Muslim Woman Asked to Remove Headscarf in NJ Mall

source

A Muslim woman has accused a New Jersey shopping mall security guard of trying to force her to remove her head-covering garment.

“He came into my face and made a hand gesture like he was going to lift my veil off,’ ” Wakeelah Salaam, 30, told The Post of her ordeal at the Bridgewater Commons Mall last Saturday.

“I felt like he was going to do something. I didn’t feel safe in the mall.”

The US-born Salaam said the confrontation happened about 10 minutes after she entered the mall with her two young sons.

She was wearing a Muslim veil known as a niqab, which covered her entire head and face except for her eyes.

Greetings, ATS,

Ran across this story and thought I'd share. Personally, I don't see a problem with the woman wearing her garment, but my guess is there's a fear of potential hidden items? I find that kinda ridiculous, considering that you could hide bombs or what have you in any type of clothing.

As a Western woman, I find the veil distasteful, but that's my opinion and only reflects how I would feel if I were required to wear it. I am quite aware that many Muslim women feel differently abou the veil, and they have every right to wear it.

So I guess my question is....how do you feel about this? Is it even an issue?

Good. If we went to her country, we would have to abide by their ways. Theyre here...so abide by ours.

Originally posted by mysterioustranger
Good. If we went to her country, we would have to abide by their ways. Theyre here...so abide by ours.

BS! Your wife wouldn't have to wear a veil there, so why should that muslim woman remove hers in your mall?

so let me get this straight....it's completely fine to wear pants that hang around your knees and show your undergarments, but wearing something that covers your face is bad?

In my country there's a law that says you can't wear a mask in public because it makes it difficult to identify you. I suspect a similar law would also exist in New Jersey... so why should this woman be allowed to wear a headscarf that hides most of her facial features?

Originally posted by mysterioustranger
Good. If we went to her country, we would have to abide by their ways. Theyre here...so abide by ours.

Did you even read the OP? it is her country she was born in the US....

We are SUPPOSED to have freedoms in this country. It's pretty obvious that they are rapidly being stripped away but we are supposed to be protected by the Constitution. I believe the article said that she was a US citizen and therefore entitled to her rights of religion and privacy. If she were simply in the mall with her kids shopping and not displaying any sort of suspicious behavior she should have been left alone unless or until there were reason to believe she was a threat. Wearing a veil alone is not a good enough reason to believe a person is a threat.

You have absolutely ZERO idea how many bomb-laden babies they can carry in those head-pieces.

Just ask any redneck and they'll tell you!

Of course I read it....If this is her country...all the more reason to abide by laws. Relgious freedon, of course. But, I still hold the same opinion.

If a religious sect here...say a grown man walks down the street kissing a preteen girl becasue his religion says its ok ...and they are "married"....you'd be fine with that going on in front of you? Thats religious freedom...rt?

The double edge of the so call "Islamic take over" on the US to impose they own Islamic laws, the Truth is that is nothing but a joke, supposedly this people comes to America to enjoy our so call "Freedoms" specially Islamic women that in the US can enjoy no to be persecuted by their husband under Islam and sharia law

But because most of this people are just under specific agendas they look to me that the freedoms they are suppose to be looking for are not so much American Freedom but their own personal religious agenda.

If this women were in the US and know that they are protected by our laws why they still want to keep one of the most denigrating Sharia rules that is to hide behind their veil because their faces are to be view by only their masters (husband)

Because the agenda is not to enjoy American freedoms but to impose their own.

The hell with the veil take it off you are in America plain and simpleor go back to your country to become oppressed again.

What a whole bunch of crap. Religious freedom my arse.

You can practice religion, but when i see this i see domination of women, and as well as security threat.

Originally posted by SGTSECRET
so let me get this straight....it's completely fine to wear pants that hang around your knees and show your undergarments, but wearing something that covers your face is bad?

This is my point exactly. If they targeted this woman as a potential "security threat," (and I don't know that they did), its a heckofalot easier to smuggle a bomb or weapon in a pair of baggy pants and oversized shirt.

Originally posted by mysterioustranger
Good. If we went to her country, we would have to abide by their ways. Theyre here...so abide by ours.

Assuming she is Arabic, it stands that you are in their countries atm..bombing them into DU hell and the dark ages..so how exactly is this proof you are willing to " abide by their ways" ?

For that matter..how do you know she wasnt born in Boston and isn't as American as you are?
Or has there been an Aryan coup..and only white skinned suit and jean wearing people are Americans now?

Unless this woman had entered a bank or any regulated area where identification is paramount to security..she has every right to wear what she likes and to take objection to being harassed for what she is wearing.
Her rights and freedoms are protected under YOUR OWN constitution....or has that 'bit of paper' been thoroughly reduced to ash?

