British Airways under fire

The build up to Christmas is normally silly season for stories on ridiculous examples of political correctness gone wrong, with the usual tales of local councils who have banned the school nativity play so as not to offend religious minorities, and this year has been no disappointment. British Airways are this time the culprits, having hit the headlines for banning Nadia Eweida, one of their check-in staff, from wearing a visible Christian cross around her neck to work. She then claims this has effectively ‘forced’ her out of work, as she refuses to remove the cross, and is now suing the company for religious discrimination.

As well as feeling that she should be allowed to display what is a very small symbol of her religious beliefs, Ms Eweida also feels discriminated against as other employees are permitted to wear visible religious garments, such as Sikh turbans or Muslim burqas. BA claim that items such as these are impossible to hide and are therefore acceptable, but Ms Eweida, and many others, believe that this isn’t really the point. They think that there should be one rule for all and that this is another in a long list of examples of today’s politically correct society favouring minority religions over Britain’s traditional Christian faith.

Just about everyone has come out in support of Ms Eweida, from politicians to religious figures to normal members of the public. As a result BA has now been forced to announce a review of its uniform policy ‘in the light of public debate’. It seems likely that this review will result in the company permitting the wearing of discreet, visible religious symbols (it hardly seems possible that they’ll ban all religious clothing but they can’t be seen to discriminate against any group).

Although this story itself is rather trivial, it does represent both the extremes to which political correctness has reached and the feeling among many white, Christian members of society who feel that they are now the ones discriminated against. Whether it is men who feel that women now hold sway in the workplace or white Britons who complain that companies have to fill racial quotas of minority workers, there is a strong feeling that things have gone too far. From the other point of view, many minority groups still feel unfairly treated by the system and argue that with the position they are in they deserve a foot up. This is of course a different issue from the wearing of crosses at work or whether it is justified to openly celebrate Christmas in what is a religiously diverse society, but for many people these issues have all become part of the same problem.

Hopefully common sense will prevail in this case, with British Airways, and other companies, allowing their staff to display symbols of their faith as long as they do not interfere with their work. It seems ridiculous to claim that any BA customers would be offended by seeing a cross as they check in, just as no one should find a man wearing a turban unacceptable. Some countries choose to keep religion a strictly private matter, but this is not a British tradition. And in France, for example, it does not seem to have done any good in helping ethnic and religious tensions. While it is important to respect and understand all of Britain's diverse religions, trying to force them out of the public eye does not seem to be the best way to do it.