DUBAI: A Muslim woman in the UK is suing her former employer after a member of staff allegedly told her to remove her black headscarf over its “terrorist affiliations.”
The woman, a former estate agent, had been working for a company called Harvey Dean in the town of Bury in Greater Manchester when she says her seniors took issue with the color of her hijab.
She does not wish to be named but filed a complaint with the Manchester Employment Tribunal claiming that she was told “it would be in the best interest of the business for her to change the color of her hijab, due to the supposed terrorist affiliation with the color black.”
According to the complaint, a colleague allegedly said that the community around the company’s office would “feel intimidated and scared if they saw the claimant,” The Independent reported Thursday.
The woman claims that her manager even brought in colored hijabs for her to wear instead.
The claimant also said she was reprimanded by a male manager for texting her father during her lunch break.
“He then went on a tirade accusing the claimant of not working,” read tribunal documents seen by The Independent.
“The claimant informed him that she was on her lunch break but he told her that he did not care (and) then proceeded to tell her to: ‘Get the f*** out of here.’”
The woman left the office and submitted a letter of resignation a week later.
“I was shocked at what they were asking and the reasons they were giving,” the woman told The Independent.
The filed complaint argues that her treatment created an “intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating and offensive environment.”
The case will be considered at a preliminary hearing at the Manchester Employment Tribunal on July 20.
“What is of primary importance to me over and above anything is that this serves as a warning to employers that such pressure upon employees is absolutely and categorically unacceptable based upon illogical ideas with no evidence,” the claimant said
“Young Muslim women, whether they attend schools, colleges or work in professional environments, should never have to feel that they have to compromise their religious beliefs or water down their Muslim identity for fear of intimidating people of other or no faith.”
UK Muslim woman sues employer after he claims black hijab has ‘terror affiliations’
UK Muslim woman sues employer after he claims black hijab has ‘terror affiliations’
India rolls out strictest anti-pollution curbs as toxic smog engulfs Delhi
- Private monitors in several parts of northern Delhi recorded AQI spikes between 550 and 700s
- Authorities invoked stage four of the capital region’s emergency pollution-control framework
NEW DELHI: India’s capital choked under a thick blanket of smog on Sunday, with the government imposing anti-pollution curbs after monitoring stations in some areas recorded extremely hazardous air quality.
Home to 30 million people, Delhi has not recorded a single “clean air” day in 2025, with Air Quality Index readings hitting high above the 50 score throughout the year.
On the AQI scale from 0 to 500, good air quality is represented by levels below 50, while levels above 300 are dangerous.
Worsening since late October, official records over the weekend were in the severe to severe-plus range of 400–500, but as 24-hour averages, they did not capture the peaks. Private monitors in several parts of North and North West Delhi recorded AQI spikes above 550 and even into the 700s in real-time.
On Saturday evening, the Ministry of Environment’s Commission for Air Quality Management invoked stage four — the highest level — of the Graded Response Action Plan for Delhi and surrounding areas.
To “prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region,” the commission suspended all non-essential construction, shut stone crushers and mining operations, stopped entry of trucks into the capital region, and ordered schools to shift to hybrid classes or online, where possible.
While authorities blamed the pollution on “adverse meteorological conditions,” residents have been demanding more government action.
“The situation is so bad in Delhi that we don’t have any option but to force kids to do online classes. The government has failed us; it has not done anything to address the issue,” said Nabanita Nayak, who decided for her teenage children to attend school online only, despite concerns over their screen addiction.
“If the kids are too much in front of laptops, that’s also an issue. As a mother, I am worried.”
Delhi’s pollution has been worsening since Diwali in late October, when the average AQI has been above 370, or “very poor.” Since mid-November, it has been over 400, which means “severe” air quality, with certain areas recording 500 and above, which is classified as a “hazardous” level.
“I don’t feel proud living in Delhi. It’s the capital city of the country … We talk about being a developed nation by 2047 — we have deadlines,” said Jagriti Arora, who is keeping her 7-year-old daughter at home to prevent allergy flare-ups caused by air pollution.
“The government has to do something … China had a big problem with pollution, but now they’ve managed to bring it down.”
Delhi’s air quality deteriorates in winter due to local emissions and seasonal weather conditions. Cold temperatures and low wind speeds result in a temperature inversion, which traps pollutants close to the ground instead of letting them disperse. This allows emissions from millions of vehicles, ongoing construction, and nearby industrial activity to accumulate in the air. Urban waste burning and dust from construction sites further add to it.
“This is not a new thing. This has been happening now for over 10 years,” Arora said. “You can see it. You don’t need to actually look at an AQI meter to see how bad the pollution is these days.”
