Boxing club in Australia fires worker for banning Afghan-Australian woman over religion

Ms Dakota says she is pleased that the man responsible for the comments had been reprimanded

A boxing club in Australia fired a staff member after he told a woman she couldn't fight at his club because she was Muslim.

Australian-Muslim Sharni Dakota contacted Dragon Gate Boxing Club in Perth last week to inquire about joining the Bibra Laked-based club. She was told she couldn't attend a Perth boxing club because she was Muslim. In a Facebook conversation, the male gym worker was at first supportive of Ms Dakota coming down for a trial, but soon changed his mind.



"Are you Muslim?" the club asked Ms Dakota. "Sorry, I have seen you are a Muslim so no you will not be welcome here, please don't bother us again, thank you." Shocked after reading the message, the 18-year-old responded writing, "I don't think it matters - Muslim or not - to do boxing.” As a result of this incident, the worker who sent the messages to Ms Dakota was fired after the club owners received a deluge of messages from the public, criticising its discrimination the Australian-Muslim received.



PHOTO: FACEBOOK

"We don't support what he did, the person involved has been sacked," a spokesperson for the Bibra Lake club said. "We deal with a lot of under-privileged children here... we're volunteers mostly, and so it's a worry. He should not have been on the Facebook site," the statement added.



Ms Dakota on Monday told WAtoday she was pleased the man responsible for the comments had been reprimanded after raising the incident with Radio 6PR's Rumour File earlier in the day.  "I love fighting whether it's boxing or karate, I have done it all my life and recently wanted to get back into it," she said. "This person saying that to me really made me feel so, so ashamed and I felt horrible for other Australian Muslims who would have to see that! [It's] nice to know they took quick action about it," she added.

 

This article originally appeared on WA Today.