Racial and religious bigotry is far more dangerous to the US than a woman wearing too many clothes hauling her kids to a mall will ever be.


Ro

From the picture you can't tell if it's a man or a woman. Could be someone from the FBI's most wanted list. If I walked into a store wearing a ski mask do they have the right to tell me to either leave or remove it?

If a religious sect here...say a grown man walks down the street kissing a preteen girl becasue his religion says its ok ...and they are "married"....you'd be fine with that going on in front of you? Thats religious freedom...rt?

THAT is not what's going on in this case. C'mon...she was wearing a veil for goodness sake! She was targeted for wearing a veil. What if people start being targeted for wearing yarmulkes, stars of David, crosses, pentacles etc.?

Does it look weird for women to go around dressed like that? Yes, I think it does. I am not Muslim, don't really understand that religion and probably never will. I don't understand why they feel it is important to dress like that, but they do. I don't feel threatened when I see a woman dressed like that shopping with her kids.

If she didn't act in a threatening or suspicious manner she should have been left alone. Period.

People wear clothes not just to keep warm. Some clothes are worn to convey your opinion of the world. Punks want to shock you [well they did back in the days], Goths show you their outlook on life by wearing mainly black. It is some sort of expression. Lesbians, gays, politically engaged people all have a sort of uniform to show others what they believe.
The whole hijab [is that the name?] is also an expression.

To me living in a free [sort of] country that has been attacked [apparently] by fundamentalist muslims makes it a tad offensive to wear a full veil thing.
To me personally it says "I don't care about you, I detest the way you live your life, I don't care if you feel uneasy around me, I don't care if you are offended, I don't care and this is my way of life and you are a slut."
Remember that this is what it says to ME!
It is for that reason that I have a RIGHT not to like those veils.

The other reason is that I don't believe for one second [even if they say so] that women enjoy wearing it. I read articles where women meet secretly to do their hair and make up, have their nails done etc.
Most women want to look good, it is what we like [in general]. To put beautiful women under a sack because you have a small d*ck and can't control yourself offends me very much.

It is not that I care if someone puts a scarf over their face, it is what it stands for that pi**es me off and rightly so.

reply to post by Hecate666


I read something once, I don't remember where, similar to what you are referring to. I agree that the majority of these woman do probably hate having to wear these things. I know I would. Like I said in my earlier post I don't really understand the religion or why they have to wear these coverings. I dislike the total male domination of that religion. The thing is that the women have to decide for themselves when to change things. "over there" I guess it would be virtually impossible for that to happen, they would be put to death. Over here, as US citizens (I guess in the UK it would be the same?) they would have protection by our laws but when something has been ingrained into you since birth it is hard to change it as much as you may dislike it.

They may hate the head and body covering and they may hate being dominated by the men in their lives but if they believe whatever it is they believe and that they won't go to heaven (or wherever ) if they don't abide by these "laws" then they will continue to practice what they practice.

Like I said I don't fully understand it; then again I don't understand why Evangelicals do some of the things they do or why Catholics do some of the things they do. As US citizens though, they have the right to practice their religion.

reply to post by jjkenobi


I can tell it's a woman and I have seen kids (teens) in the mall with ski masks and theater masks on -- and not at Halloween either ... just goofing off, and security nowhere to be seen.

reply to post by smyleegrl

Originally posted by smyleegrl
So I guess my question is....how do you feel about this? Is it even an issue?

It's embarrassing and disgusting that I live in a country that supposedly has freedom of expression and freedom of religion and yet, this woman is publicly stripped of hers and all the offender has to do is go to a diversity course.

The mall later issued an apology and said the guard had been sent to diversity training.

“We respect her right to dress according to her religious beliefs and she is welcome in our mall anytime,” a mall official said.

Read more: www.nypost.com...

A prejudiced guard used this woman to show his hatred. It's indicative of the fall of humanity in the US.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
reply to post by smyleegrl

 

Originally posted by smyleegrl
So I guess my question is....how do you feel about this? Is it even an issue?

It's embarrassing and disgusting that I live in a country that supposedly has freedom of expression and freedom of religion and yet, this woman is publicly stripped of hers and all the offender has to do is go to a diversity course.

The mall later issued an apology and said the guard had been sent to diversity training.

“We respect her right to dress according to her religious beliefs and she is welcome in our mall anytime,” a mall official said.

Read more: www.nypost.com...

A prejudiced guard used this woman to show his hatred. It's indicative of the fall of humanity in the US.

It seems that the guard in question was engaging in a little profiling. And I don't think the diversity training will do anything to help the situation.

Star for you.