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As most Muslim women knew, hijab is a word to describe a Muslim woman wearing clothes that covers almost everything on her body in loose fitting except her face and hands. Hijab is differently worn and expressed by Muslim women worldwide.

Some may wear full body hijab that even covers the face except for the eyes. Some may wear it as a full body, long sleeved dress and some, like parts in Asia, wears it in different parts. In Asia the Muslim women wears hijab differently. It is not the one piece suit as others may think.

In Asia, Muslim women wear long sleeve shirts, loose fitting pants or skirts accompanied with their stylish head scarves and of course stoking clad shoes. And you would be surprise at how very stylish and professional looking the working Muslim women looks.

Why do employers have an issue about employing hijab wearing women when others can happily strut in with their shawl and stylish beret or hats to work? Does employing hijab wearing women affects work productivity? What difference does a hijab wearing woman has? Is it because of the fashion sense?

It is simply just discrimination. Not religion discrimination but fashion discrimination.

Fortunately in South-East Asia, hijab wearing women are most welcome in the working industry. Take Singapore for example, it is not an Islamic country. They do not practice religion and fashion discrimination and respect the worker's integrity even when a Muslim women wishes to wear her hijab. There are thousands of Muslim women who are happily and proudly wearing their hijab in the working industry in Singapore today.

Employers should start to re-evaluate their thoughts on hijab wearing women. If it is about the dress code etiquette, then I see no problem in tweaking the human resource department. Hijab is just an extra cloth worn, not something disastrous that will drive the customers away.

If the fear that hijab wearing women is not educated enough, then the employer should re-study the woman's resume. I am sure that almost 70% of them now are highly educated with at least a college certificate. Muslim women are no longer living in the Stone Age.

"Hijab wearing women would be very demanding and fussy such as request for leave for prayer times." If that is another one of the employer's woes, then he can rest at ease. Islam does not force the followers to be very diligent and forceful in their prayer times. Islam has made a leeway for those who cannot make it for their prayers on time. They can always Qadha', which means repaying a missed solat in another time period. It may be performed at any time.

If all of the employers in the world has a leeway for hijab wearing women, then it'd be a better working world.

Learn more about this author, Nur Asyikin Abdul Majid.
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