Did Bus Driver Refuse To Take Muslim Students?

By · July 23, 2010 at 15:15 pm · No comments · Latest News · Report an error ·

2307_bus.jpg
Photo / che-burashka

Metroline, which operates buses throughout London, are launching an investigation after allegations that one of their drivers refused to allow two veiled Muslim students on his vehicle.

The students, one of whom was wearing a face-covering niqab, the other a hijab (in which the face remains exposed), had been waiting on the number 7 at Russell Square for about 10 minutes before it departed; when the driver returned, the women claim that he ordered them off the bus as they were a “threat”. One of the students says she attempted to film the driver, but he hid his identity by using the more rudimentary technique of covering his face with his arm.

The incident will further provoke debate about a style of clothing that, for something worn by a small percentage of the population, elicits frenzied opinion. However, if the allegations are substantiated, then whatever your view on face-covering garments, it’s difficult to side with the driver, who appears (at the very least) to have wildly over-reacted.

That said, the ever-enlightened mouth breathers on the Standard’s comments pages have already made their minds up who was in the wrong on this one.

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  • Jonn

    I see our old mate “Sarah, London” is straight in there with the islamophobia.

  • http://www.oxocubeeditorial.com/ Beth Torr

    I’m torn between amusement and horror at some of those comments. Definitely worthy of Speak Your Brane.

  • http://undefined 126183

    Muslim women if you dont like it go back to your muslim opressive state, walk behind your husband, avoid eye contact with other men, take your beatings or come live in the UK and celebrate your life, be equal with men, and enjoy freedom!

  • http://www.oxocubeeditorial.com/ Beth Torr

    Or come live in the UK and be subject to other people trying to tell them what their freedom of choice should be at the same time as making absurd and ignorant judgements about them?

  • http://undefined Sharia Enforcer

    Were these shameless women whipped for traveling without a male relative?

  • http://www.victorianlondon.org lee jackson

    You definitely consider the possibility that they don’t want to live in an oppressive state, but they do want to proclaim how religious they are in public, principally to fellow Muslims. The two are not necessarily incompatible, and should be feasible in the UK. You might not like it – I don’t particularly like any religion – but as long as no-one is being forced to proclaim a religion, as long as any faith, or lack of faith, can be practised, then what’s your actual problem?

    I’d be interested to hear from practising Muslims on veil-wearing … perhaps Londonist could interview the ladies involved?

  • http://undefined DeanN

    I’d be interested to hear from practising Muslims on veil-wearing … perhaps Londonist could interview the ladies involved?

    Thing is, the question of veil-wearing isn’t the issue here. The question is, should a bus driver be allowed to arbitrarily decide who he allows on his bus based on his own prejudice?

  • http://www.victorianlondon.org lee jackson

    No, plainly he shouldn’t, regardless of any reason the women might have for their choice of clothing, religious or otherwise. But I just noted to myself on the BBC site that one of the women involved reportedly said:

    “I would like him to understand why we wear it and I think I would like an apology … I want him to sit there and talk to me about why he felt the way he felt and maybe to understand where we are coming from.”

    and it was noticeable that there wasn’t anything following that up, unless I missed it. The BBC supplied its usual ‘know your veils’ infographic, but I would have thought it was a great opportunity to actually talk to her in more detail and get where she was coming from, as she put it herself.

    Not saying this is Londonist’s job, or anything, but just I would be interested.

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