| Individuals should have the freedom to decide on dress -->Should businesses, schools, governments, corporate bodies decide what we must wear?
How correct is the notion that corporate neutrality involves not bearing any kind of religious insignia, whether a turban, a scarf or a cross?
Does neutrality mean stripping away what makes us who we are - people fundamentally affected, whether we recognise it or not, by our upbringings and ideologies, whether religious or secular?
These were the questions tackled with Dubai residents, after Gulf News reported last week that women wearing headscarves are at a disadvantage when applying for jobs. Sources at the labour ministry also reported an increase in women arbitrarily dismissed for wearing a headscarf at work.
Abdul Khaleq Muhtaseb, a 63-year-old Palestinian-British banker, said inflexible uniforms were not really relevant in a modern workplace "unless it's dress code, which could be a good thing, but they must respect people's cultural and religious values".
"I mean, if you can allow a woman to show half her body, why can't you allow a woman to cover up?"
Abir, a 28-year-old Algerian tourist working in Saudi Arabia, agreed. "There should be some kind of malleability in ideas. There's a certain colour or shape that's OK for corporate branding. Corporate banding is still recognisable, even with malleability."
Tom, a 54-year-old oil industry worker from the United States, said safety issues "meant people had to sometimes compromise their religious believes."
"We once had a Sikh employee who did not want to wear a hard hat because he'd have to take his turban off."
"In that case, you can't compromise safety. So we talked about it and transferred him to a different department where he didn't have to wear a hard hat."
"But sometimes you can't find that kind of solution, and safety can't be compromised."
In other cases, he said, employees should dress "appropriately, but there needs to be respect for local customs and religions".
"If we were in a Western country, then perhaps things would be different. But, in a Muslim country, there are certain traditions that are followed that should be respected."
Danny, a 27-year-old Canadian said "personal liberty" was important. "I don't think it's right at all, what happened to those women wearing the hijab. I guess employers could tell their workers what to wear, but when it comes to religious beliefs it's hard to say."
"I guess if you want a job bad enough, you'll stay, regardless of what you're told to wear. But there should be more flexibility about these things."
Shalini, 20, from India, agreed. "I think dress does matter, but I think suits are more appropriate for branding."
In those cases, Shalini said religious values should be incorporated into corporate dress. "It's a religious matter. If women want to wear it, they should. It's a Muslim country and there are people wearing traditional dress. They shouldn't change that unless they want to." Shalini said: "In any case, the hijab look good with a dress!"
Her friend, 24-year-old Fadi, from Jordan, agreed.
"This is a Muslim country. Women who want to wear the hijab shouldn't be discriminated against."
Richa, a 16-year-old student from India, vehemently disagreed with corporate uniforms of any kind. "Personal liberty is more important. Everybody's into independence. It's best. That's what's right."
When Gulf News suggested employees should respect the rules of the company in which they work, Richa disagreed.
"No, my father's an employer. He says it's important to keep employees happy, you have to take care of them. Otherwise, they will leave one by one, and it will be the company's loss."
Ronnie, 36, from the Philippines, works in Jebel Ali. He said he would wear a uniform if told, but said it would not "be fair". "It's more important for people to wear what they like, to dress for themselves."
Others, such as Jagan, a 28-year-old Indian salesman, disagreed. "First of all, sales doesn't depend on a uniform, it's about customers and feeling good. That's the main thing. You don't need a uniform for that, it doesn't matter."
"If that's what the company wants a certain uniform, even if you don't agree, [then] one should obey the rules."
Hassan, a 34-year-old Tunisian working in Dubai and Canada, said people should deal with their beliefs creatively in life situations.
"There are rules in life to follow, but it's also possible to introduce solutions to find a way through rules."
He said his sister, a university teacher, cannot wear a headscarf to work, and neither can her students.
Hassan said worrying over these issues was sidetracking Arabs and Muslims from bigger issues. "We have to develop our mentalities, to catch up on technology. This is more important."
Gulf News
