Woman refused barber shop haircut says her human rights have been violated
FAITH McGregor (woman) wanted her hair cut like a “businessman” at the Terminal Barber Shop. But Omar Mahrouk, co-owner of the barbers in Toronto, Canda, declined. He said that to cut Faith’s hair went against his Muslim faith. He would only cut hair of a female relative. Unless Ms McGregor was willing to offer her hand before her head, the deal was off.
She cries foul:
“Fundamentally, my hair is the same as their male clients, so why would they have a problem with that. I felt like a second class citizen, like it was hard to hear that they refused and there was no discussion.”
So. She went somewhere else? No. She filed a complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. It’s illegal to discriminate based on gender. Mahrouk says it’s a religious matter. His lawyer says, rather pathetically, he’s only trained to cut men’s hair.
You wonder if McGregor stumbled into the shop or picked it out. The place has a website. It boasts:
Welcome to the Terminal Barber Shop, the oldest standing barber shop in Toronto! Since 1925, the “Boys Club on Bay Street” has been a downtown fixture at Bay/Dundas, offering haircuts, massages and hot lather shaves in a classic barber shop setting. Recent visitors to the shop include former Canadian prime minister the Right Honourable Paul Martin and American celebrity Woody Harrelson (see above).
Adding:
The Terminal Barbershop specializes in the core aspects of the tonsorial art. With competitive pricing and an eye for details, our top notch barbers offer you excellent service.
We specialize in our famous hot lather shaves.
Haircuts $22.00
Shaves $27.00
Scalp, neck, shoulders massage $5.00
Hair wash $5.00
Neck shave $5.00
Beard trim, shaping $ 10.00
On twitter, Faith calls herself a “new junkie”. Well, now she’s in it. The Toronto Star says:
Later, on a point of principle, McGregor declined the barbershop’s offer of a haircut from a different barber.
Here’s a tip, Faith: book an appointment.
Posted: 17th, November 2012 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
