Muslim denied job in Delhi as hijab made her 'look Muslim from distance of a kilometre'

Her recruiter denied that Zoya's rejection was an act of Islamophobia

A 27-year-old woman from Patna, India, became a victim of Islamophobia when she was denied a job in a Delhi orphanage because of her choice to wear a hijab.

Nedal Zoya, a masters graduate from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai had applied to be a social worker at the orphanage when her recruiter said her hijab “will make her look like a Muslim from even a distance of a kilometre”.

Zoya came across the vacancy on a website in October. She mailed in her application after which she was asked to write an online test and send in her photograph.



She received a reply from Harish Varma, President and CEO of Delhi Orphanage for girls. Commenting on her test, Varma also stated the institution is 'religion-free' for both staff and students.

PHOTO: Indian Express

“I am sorry to inform that from even a distance of one kilometer you look like a Muslim lady due to your external Muslim gears”.

Zoya, who had also in the past faced exclusion due to her hijab, replies saying covering her head was a 'priority' for her. Commenting on Varma's statement that his institution would be 'religion-free', she asked “Would you be performing pooja during festivals? Or would you allow girls in the orphan to offer namaz or do pooja”.

Replying to Zoya's email, Varma wrote he was 'shocked' to know that “conservative Islam was Zoya’s priority, not humanity” and that “her higher education has gone down the drain”.

Replying to her question, he said the orphanage would be 'religion-free' and “even free from Hinduism”, and “will not allow any kind of religious activities inside his orphanage”.

PHOTO: Indian Express

He further stated that he believed religion to be a private activity.

In the email, Varma also told Zoya they hired another Muslim girl - “who has modern thoughts with religion-free mindset despite the fact that she is born, raised and is living in Batla House, New Delhi”.



Replying to Indian Express asking for a comment, Varma stood by the contents of his email. He denied that Zoya's rejection was an act of Islamophobia.

Earlier, Zoya said a reputed private school in Patna had told her they could not hire her because of her hijab.

This story originally appeared in Indian Express