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Muslim Barber Refuses to Cut Woman's Hair


Boogalou

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...So I instead of "safe space", let's call it a "safer space".

While the WNBA player case shows that it's possible for a lesbian to also be batshit crazy, I do have to say that in my personal experience, I've never had a woman leer at me or make unwelcome advances (and yes, I've known many who were attracted to women). I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, but I suspect that people are more careful about coming on to someone of the same sex in public.

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My municipality has woman-only swim times at some of its pools:

http://kidsenergyburner.com/swimming_po ... an-ontario

I haven't heard of it being subjected to any human rights complaints. The majority of the time is still coed, there are a number of pools in the city offering public swim times, and so men or families wishing to swim together aren't really being put out. On a practical level, it allows physical participation by a group that would otherwise be less likely to take advantage of municipal fitness facilities, and would therefore be more likely to be socially and physically marginalized. It's used by Muslims, Orthodox Jews and women who simply don't feel comfortable swimming around men.

I'm wondering if this would be saved under section 15(2) of the Canadian Charter of Rights, which states:

Subsection [15(1)] (which guarantees equality) does not preclude any law, program or activity that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups including those that are disadvantaged because of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.

I think some people are not in favor of those hours. I remember some debate in Montreal. I think it is problematic in the sense JFC pointed out, it assumes heterosexuality. It also assumes bullying among women does not exist.

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I do have to say that in my personal experience, I've never had a woman leer at me or make unwelcome advances (and yes, I've known many who were attracted to women).

It depends on where you are. I've had a lot of unwelcome and uncomfortable advances in gay friendly bars and areas.

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Oh, wow, I just read up on kosher/halal slaughter techniques and was really saddened. For some reason I assumed that religious killing included stunning before the animal's throat was slit. Poor animals. That said, I wouldn't make a complaint about a business serving halal meat on that basis. If it's legal to kill an animal without stunning it for religious reasons then presumably non-religious abattoirs would use the same methods if it proved cost effective. I'd have to complain about every business that used meat from sources that couldn't prove animals were raised and killed humanely.

I'm pretty sure in Australia stunning is a legal requirement unless you have a religious exemption. Not cool IMO. I will have to check up and confirm that. The RSPCA has some good pages on why they don't like halal/kosher and I think they are a fairly unbiased and trustworthy source.

I too would probably rather an animal was raised nicely and killed without stunning than raised cramped indoors and killed with stunning, but that's not really the comparison here.

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It seems like an awful lot of fuss to me.... I'd have just wished the men a good day and gone elsewhere. It's just a hair cut....

(I know ~ the principle of it and all that, right? I guess it seems like maybe there are much bigger battles to fight with regards to gender issues than a hair cut... )

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If it's illegal, it's illegal. They should have contacted the employee able to cut her hair right then and there, else they were not complying with Canadian anti-discrimination laws. Their religion doesn't get to come into play. If they don't like that, move somewhere else, or make sure you have a non Muslim employee on hand at all times.

As to women-only pools, I'm betting they aren't a very safe space at all for transgendered women. I wish people would concentrate more on making the general spaces safe for everyone instead of sectioning people off.

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Yeah, I am pleased they worked that one out.

I sided with the barbers here too because it's not the same as a white supremacist refusing a black nurse for his child. A barber's shop can reasonably expect to only serve men, unless they state outside that they cut both men and women's hair (some here do). If your religion demands you can't touch unrelated women, while I think that's really fucking weird, becoming a barber doesn't seem like a bad career choice.

They politely turned her down, explained why and offered alternatives. While I totally understand it must have been really embarrassing for her, I am pleased they took the time to discuss this and work it out.

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