While I generally try to stay neutral about my blog posts, I am moved to write a little more passionately about this particular news piece. For those that do not know, I am a practicing Muslim woman. As such a woman, I wear a simple piece of garment on my head known as hijab. I do so not to create a political statement, because I think it looks cool, my father/brothers/husband forced me, or any other random reason. I do it because I believe in it.
It saddens me to see that the Metro Transit Authority (MTA) in my hometown of New York City has made a big deal about this in regards to its own employees. I am a supporter of branding, but when it singles out certain individuals and seems to be blatant bigotry, I am not a fan:
"Backed by a majority of the City Council, transit workers who wear turbans for religious reasons demanded Tuesday that their MTA stop forcing them to put its logo on their headwear.
'This policy is as backwards as you can possibly imagine,' said City Councilman John Liu (D-Queens) at a press conference at City Hall. Liu was one of 27 City Council members who sent a letter to New York City Transit, urging a policy change."
It is important to note that this particular MTA practice allows other workers to wear non branded baseball caps and yarmulkes. The branded headwear is geared towards women who wear hijab or Sikhs who wear turbans. You can read the rest of this news story at:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/06/16/2009-06-16_turbanwearing_transit_workers_demand_mta_.html
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