Woman attempts to have Muslim Uber driver fired for wearing headscarf

I’m totally offended that Uber would allow a Muslim to drive, woman says

A racist complaint was filed by an Uber driver against an online troll who attempted to have the driver fired for wearing a headscarf while driving. 

Sonia Marcella Martinez, has for several months been a part-time driver for Uber and loves her job.

Martinez joined a Facebook group "Uber Woman's Driving Network" of around 500 members to connect with other female drivers who compare tips and tricks on the business.

It was here that she encountered Rene Hunter who reportedly asked Martinez if she was allowed to drive in the US while wearing a headscarf since women in Saudi Arabia were not allowed to drive.

When Martinez responded that she does wear hijab while driving, Hunter immediately blocked Martinez on Facebook.

Read: New deal: Uber valuation tops $50b with latest funding, says report

It was then that Hunter sent a private message to the Facebook group admin which read, "I’m totally offended that Uber would allow a Muslim to drive and that is she allowed wearing a burqa when doing so?"

She added that "If I ordered an Uber and she pulled up I would cancel immediately. Her husband could very well be the enemy within. I will be sending in a formal complaint. Furthermore, if you post this or share with anyone I will definitely take action."

Despite the warning from Hunter, the group admin shared the message which sparked an outrage across social media. The message was also shared on Martinez's own Facebook page and on a page called “Muslims Are Not Terrorists”.

Read: Indian court revokes ban on Uber in New Delhi

While most users stuck to sharing similar stories and condemning Hunters action, things quickly escalated when Hunter's contact information was shared on social media and someone contacted her employer asking them to introduce ‘cultural sensitivity training’ for the organisation. Hunter deleted all her online profiles after the incident.

Martinez on the other hand says, that while the racist message was disheartening her experience with Uber has been great.

"I joined that group to connect with other woman drivers, so we can discuss issues and strategies, so I can become a better driver. I was not at all prepared to encounter a woman who would have a problem with me being Muslim and wearing a headscarf while I drive," she said.

Read: Uber says $7.3m California fine 'deeply disappointing'

"I've been working as a driver for five months," she continued, "and none of my passengers or people I’ve encountered online have complained... Passengers have asked me, out of curiosity, how I am able to drive if I am Muslim, and why I wear a headscarf, but everyone has always been very kind and respectful to me."

People took to Twitter to share their views:

This Hijabi Uber Driver Just Went Viral for the Wrong Reason http://t.co/aFF33NOZn2 pic.twitter.com/JBdcf8crcO

— Muslim Girl (@muslimgirl) August 19, 2015

https://twitter.com/SheikhDoha/status/633917537453928448

This Hijabi Uber Driver was harassed by the Uber client http://t.co/Q8jWcLrCRF via @muslimgirl People can be just absolutely disgusting.

— Mihrimah|FS |Free Palestine🇵🇸 |🪬🤲 (@Mihrimah_FS) August 19, 2015

This article originally appeared on Refinery29