BBC News | UK | Cross row atokes Christian anger Quote:
British Airways has asked a Christian member of staff to conceal her cross necklace because it contravenes the company's uniform policy. But has it added to a sense of unease among Christians? Crosses may be a fixture around the necks of many Christians, and have even become a fashion accessory for A-list celebrities, but not everyone is happy to see them on display.
Heathrow check-in worker Nadia Eweida is on unpaid leave after refusing to cover up her cross necklace. "I believe that it is a very important issue on the matter of expressing Christianity and employees having their say in the way they express their faith," she said.
British Airways says all jewellery and religious symbols on chains must be worn under the uniform. But it makes an exception for Sikh turbans and Muslim hijabs because they cannot be covered up.
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Personally, I don't think this is discrimination. BA does not allow staff to wear any visible jewelry and this includes the cross. The fact that it allows turbans and hijabs is irrelevant since these are not items of jewelry. The cross contravenes the company's dress code in that it is jewelry, not in that it is a Christian symbol.
Of course, there is a more important underlying question here: So what if it is discrimination? Should a company not have the right to decide its own dress code, whether it is discriminatory or not, without having to consider the threat of legal action? Why should religious tolerance be enforced by law?
Anyway, what are your thoughts on this story and its implications?