A female Muslim applied with a North Texas medical clinic for employment as a doctor in Dallas. Her headscarf was an issue because hats were against their policy. They were honest with her about the policy. She rebelled against the policy, demanded an apology, and a change in the policy. The bottom-line here is that both of her demands have been met. A link to the article I refer to regarding this situation can be found below.

The first thing that came to mind after reading this piece of news was that in Muslim states, even in Muslim communities located in supposedly free countries, women are fighting for freedoms at the risk of their very lives. Some have given their lives for trying to share the truth of what is going on in their families and communities. Rebellion is not tolerated, especially by women, and I wonder what the brave women who are standing against the oppression that their gender lives under in those communities must think of this doctor’s behavior.

Names like Rifqa Bary, Aqsa Parvez, Noor Almaleki made me wonder why this educated woman was compelled to take a stand like this in North Texas. In America she is free to found an institution that would serve the restricted peoples of her religion. She could be inclusive, if her religion would allow it, and she could serve others who came to her for help. Her liberties in our Republic allow her to live as she chooses so I wonder why she is compelled to force others to abide by her personal choices. In American she is free to share her personal choices with anyone and everyone, but why is she forcing them on others?

It’s not that I think the people in my religion or my country never do wrong. We all know that there's one in every crowd. Nor would I want to force this Muslim doctor to change her religion or her profession. She lives in America. My problem is that in America, she forces her choices on others, requiring others to accept her choices as part of their lives, as part of their business policies, as part of their medical care. She could change her address and not be bothered with the tediousness of dealing with the rights of others--or could she? I wonder if she personally is really free to do so.

While the people of Texas can now choose to use this doctor’s services, they can also choose not to use her services, at least as long as we have our free health care system. However, I wonder if she would support the wishes of others to express their faith in the workplace. I wonder if she would serve someone who came to her for help if they were wearing a cross, or if she would serve a woman who listens to music, or how she would treat a woman who does not wear a headscarf.

She’s very beautiful, this doctor, and her head scarf adds to her exotic beauty. It’s true that, as she stated, her head scarf is not sports memorabilia but is a statement of her faith. Still, no matter how you look at it, it is a head covering; it is a hat. After thinking through this issue a bit, I’m really sorry that the medical facility is changing its policy. It makes me wonder what will happen if other employees overtly wear cross necklaces or Christian fish lapel pins, especially nurses who would be required to work with this doctor.

As I was considering the different aspects of what I read, I wondered who supported this Muslim woman in forcing others to accommodate her religious beliefs. According to the article they used the Civil Rights Act (which, it just so happens, I have recently done a little review of--many interpretations are available) to scare the CareNow clinic into rolling over. In considering that affair it occurred to me that other employees with CareNow, and throughout the U.S., may not know that there are organizations working to fight for their rights to wear a cross, carry a Bible, or share the gospel. I then wondered if these organizations may one day be fighting for our right not to wear a headscarf.

Well, anyway, all that wondering led me to a HubPages article in which I could bring some attention to the work of those kinds of organizations. Here are a few major ones to get you started if you need help in defending your rights or if you want to support the rights of everyone rather than allowing a special few to rule:

www.ACLJ.org

www.christianlaw.org

www.alliancedefensefund.org/main/default.aspx

Hope this is helpful to any American who wishes to express their faith in the workplace or community!