Zara Paris Denies Entry To Woman In Hijab

Zara, the international retailer, suffered backlash after a video surfaced on social media showing employees at its Paris store denying entry to a woman in a hijab. 

 

The video shows a staff member telling a woman that she must remove her headscarf as the store’s policy does not allow people wearing hats or hoods to enter. “If things change, they’ll change but I don’t make the rules,” the man can be heard saying. 

 

French laws banning face coverings such has the burqa or niqab in public were passed in 2011 but there is no such law against the headscarf. 

 

The video prompted internet users to call for a boycott on twitter and other platforms

 

“This type of mentality is unheard of at Zara and there have never been instructions given out to act this way,” says Jean-Jacques Salaun, head of Zara’s French stores. Salaun also contacted the customer and apologised as soon as he was made aware of the incident. Zara, in statements on Twitter, claims to have fired both the security guard in the video and the store’s manager.

 

The video was uploaded on Nov. 14 the day after terror attacks in Paris left more than 100 dead.

 

The video is on Youtube here.