Author: Daniel Pipes
Publication: danielpipes.org
Date: April 30, 2009
URL: http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2009/04/dhimmitude-at-british-midland-airways.html
British Midland Airways Limited, known as
BMI, has taken two steps toward Islamization recently that should set off
alarm bells.
It fired Lisa Ashton, 37, a stewardess, in
April 2008 because she refused two directives concerning her time in Saudi
Arabia: in public areas there she must wear the abaya, the black robe that
covers everything but the face, feet, and hands; and she must follow behind
her male colleagues. When Ashton turned down flights to Saudi Arabia, claiming
discrimination, BMI dismissed her. Ashton brought suit against BMI. Describing
her case, she said that "It's not the law that you have to walk behind
men in Saudi Arabia, or that you have to wear an abaya, and I'm not going
to be treated as a second-class citizen. It's outrageous. I'm a proud Englishwoman
and I don't want these restrictions placed on myself." Ashton lost the
first round when an employment tribunal ruled that BMI was justified in imposing
"rules of a different culture" on its staff and cleared the company
of sexual discrimination. Ashton may seek a judicial review of the decision.
The digital map on BMI writes Haifa as "Khefa"
and does not name Israel.
Its digital maps on the airlines' twice daily
flights from London's Heathrow Airport to Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion Airport, the
kind that passengers watch while on the plane, marking the flight's progress,
did not show Israel. Mel Bezalel explains in the Jerusalem Post: "Instead
of viewing Tel Aviv or other Israeli cities signposted on screens, customers
flying on two BMI-owned Airbus A320 airplanes have instead been exclusively
shown Haifa, spelled 'Khefa' - the Arab name of the city before 1948."
BMI apologized and proffered an excuse: namely, that the digital maps were
inherited when BMI bought British Mediterranean Airways (BMED) in 2007. BMED
flew primarily to the Middle East and tailored its maps to the many Muslim
passengers on its flights. BMI spokesman Phil Shepherd said that the "old
maps" were due to be deactivated and new maps, which do mention Israel
and Tel Aviv, will appear on screens in two weeks.
Comment: These two incidents vividly demonstrate
how close commercial ties to the Muslim world, and especially Saudi Arabia,
often involve cultural and political influence. Whether BMI or BMED, Western
corporations in general need to work especially hard to maintain their integrity
when encountering this pressure. (April 30, 2009)
