In a move to promote an “all embracing” culture of “freedom” at the workplace, a Karachi based software company – Creative Chaos – told one of it’s ‘hijabi’ employees to resign. For wearing a hijab! The company’s CEO Jawwad Kadir, allegedly told the employee that they made a mistake by hiring her. Now that’s a very inclusive culture, innit?
The CEO doesn’t seem to have much fondness for “maulana type” boys either – they belong in England’s cricket team I believe, not in a small outsourcing company. I think Moeen Ali will agree, eh?
This case of hijab discrimination happened to a newly hired employee of the company. In a now viral social media post, a peer of the employee narrates the story.
Complete Chaos Timeline
The employee was hired recently. But her hijab was not a selection criteria it seems. Then it was, a couple of days later.
She was told by her manager that she couldn’t wear hijab to the office.
Hijab, according to the manager, was against company’s “all embracing” culture (culture, huh?), and it violated “freedom”. *sigh*
Girl went to talk to the CEO, who apparently told her that they had made a mistake by hiring a hijabi.
CEO advises the girl to apply at some Islamic banks like Al Meezan, or Al Barakah – cuz that’s where he thought she belonged.
Of course he was not writing this all on her termination letter.
Later that day, the manager calls the employee threatening her against taking a legal action saying it would ruin her career.
Update: Creative Chaos have posted an apology. In the apology, the CEO effectively shows his skills of throwing the ‘senior member of the staff’ under the bus.
Update 2: CEO of Creative Chaos. Mr. Jawwad Kadir, has been asked to resign.
“CEO of Creative Chaos Software Services asked to step down for workplace discrimination.”
Here’s the Facebook post that lead to this:
I don’t usually do this but what happened today is utterly out of my understanding!
So a friend of mine recently got hired at ‘Creative Chaos’ as the associate talent acquisition officer. She joined this Monday and today her line manager comes up to her and tells her she can continue with the job only if she takes off her hijab, because if she doesn’t it would spoil the company’s image as a ALL EMBRACING workplace that offers FREEDOM to it’s employees (the irony). He told her that he couldn’t really do anything about it so my friend went to speak with the CEO to ask why they hired her in the first place if this was such a problem to which he responded very casually saying ‘yaar mein tou accept kar raha hoon ghalti hogayi hum istarha k logon ko nahi rakhtay hain, not even the maulana type guys cause it gives the wrong kind of image. What we want it to be known for being a workplace where you have the complete freedom and we play songs all day and all that’. He also had the balls to tell her to apply at Al Meezan or probably Al Barakah because she’ll be better suited over there. When she asked him to write it all down in the termination letter he refused saying ‘nahi yaar document hojaye ga ye tou’ and asked her to write a resignation letter instead. Later that day her manager calls her and warns her against taking any legal action since she just graduated and this will ruin her career!!
This is a violation of a fundamental right that the constitution has given us!! I am in complete disbelief because these are people from decent families and a good academic background and this coming from them is just appalling.
