Posted on 10/17/2006 12:45:09 AM PDT by Mrs Ivan
As the furore continued over BA's decision to ban a Heathrow worker from wearing a crucifix other firms supported the company's stand.
Nadia Eweida has been put on unpaid leave Christians called for the airline to be boycotted after Nadia Eweida, a check-in worker, refused to cover up her cross, saying Christian employees should be able to express their faith. She is now on unpaid leave.
It emerged that policies on the right to wear religious symbols varied from organisation to organisation.
Many firms cited health and safety regulations as their reason for not allowing crosses to be worn.
However, Sikh bangles were often permitted.
A spokesman for Virgin said: "For health and safety reasons you can wear a crucifix, but not over your clothing. If you bend into machinery, like an oven you could get caught up."
Asked whether staff could wear a brooch rather than a necklace in the shape of the cross, he said: "That might be a security issue for the (scanning) machines."
Meanwhile, the airline is developing a Muslim uniform for its staff. "Two ground staff at Heathrow wanted to pursue their religion and we would support that," he said. The "modesty" uniform will be introduced in a few months.
BMI has the same uniform policy as British Airways, which states that jewellery can be worn under the uniform.
It says this is based not on religion but on the image the company wants to present.
"It has nothing to do with the fact that it is a cross," said Phil Shepherd, the BMI press officer. "It is about how jewellery is worn with the uniform and the image you would want to project. People are advised to wear all necklaces under their clothing."
Asked why a discreet cross would not tally with the company's image, he said: "Well, another person may say 'I have a discreet St Christopher, why can't I wear that?' "
Asda, the supermarket chain, said employees could wear one necklace, but it should not be visible.
"The wearing of religious and cultural headwear such as headscarves, skull caps and turbans is permissible except where the health, safety and welfare of the wearer or others are compromised," said a spokesman. "For religious or medical reasons a bracelet may be worn."
A spokesman for Marks & Spencer said the company allowed staff to wear clothing or jewellery consistent with their religious beliefs.
We provide uniforms for employees. Where requested, alterations can be made to correspond with religious beliefs, provided that requests are reasonable and the wearer continues to be recognisable as a Marks & Spencer employee. For example, saris can be accommodated."
In the public sector, rules are relaxed. A spokesman for Haringey Council in north London said: "I am wearing a crucifix right now. I would fall down flat if anyone ever raised it as an issue. It has never been a problem."
The BBC said it had a discussion about the newsreader Fiona Bruce's cross necklace in the context of a wider debate about impartiality and religious dress.
However, it insists that there is no ban.
While many Christians work happily for firms that do not allow crosses to be displayed, some have claimed the action by BA is symptomatic of a backlash against the Christian faith.
David Cannings, the chairman of Christians in Politics, which encourages people in public office to make their faith part of their work, said religious imagery was becoming marginalised.
"We think such ostentatious expressions of faith are starting to be pushed into the background in an attempt to treat people equally and there's a danger that faith will be pushed into the background," he said.
But Austen Ivereigh, a Catholic writer, said BA was being perfectly reasonable.
"It's obviously not discrimination. If they allowed jewellery to be worn over clothes but not the crucifix then it could be argued it was discrimination."
He said wearing a cross or crucifix was not necessary to show your Christianity.
"The true Christian witness is the love you show people that makes people wonder where you got that from, and you can tell them," he said.
"The crucifix has become a fashion item worn by rap artists."
I thought the whole point of a "uniform" was that everyone dressed the same.
Not flying wiht BA in the near future.
Why do they always get some agnostic clergyman/religious spokesman to give their side in this debate? Are we completely out of real Christian spokespeople? That "Catholic writer" of theirs is spouting gibberish.
They're a disgrace to our name and country, perhaps they should change their name to multi-cultural airlines if they're so insistent on diversity.
Every time I've been sent out to African countries to work I always chose BA as my choice of flight, not any more though. Next time I'll gladly take United Arab Emirates, they don't discriminate against their employees religion.......ironic really!!!
This clearly is specious gobbledygook and doubletalk, calculated to provide a fig leaf of rationality to cover the fact that they're banning Christian symbols while permitting all manner of multiculti accessories and folderol.
In other words, it's bunk.
"Not flying with BA in the near future"
Persoally, I pick an airlines on safety issues, not their uniform policies. Thinking about it, I pick the airlines to fly on based on where they are going, rather than either their uniform policy or their safety record.
I have always assumed the pilot and co-pilot don't want to die, and that is good enough for me. I only remember 1 "suicide by pilot" incident (Egyption, I believe).
""The true Christian witness is the love you show people that makes people wonder where you got that from, and you can tell them," he said."
Un-hunh. ~And be branded a problem, then fired. Discussing Christianity at work is one of the big no-no's.
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