick and might lose clients.

[edit - oops i guess its not America, is it]
[edit on 26-9-2007 by superheterodyne]

[edit on 26-9-2007 by superheterodyne]

Originally posted by Djarums
I have to say though, in this case I don't find it to be such a big deal. I would imagine there are probably hundreds of other dentists in Manchester.

Depend's on whether they are looking for a nhs dentist or a private one, the number of nhs dentist's within the uk is falling sharply in my local area for instance i have to travel over 30 miles to get to the nearest one and that's if i can get an appointment, and as far as the private one's go they charge such astronomical prices the average man in the street couldn't afford to use them anyway

This has little to do with business and everything to do with equality - a non muslim would be castigated for setting up a business where everyone except his own religion was excluded, so why is it ok for a muslim to do it?
The PC brigade in this country are always telling us that integration and multi culuralism must happen for the sake of race relations but it's not equally applied to all.
In fact it's not applied at all to muslims, who basically do what they want, then claim it's part of their religion, which most of the time (like headscarfs) it's got nothing to do with it.
I am a firm believer in equality, but this must apply to all - not different rules for different special interest groups in the name of harmony.

This way of applying the rules differently causes nothing but divides amongst ethnic groups, and the way the pc brigade kowtows to anything except the majority fills me with disgust - and if you dare to disagree you get branded a racist or a little englander.

Does anyone remember the outcry a few years ago when Birmingham city council wanted to rename christmas in case minoritys were offended by a christian celebration in a christian country