Air France stewardesses mutiny over order to wear headscarves

[7962]

Source: TelegraphUK

Air France stewardesses, furious at being ordered to wear headscarves in Tehran, say they will refuse to fly to the Iranian capital when the airline resumes the service later this month.

Female members of flight crews have been ordered to cover their hair once they disembark in Tehran and unions are demanding that the flights be made voluntary for women.

The resumption of a thrice-weekly service between Paris and Tehran, planned for April 17 after an eight-year break, follows a thaw in relations since Iran agreed to dismantle large sections of its nuclear programme.

Iranian women have been forced by law to cover their hair or face stiff fines since the 1979 Islamic revolution. In staunchly secular France, however, public signs of religion have been frowned upon since a 1905 law separating church and state.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/02/air-france-stewardesses-mutiny-over-order-to-wear-headscarves/

[iandhr]

1. Good for them

Liberte Egalite Fraternite

[rjsquirrel]

26. Well, sororité anyway! eom.

[tavernier]

65. ...

(Where are the little girl smilies?)

[christx30]

2. I agree.

Every order like this needs to be opposed in the strongest possible terms. The male flight attendants need to join in as well. Liberty over everything else.

[Skittles]

3. agreed

enough with the forced misogyny

[LiberalElite]

4. I'm with them. nt

[SoapBox]

5. Good for them.

[CharlotteVale]

6. Fuck all misogynistic relgions and the assholes who follow them.

[mtasselin]

27. Thank You

Thank you for saying what many feel. Religion no matter what religion has no place in government unless of course you want sharia law.

[2banon]

38. And Christian Law too. n/t

[greiner3]

40. Redundant

Last edited Sun Apr 3, 2016, 07:09 PM - Edit history (1)

Religions and msyoginitic

[Ellen Forradalom]

7. Good.

Solidarity with Iranian women and against forced religious observance.

Protest in Iran against mandatory hijab, 1979.

[WhoWoodaKnew]

8. Man, don't you wish women in all Arab countries dressed like that now.

[EL34x4]

29. Iran isn't an Arab country.

Iranians are Persians and loath being referred to as Arabs. They don't speak Arabic either. They speak Farsi.

Just wanted to clear that up.

On a related note, you can google pics of Kabul, Afghanistan during the 1970s. Same dress. It was a modern, cosmopolitan city.

[Aristus]

35. See above.

Iranians really don't like being mistaken for Arabs. They believe themselves to be superior. Kind of the way the Japanese see themselves as above Koreans, the English as above the Irish, Brahmins as above Untouchables, and Americans as above everyone else.

[cannabis_flower]

37. In the same way

that Central Americans, South Americans and Puerto-Ricans don't like being called Mexican. In fact, quite a few Central Americans are as prejudiced against Mexicans as some non-Hispanic Americans are.

[RobinA]

42. Say It Ain't So!

People other than Caucasians have ethnic prejudices?!?! That can't be right. Everything I read says that bigotry is carried on the same gene as whiteness.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

55. No. We don't like being called Mexican, because we're not from Mexico. That's

unrelated to whatever prejudices or "beefs" that happen between countries. As I'm sure Austrians don't like to be called German or Belgians being called French.

[cannabis_flower]

56. Well...

That may be true also but many Central Americans don't like Mexicans. I've heard them say it's because there is a kind of "I'm a Mexican" bravado that many Mexicans display. A Puerorican woman also once said when I assumed she was a Mexican, that Mexicans are crazy, so I think it's something more than just because they are not Mexicans.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

57. Anecdotes aside. What person from any nationality would be okay with being labeled

another because of someone else's? Are you Canadian? If not. Would you consider it normal if someone else decided you are Canadian because of their own intellectual ignorance.

The ignorant assume people you described have no bearing whatsoever on the fact that I was not born nor have I ever lived in Mexico, nor did my parents. I really don't get why this confuses people in this country so much. Out of the 35 countries in the Americas, only one is called Mexico.

[redwitch]

58. Hercule Poirrot hated being mistaken for French!

Of course he was a fictional character but still...

[7962]

9. Thanks for that picture. Look at those faces. nt

[Tanuki]

10. Amazing picture. Thanks for posting ...I've never seen this pic before.

[mountain grammy]

13. Wow, all those women in the streets..

and they still lost. What an amazing picture, and depressing.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

21. We overthrew Mossadegh and installed the Shah who was a dictator.

But the women got educations and were Westernized.

