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Updated 9.40pm
WOMEN EMPLOYEES AT Air France will be allowed to opt out of working on resumed flights to Iran so they can avoid having to wear a headscarf, a company official said today.
The airline will appoint a “special unit” to replace those who do not want to fly to Tehran, he said.
“Any woman assigned to the Paris-Tehran flight who for reasons of personal choice would refuse to wear the headscarf upon leaving the plane will be reassigned to another destination, and thus will not be obliged to do this flight,” human resources official Gilles Gateau told Europe 1 radio.
Air France is to resume its Paris-to-Tehran service on 17 April. It had been suspended since 2008 because of international sanctions against Iran over its nuclear ambitions.
Unions say company executives sent staff an internal memo regarding flights to Tehran saying that female cabin crew would be required to wear trousers on board with a loose fitting jacket and must cover their hair with a scarf when they leave the plane.
The headscarf rule is already in place when flying to certain destinations such as Saudi Arabia.
Unions, who held talks with the human resources chief today, argue that an escape clause was already in place for flights to Conakry in Guinea during the Ebola crisis last year and for services to Tokyo following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.
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I wonder if we asked Iranian air crew to adopt our customs when they are in Europe and perhaps take off their headscarf or wear a cross around their neck…what would they do…
Not quite, but has France not banned the Ha-jab and Belgium banned the some other sort of cultural dress , to my mind that undermines the french unions argument. but hey islamophobia is de rigueur on thejournal these days …
One second, let me step back for a second, I’m likely making an unfair assumption, would It be more likely that posts that seem to lean towards islamophobia are actually an effort to start up for women ? If so Ill see ye down at the next repeal the 8th demo, and here is something that has nothing to do with islam but never made it to the Journal
(http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/05/female-british-airways-cabin-crew-win-the-right-to-wear-trousers)
@just reading. Your post is lies. France hasn’t banned the hijab. Millions of French Muslim women wear it all the time. They banned the burka in public places. It’s the hijab or headscarf this article is about. Why didn’t you read it before you post your misinformation.
The French already do. The Niqab is banned as are other “conspicuous religious symbols”
*sigh*… @Marg, I could follow thejournals posters charter , by slinging insults at you but whats the point, I suspect your mind is made up , and not by the ‘facts’ you treasure. The longer you hold deeply ingrained corrosive views, the harder it will be for you to reform yourself in the future…
Here is where I got those lies you speak about
France on Headscarf: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/03/france-muslim-women-home-working
Belgium and Burka : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-14261921
You love the sound of your own voice don’t you…
@just reading. I reiterate France has banned the burka in public places NOT the hijab. What part of that don’t you get? Also that “sigh” affectation is just plain silly.
Islamaphobia…twice in one post…like the word “perambulator”…no one uses it any more.
Marg…so many people dont actually know what a “burqua” is…
Irelands islamaphobia is shocking. sharia districts are in most European modern capital cities nowadays and are as common as chinatowns.
Does every street in Ireland have to have drunks clutching pork filled breakfast rolls and half naked women trying to have as much casual sex as she can?? Do you realise how offensive these sights are to a muslim? can we not be socially progressive and accommodate a safe space for ethnic cultures residing here. do they not have rights?
Mark…nice one.
you mean as socially progressive as Muslim countries?
they don’t exist.
and the West is accommodating safe spaces for ethnic cultures. it’s called multi-culturism and involves an open-door immigration policy that allows millions of people from different cultures to set up home within a country with little or no interest in integrating. if you moved to a foreign country would you expect them to change to adapt to your culture or would you expect to adapt to theirs.
where does that happen in Asia, Africa (even South Africa is a voluntarily segregated country to this day) and the Middle East?
Peter I take offence to that… I love to go for a perambulation with my perambulator its great for carrying my fruit and veg.
Mark…give up while your ahead!!!!!
I love your sense of humour Mark! But people don’t seem to be getting it…
Are the men allowed to wear skirts?
Good one. You had me there for a second.
@Mark. Do you realise how offensive your post is? Exactly whim are these half naked women having sex with? Would it be the half naked men that you failed to mention?
Tip o the cap Mark, top agitating!
