Restaurant In Bahrain Shuts Down Over Ban On Women Wearing Hijabs

29 March 2022 International

Authorities in Bahrain's capital, Manama, have shut down an Indian restaurant after a woman wearing the hijab was denied access.

After video footage of restaurant staff in the Muslim-majority country blocking a veiled woman from entering went viral on social media, the incident sparked controversy.

A friend of the woman in issue detailed what happened in a widely shared video on Friday. "The restaurant "Lanterns" refuses to let her in because she is wearing a hijab. What do you think? "Said the woman" “We are in a Muslim country, and restaurants should not be making these kinds of decisions"

The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) have subsequently opened an investigation into the situation, according to the Bahraini daily Daily Tribune.

BTEA has requested that "all tourism outlets comply with regulations and avoid enforcing policies that contradict the Kingdom's laws," and that "we reject all activities that discriminate against people, especially regarding their national identity," according to BTEA.

The duty manager of the Lantern restaurant has also been arrested, and the restaurant has acknowledged that he has been suspended. Lanterns replied to the social media reaction on Saturday by publishing a statement on its Instagram page saying, "Everyone is welcome to Lanterns, which is how we have been serving all nationalities in the beautiful Kingdom of Bahrain for more than 35 years."

"Lanterns are a place where everyone may come to relax and enjoy themselves with their families. In this case, a manager made a mistake, and he or she has been suspended because it does not reflect who we are "Customers will be allowed to dine at the restaurant for free, according to the statement.

The incident occurs after an Indian court issued a controversial ban on the hijab inside educational institutions in the southern state of Karnataka, which is run by the Hindu hardliner BJP party, earlier this month. Muslim women and girls have been outraged by the prohibition.

However, a friend of the woman denied from Lanterns, Mariam Naji, disputed rumors on social media that the manager was an Indian Hindu and instead a British male named "Lloyd," and advised others not to propagate false information.

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