Then the Shah that we installed got overthrown in 1979 and a strict religious government was installed. That's why they went backwards. We have a history of overthrowing democratically elected leaders, installing puppets so we can steal their resources like oil. It's called imperialism. We have done this in many countries. We tell the president, "Let us steal your resources and we'll make you and your friends rich, impoverish the masses as well, and oppress them. If you don't agree with us, we will depose you and kill you and replace you."

That's what the newly revised edition of Reflections of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins, says.

[Blandocyte]

30. Now Iranians suffering under the heavy handed religion

are probably wishing the Shah had been able to put down the rebellion and that we were still "stealing" their oil.

[mountain grammy]

32. Yes, and America gave refuge to the Shah, which is why they took our embassy.

I know America's footprints are all over the middle east (and South America) in our quest to protect "American interests" which are the interests of corporations. But, when I see a picture of masses of uncovered women in the streets, I hate to think of what it took to completely subdue them. Obviously, they had no support from their extended families or the size of this mass of women would have grown exponentially.

[Chakab]

11. It's the law in Iran. It's a shitty law, but it's their law. Flight attendants who don't want to

wear them should have the right to refuse to fly the route.

Seems to be a pretty simple solution.

[christx30]

12. It'd be nice if companies would stop doing business

with Iran until they changed their shitty, backwards laws.

[iandhr]

15. +1

[mainer]

25. That would also mean no airlines into Saudi Arabia, Yemen, UAE, etc.

A lot of countries have stupid laws.

Weirdly enough, I flew Emirates to Dubai a few years ago. While the FAs all wore head coverings, I've never been served so much alcohol on a flight.

[christx30]

39. And I'd be perfectly ok with that.

If we could get the world on renewables, we could dump those backwards jokers.

[iandhr]

14. I think that is exactly what they are requesting.

They asking asking for the right to refuse the Tehran route without penalty

[rpannier]

18. From the article

Flore Arrighi, head of the UNAC flight crews’ union, said: “It is not our role to pass judgement on the wearing of headscarves or veils in Iran. What we are denouncing is that it is being made compulsory. Stewardesses must be given the right to refuse these flights.”

snip

Unions want Tehran flights to be made voluntary without penalties for staff, deductions from wages or consequences for their careers.

[Ellen Forradalom]

41. It goes entirely against the bedrock principle of the French republic, laïcité (secularism).

And these flight attendants work for a French company. They should not have to risk their jobs.

Men would not be asked to do this. It is always women who are asked to give up some of their rights.

[smirkymonkey]

47. +1000

[CanonRay]

16. I totally support them

Screw the religious zealots.

[rpannier]

17. With the stewardesses on this

[ALittleBirdie]

19. Mindblowing

Don't give in, please!

[awoke_in_2003]

20. No woman, atheist, or homosexual

should ever fly into a backwards ass Islamic nation, and should not be punished for not doing so.

On edit: any country, or state in the case of the US, that views their Bronze Age beliefs as their guiding principles, should be mocked and ridiculed by the rest of the civilized world.

[mainer]

22. KLM FAs wear headscarves in Saudi Arabia

My relative who was a flight attendant for KLM said they'd routinely don headscarves once they landed because the religious police would arrest you otherwise. One of her colleagues was in jail for a day and missed her flight back, Airline had to send lawyers to get her out.

I suspect this is just the airline trying to keep its crew safe and out of jail. It sucks but you don't want your crew in jail.

[Sunlei]

23. religions largest visual proof, woman are not equal to men.

[azureblue]

34. you mean

all those Hollywood stars back in the 20's, 30's and 40's who wore scarves while riding in a car, they were all Moooslems?

[snooper2]

44. wow, you are actually being series

[Democat]

60. Was there some federal law forcing them to do so?

Or some men who might kill them if they didn't?

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

59. If I was Obama, I would have told them to go fuck themselves

[mainer]

24. AF's mistake was making it mandatory

It should have been couched as an "advisory" for female employees who didn't want to end up in jail.

When you cross a border into another country, you're kind of required to obey that country's laws, however moronic. I'd never dream of pulling out a bottle of booze and drinking it in public in a number of middle eastern countries.

