Employees report denial of hijab at nursing home

Hijab. Photo: pixabay.com

Two employees at Blidensol nursing home in Stavanger report against nursing home for the prohibition of wearing hijab.

The two have reported against the nursing home for gross discrimination. The case is also appealed to the Equality Ombudsman, reports TV2 News.

– I am very shocked. I have lived in Stavanger, Norway for 18 years and never felt as oppressed as I did after this decision.

It is incredibly racist and discriminatory, says one of the women to the channel.

Five of the 110 employees at the nursing home wear the hijab, but it has never come into complaints from either relatives or patients about employee’s use of hijab, says CEO Geir Andersen at Blidensol nursing homes.

The decision to ban religious and political garment was made on September 2 this year, wrote Rogaland Avis Wednesday.

The ban is based on the well being of residents and it is pointed out that people with dementia feel more comfortable in familiar and safe surroundings.

– If you use garments that are strange to the patient, such as hijab, turban or Palestinian scarf, it can create confusion and insecurity.

From earlier times and now, the increase in the number of employees with foreign-looking and with rather poor Norwegian language is the reason for the decision.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today