Abercrombie & Fitch, a brand that has been making all but the right choices in recent years of business, has recently associated itself with attempts of committing religious discrimination. Abercrombie is strict when it comes to its appearance and reputation in media and has dedicated its brand to a very specific social group of young individuals. A few years ago, Abercrombie’s CEO, Mike Jeffries, stated very bluntly and indifferently in an interview that Abercrombie caters to “cool” kids, and that men and women larger in size are not the desired consumers for Abercrombie. In recent news, a Muslim woman who applied to be a sales associate was rejected by Abercrombie because she wore a hijab to her interview. This issue has been brought to the Supreme Court and a verdict is pending.
It is socially unacceptable for a company to reject a perfectly able individual because of her religious beliefs, or, rather, for wearing her necessary religious garments. If her hijab does not inhibit her ability to work compared to other employees, she is only, if more, able to carry out the same duties even if she is wearing a hijab. Although Abercrombie is known for hiring only models/employees who fit their appearance standards, hijab-wearing women should not be seen by the company as “unfashionable” or “has inadequate style”.
References:
The Supreme Court Will Decide if Abercrombie is Guilty of Religious Discrimination