[Travis_0004]

28. I'm not so sure thats a good idea

Air France doesn't want their employees arrested. Then they have to send lawyers down there, and fight to get them out, and that is not good for anybody involved.

[treestar]

52. I agree

and they are depriving themselves of opportunity, unless they can get enough shifts on other flights - IOW the male flight attendants get all of these flights - so it is being affected by sexism anyway. If it were me, I'd just wear the scarf and collect my paycheck and be done with it. Iran's laws are not going to change because of this.

[CTyankee]

31. "stewardesses" still in use? Can't we use the nonsexist "flight attendants'?

you can always say "female flight attendants" when the subject of the piece requires it to avoid confusion.

[azureblue]

33. You can believe whatever you want

If your religion says a woman must cover her head, if it says that a fetus is "human" and abortion is wrong, if it says you must wear red underwear or "be clear", IDGAF. You do not have a right to force your beliefs on me. You keep your beliefs to yourself and I'll keep mine to myself

[RobinA]

43. Customer Service, However

implies something a little different. I agree that the FAs should be able to opt out of those flights, but if you are on that flight, you need to realize that you may have to put local custom first. That's what being in a customer service position is all about. Sometimes you have to eat your beliefs and feelings for the duration. It's kind of like the pharmacy person who doesn't want to sell birth control because it is against his belief. If you can't put the customer first you need to get a different job.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

61. This has nothing to do with customer service.

You can serve the customer just fine without a head scarf. What if my religion requires that you wear assless chaps and a cowboy hat, you gonna do that for me when you're ringing up my Frosted Flakes at Safeway?

[Skittles]

66. bs

forced misogyny is wrong, wrong, WRONG - not matter WHERE it happens

[Coventina]

36. Screw that! Go flight attendants!!

[Eugene]

45. Air France headscarf row: Airline lets crew skip new Tehran route

Source: BBC

Air France headscarf row: Airline lets crew skip new Tehran route

4 April 2016 Europe

Air France is willing to let female crew members opt out of flying a new route to Tehran after they were asked to wear a headscarf on their arrival.

The airline will restart its flights to the Iranian capital on 17 April.

Management last week circulated a note asking female staff to wear trousers on the route and put on a headscarf when they left the plane.

Union officials said some staff members were concerned about the ruling and had asked Air France bosses to relax it.

Ahead of a meeting with a number of unions on Monday afternoon, Gilles Gateau, Air France's human resources director, told the Europe 1 channel he was willing to offer a compromise.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35962239

[MariaThinks]

46. Arab countries have no tolerance for other cultures but migrants want to change the rules in the

countries that allow them to settle. For all the words of islam being tolerant and a religion of peace, shouldn't arab countries accept other cultures? is the culture so staunch that they cannot even tolerate women from other cultures wearing the clothes of their culture?

Am I the only one offended by this double standard? I find it deeply unfair and one sided. It also suggests that any place muslims become the majority, the rules will change and minority rights will be small or nonexistent.

[smirkymonkey]

48. No, you are not the only one offended.

I find the double standard deeply offensive.

[MariaThinks]

49. thank you

[7962]

50. You already see it where majority Muslim countries exist

Laws according to Islam, not basic human rights

[Mary Mac]

51. Which is why it is best to help refugees in muslim countries

Instead of breaking up families and scattering them across Europe. I admire Merkel but she was wrong in her welcome.

[treestar]

53. the more conservative culture is going to be the one people end up bowing to

At least in their country.

We are not tolerant of some of their practices - polygamy is still allowed in Pakistan and yet we would not accept that were the two wives to be in the US with the husband - it would actually be prosecutable and a second wife would not be recognized for any purpose.

The rule is = when in Rome.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

62. What do the Arabs have to do with Iran?

Arab isn't a religion.

[JI7]

63. Iran is not an Arab country, most of the Arab countries don't require this

[leftynyc]

64. Nope

Not the only one. The double standard is pretty freeking stark.

[Skittles]

67. their forced misogyny trumps all

and companies telling their employees they HAVE to go along with it is just SICKENING

[Zorra]

54. Repressive Religulous Patriarchies, in any flavor, should be boycotted/embargoed/shunned. nt