Bahrain Shuts Down Indian Restaurant For Denying Entry To Woman Wearing Veil, Manager Suspended
A popular Indian restaurant Lanterns in Bahrains Adliya has been shut down. A viral video showed one of the staff members blocking a veiled woman from entering the facility. Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority BTEA has launched a probe into the issue.
A popular Indian restaurant, Lanterns, in Bahrain's Adliya has been shut down after a veiled woman was barred from entering its premises.
A viral video showed one of the staff members blocking a veiled woman from entering the facility, NewsofBahrain reported.
The report noted that Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) has launched a probe into the issue.
The Lanterns restaurant in Manama, Bahrain. | Instagram/ Lanterns Bahrain
¡°We reject all actions that discriminate against people, especially regarding their national identity,¡± the BTEA said in a statement..
Meanwhile, sensing a backlash and a bad PR, the restaurant authorities were quick to come up with clarification on the incident.
The restaurant released a statement on Instagram saying the officials have suspended the duty manager.
¡°We have suspended the duty manager based on our investigation. We have been serving our customers from all nationalities living in this beautiful Kingdom for over 35 years now. Ours is a place for everyone to come and enjoy with their families and feel at home. In this instance, a mistake has been made by a manager who has been suspended and this doesn¡¯t represent who we are,¡± the restaurant said.
The incident comes across as pretty unusual for Bahrain, which is a Muslim majority country and the general customs of Muslim society are well known in public spaces.
Hijab controversy in India
This comes amid the hijab controversy rocking Karnataka, with pro and anti-hijab protests.
At some colleges, Muslim students were heckled, while in another case, some men climbed up a flagpole to plant a saffron flag and broke into classrooms.
The Supreme Court recently denied the request for urgent listing of appeals against the Karnataka High Court verdict which had upheld the power of colleges to ban the wearing of hijab by female Muslim students in government educational institutions in the State.
Chief Justice NV Ramana said, "Exams have nothing to do with the issue. Don't sensitise." Earlier, the top court refused to urgently hear the appeal and posted the matter after Holi break.
The Karnataka high court, in its recent ruling, has upheld the ban on religious clothes inside educational institutions, including hijab. The high court ruled that hijab is not an essential religious practice in Islam. The verdict has been challenged in the top court.
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