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| An Abercrombie & Fitch store front featuring Back-to-School 2007 marketing. |
The company has been recently sued by a young Muslim woman after she was told to remove her hijab why working in store at Great Mall of Milpitas in California. Yes, Abercrombie & Fitch is an "all-American" brand (or so it seems). But that does not mean you have to tell your employees that a hijab - for those of you who are culturally challenged, a hijab is a head covering worn by Muslim women - is not "the Abercrombie look." It is completely unacceptable. Let's discuss both sides, shall we? First of, yes, typically you do not picture an Abercrombie girl with a hijab and there are people do just do not feel comfortable familiarizing American culture with Islam (a very sensitive issue in this country). But that is completely unfound. To be American is to be free and expressive of our ideals, dreams, and hopes. And Abercrombie & Fitch, you crushed the American ideal...
This is not the first time an incident as such has occurred (the same violation was charged last September). The 18 year-old wore her head covering colorful, coordinating the style with her A&F look. “This retailer that targets a youth market is sending the message that you cannot aspire to their ‘All American’ brand if you wear a head covering to comply with your faith,” stated the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's regional attorney William Tamayo.
What are your thoughts over the matter?