Hear hear totally agree Carina
It seems Mark caught a few in his net?.
If it offends them then they should get over it or live in a Muslim country Mark, it’s nothing to do with “Islamaphobia”. Islam is an ideology by the way and not a race. People can comment on how bloody ridiculous Islam is without being labelled an Islamaphobe. “Oh, you’re offended?? Well so F****** what” ! People shouldn’t have to tip toe around other’s ridiculous beliefs.
Hallon such rubbish your spouting safe spaces socially progressive find them in the ME for non Muslims and let me know where they are, cant stand such nob-end remarks by a PC indoctrinated idiot such as yourself, best your shut up
Well said Peter.. If they want to integrate here they should have to appear like the rest of us. Walking around and only seeing someone eyes is ridiculous.. Try say anything and you are some sort of racits or “phobist”.. In my humble opinion we should literally round them all and throw them out of the country. This free movement and immigration is stupid. They do not want to integrate so we should not let them. fup off to other countries where they have the same silly beliefs as you.
@ Air France, maybe you should ask the government to insist that they remove theirs when flying into France and obey the cultures and values of the modern day western world where women are treated normally.. Maybe try that
The above response is only lowering ourselves to oppression of personal freedom. I do not claim to have the perfect answer to how best to respond to the above article, however banning what people can and can’t wear is not what a modern western society is about in my opinion.
The women don’t have a free choice in the matter. I very much dislike the argument “but the women CHOOSE to wear the hijab, and it’s unfeminist to tell women what to do”. Bullsh*t.
Banning the hijab isn’t about controlling what women wear, it’s about removing the control over what they wear.
How can a comment like that get so many green thumbs. Think I need to distance myself from the comments section
The best protest here would be to fly into Iran balls naked.
I sincerely hope air France stewardesses are ball free.
If the French Air Stewardesses are going to be “Balls Naked” – I want a stewards Inquiry
I think the best solution is to have male pilots and crew wear the headscarf too in solidarity with their female colleagues. That would do three things, 1) show that men and women are equal in our world, 2) show how absurd the headscarf actually is and 3) give the two fingers to the Iranians.
You’re think of the old East German airlines :)
thats the best idea ever Marg :D
Air hostesses don’t have balls although a few of the lads are very light on their feet!!
Sensible solution Marg
Great suggestion
And anyone travelling to Ireland should have to wear a leprechaun outfit too then…
What a ridiculous ruling….
Seen any leprechauns lately? Idiotic response!
No prob just make sure hostesses from Islamic country’s remove theirs when in European air ports
It’s amazing the way our leaders change our culture,traditions to suit foreigners, but not vice versa.
The irony of this comment is delicious.
Would you like to elaborate?
Air France staff would be foreigners in Iran and they’re being asked to abide by the rules (ridiculous as they are) in that country.
We don’t get to choose what laws we want to abide by in each country, or we do… but when we made that choice we also take on dealing with the consequences.
If some staff don’t want to abide by the rules in Iran they should be allowed opt out of making those flights.
Screw that! Whatever about wearing a uniform as company policy, wearing items to support a culture or religion is ridiculous. I’d like to see all air stewardess’s wearing a rosary beads when they come to Ireland or Poland or the Vatican!
Haven’t see a rosary beads in public in Ireland for some time! Has this form of superstition died out?
Totally opposed to women having to cover up because some men deem it offensive or those men can’t control their urges however maybe air France is going on the side of caution by wanted to protect their staff in a nation known for its intolerance?
Exactly! Ridiculous as the laws may be, they’re flying in so they have to abide by them.
@guy. No they don’t. They can pull their business. It’s is an abomination to demand of any western woman to wear an Islamic headscarf. Disgusting cultural and religious symbols of extreme female oppression. Everything we westerners left behind us a millennium ago.
I totally agree with you marg but there’s more chance of influencing Iran from inside than outside. They’re more moderate yam the hypocrites in Saudi and Iranian youth is gunning got change….as tesco says every little helps
@marc everyone is more moderate than the Saudis in fairness but that doesn’t make the Iranians “moderate” by any stretch. They hang gays there, in public from cranes. While they do that, and while ordinary Iranians come out to watch, I’ll always feel a creeping revulsion at Iran.
