The Indian Girl Who Refused To Part With Her Hijab

Brut India

She says she was denied a news presenter’s job because she wears a hijab. AMU alumna Ghazala Ahmad told Brut she wants to “bash this Islamophobia which is rampant across the globe…”

Transcript

00:00This person told me that nobody in Indian media observed hijab as an anchor.

00:05The post was for an anchor and they cannot employ someone who wears hijab.

00:11So why is it so that when it comes to minorities or when it comes to Muslims,

00:17why is it so that every time we have to go through this kind of discrimination?

00:30They interviewed me. It was a telephonic conversation.

00:39They discussed my academic qualifications and the salary was discussed.

00:45Everything was discussed. Then I told the recruiter that I observe hijab.

00:49So will that be a problem for your organization?

00:53Will that be an issue for your organization?

00:56So this person told me that nobody in Indian media observed hijab as an anchor.

01:01The post was for an anchor and they cannot employ someone who wears hijab.

01:08So I told this person, okay, I know this thing that nobody in the Indian media observed hijab.

01:13So we can start it on our own.

01:15I mean, why don't you become the first person to employ someone in your organization who adorns hijab?

01:22So this person told me that no, I have a very small media outlet and I cannot do this thing.

01:53I mean, do they ask someone who comes in sari or who practice bindi that she's not allowed to wear this

02:01and she's not allowed to put this.

02:03So why is it so that when it comes to particularly Muslims that we have to go through these kind of things?

02:12My whole idea behind, you know, putting it into the public is finally to just bash and counter

02:19this deliberately created notion of discriminating Muslims on the basis of their religious identity.

02:26This is to bash this Islamophobia, which is rampant across the globe.

02:32And I'll continue to do that.

02:34If I talk about particularly journalism as a subject,

02:38we have been taught that we are not going to discriminate anyone on any kind of basis.

02:43We will talk about justice. We will talk about equality.

02:47So why is it so that when it comes to minorities or when it comes to Muslims,

02:52why is it so that every time we have to go through this kind of discrimination?

02:59And it is not limited to women only. It happens with boys also.

03:04Beard is in fashion right now, but earlier, I mean, they never used to employ someone who keeps beard.

03:12I mean, they were being asked to shave off their beard.

03:15And obviously, I'll continue to fight against this kind of discrimination,

03:20fight against Islamophobia in journal till I will succeed.

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