Actually Marg! As one of those cabin crew members who will be travelling to Iran in the near future as part of my job (if I didn’t want to travel to strange foreign lands I’d have gotten a job with Ryanair or Aer Lingus) I’m contracted to go wherever they feel the need to send their business! I’m gay! I work with my partner on most flights and yes I go to Saudi too!
Whether I agree with the customs or not (largely I don’t) I remain aware and respectful of them and still make the most of my time there.
FYI they don’t “hang gays from cranes” like you so ignorantly claim. In fact they unusually offer gender reassignment to gay people (again, not advocating it) but like Saudi, it’s not illegal to be gay, but it is to commit gay acts!
We live in one screwed up world, I won’t fall into the realm of being an uninformed hater like yourself!
@ Tony Stanley……The facts tell a different story Tony. See below link.
-
—”Many “offenders” are declared Moharebeh (waging war against God), but the majority of those who are executed are convicted on simple drug charges. Other crimes, such as being a homosexual or blasphemy against Islam’s Muhammad, are also punishable by death. Gay activists estimate that some 4,000 alleged gays have been executed by Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution.—”
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/01/26/iran-kicks-off-2015-executions-at-record-setting-pace/
Yes, it’s like being a Roman Catholic woman in 1960s Ireland.
As much as I find french people arrogant, you have to admire the way they stick to their principles on a lot of things,
Only straight staff allowed.
Fair play to them, it is really important that they fight this…. Imagine Paris getting bombed in November and now they are dressing up on the bombers. No ones religion/non faith beliefs should be pushed on someone else.
Fair play ladies !
Argo f■ck yourself!!!
Once upon a time it was exciting to travel to far off destinations and experience and see different cultures operating. At this point, everyone will be covered up(jihab and otherwise) to conform to political correctness and the magic of travel will be lost. Get on the plane and be treated impeccably by hardworking air stewards regardless of what they wear! The world is infuriating!
Just ban religion in public places…..simples
I would think that would make a good legal case … I know you can’t discipline or criticize a gay person for refusing to go on an assignment or travel to an Islamic country for work. It’s constructive dismissal.
In employment law, constructive dismissal occurs when an employee resigns as a result of the employer creating a hostile work environment.
How about respecting the law of the land . It’s not our country or our culture . We expect them to respect our laws so why should we disregard theirs
@Fian
They only respect the laws here cause the ‘Weenies’ changed the laws to protect their rights to be oppress Muslim women., eg wearing the hijab ??
Fine let them . And let them be fined or whatever for it. It’s totally hippocritical for us to say we can ignore their laws . I don’t agree with them having to cover their heads but it’s not our country . It’s not our culture . They don’t have to cover their heads while on the plane . Only when they leave it and enter the country. It’s their LAW . If there was a country full of nudists do u think they should be legally be allowed to walk around here totally naked because that’s their culture ?
@Fian, that’s only if you believe all cultures and skews of morality are equal.
Many would argue that Western morality is far superior to others.
In that western laws are generally based on secular discourse and discussion on the needs of the time rather than antiquated attitudes of theocratic dogma.
If all cultural approaches are equal your statement is correct what right does the west have to defend democracy, gay rights, women’s rights etc.
All things being equal the Iranians who hang homosexuals from cranes are just as moral as Ireland who legalised marriage.
I support the French workers in the fight not to be forced to wear a misogynistic beacon of oppression.
I honestly can’t believe how many people believe that they have a right to disobey a law of a foreign land. Don’t get me wrong I don’t agree with it but are you seriously saying they have a right to disobey their laws. Saying they don’t obey ours so we shouldn’t obey theirs is childish . We give out about them but we do not different .
Fian – if a law is morally offensive then it behoves us to break it.
Giving in to these silly Islamic laws, you would expect more from air France, instead of giving staff the opt out option why not just opt out of flying there at all
Regardless of the religion being midful of the law of the land you visit is always advised regardless of who you work for. When you disembark you are advised to adhere to the laws in that country just as those students got in trouble for taking naked pictures on a mountain. Different countries, different cultures, different laws. Doesn’t make it right or wrong but different. And just as your country asks to be respected we should respect theirs.
Why are Muslim elderly religious men freaking of woman girl?
How about we require Islamic airline staff to not wear headscarves when they come to the West to show respect to our culture?. Funny though, it is always a one way street with no respect for our culture or customs.
They do!
Saudi Arabia is much more conservative than Iran. What happens on flights to SA?
Everyone toes the line! Can’t understand why Iran is suddenly getting all the focus.
Iv to go to Saudi all the time and the female crew just grit their teeth like the professionals they are and get on with it!
This is a hard one. I’d be generally inclined to say that the staff should follow local laws, offensive as they may be. The principle here is, would a private individual be obliged to obey this? If so, a commercial interest probably should be too. Respectful comment please : this is a thorny issue.
You want respectful comment of your surrender to disrespectful customs.
The custom needs to change, not women.
Martin whether you like it or not the law is not going to change in Iran! But it has just had its borders opened up and the west and western businesses are going to find a hell of a lot of money there hence why the likes of Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa etc are going to want to fly there.
Their crew should all be professionals and fully aware of what this world is like as these are not parochial little airlines like Aer Lingus but big operators with global networks and used to flying to some of the worlds least desirable locations!
I’m more surprised AF crew aren’t making a fuss about their flights to Saudi unless they’ve pulled out of there!
A good decision by Air France. It’s good see that people still have respect for other countries culture and tradition.
I love seeming how bigoted some people are on here… Fact: Iranians are not Arab, they are Persian.
Also what’s the big deal with the head scarf. In the old days of Hollywood glamour, lots of women wore them. You look at at Catholic statue of Mary, she wears a head scarf to cover her hair, nuns do too. I know many Iranians, they are not oppressed, it’s a personal choice. Sometimes a religious one. And a lot of young Iranians don’t wear them.
Storm in a teacup, given the fact that there are currently no Air France flights to Iran there are no fixed rosters, surely the best way to deal with this is to ask for volunteers to be added to the roster for the (new) route with the stipulation that those who volunteer for or apply for this route must be prepared to wear a scarf. Problem solved. I personally find the scarves quite becoming and would prefer to receive food and drinks from a woman with a scarf than with loose hair.
Air France currently unwilling to make the planned flights to Iran volunteer only.
As for looose hair, you will find that all AF cabin staff have their hair tied up or back as part of their grooming standards. The scarf is expected in Iran to cover the hair entirely.
Sounds daft to me that all female AF crew should be obliged to wear a headscarf when working in Iran or Saudi Arabia. Mind you, I find it equally daft that Muslim women who chose to wear a headscarf, are automatically banned from working in the public services in France!
Not really, the policy is no religious symbolism in the public sphere.
That goes for all people of any race, religions etc. Keep your religion to yourself and we can all get along fine.
You can’t walk down the street in a full storm trooper outfit, just as you can’t walk down the street in a Burqa. Same principle of the law but we get more offended because it affects a religion?
Why does a religion (Which most people on the planet think is nonsense) have more rights than the 501st Imperial Storm trooper regiment?
You can’t cover your face in public for security concern.
I’m not sure what’s so difficult about that, sure if you walk into most shops you must remove helmets or Balaclavas.
Why one rule for Balaclava Appreciation Societies and another for Islamic Women?
Fair comment Nathan and I’m not supporting the wearing of storm trooper uniforms or Ninja warrior dress code but in France a Muslim woman wearing a headscarf, a Jewish man wearing a Kippah or a Sikh wearing a turban, shouldn’t automatically exempt them from working in Schools, Post Offices, Hospitals etc.
Far as I know, it’s not really an issue in any other European country, is it?
its a weird paradox.
Them not covering up is probably course for the muslim girls :(
I love it when the Journal click-baits the Sheeple.
Having to wear a headscarf to satisfy the laws of a country where the right to individual freedom does not exist for a woman is simply a reflection of the French law that persecutes Islamic women who wear veils. The laws of both countries are unacceptable and should be repealed. Tyranny is tyranny. While we’re at it, let’s outlaw religious organisations, such as Roman Catholicism, that preach and practice gender discrimination.
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