US bank pulls Muslim woman out of line over veil

A U.S. bank ordered a Muslim woman to leave her place in line and be served in a back room because the headscarf she wore for religious grounds violated the institution’s "no hats, hoods or sunglasses" policy, a Muslim civil rights group said Tuesday.

The 54-year-old woman, Kenza Shelley, was singled out Saturday by bank officials at Navy Federal Credit Union (NNCU) in Maryland because of her religious head scarf, or hijab, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said.

Saturday's incident was the latest in a series of similar experiences reported by Muslim women across the country. Muslim activists are afraid such policies could develop into a nationwide practice by financial institutions trying to curtail fraud and identity theft without proper consideration to people’s religious clothing.

“The banking industry needs to come up with a standard policy based not only on security needs, but also on the religious and civil rights of customers,”said CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, decrying "seperate but equal" status imposed on those who wear religious attire.

"This may be the tip of the iceberg," Ibrahim Hooper, a CAIR spokesman, told the Washington Post. "There's got to be a way to work it out so that this security concern does not lead to violations of constitutional rights."

Shelley consented the first time she was asked to leave her place in line and be served in the back room, but asked if she would have to go through the process each time she goes to make a transaction, the paper reported.

The banking industry needs to come up with a standard policy based not only on security needs, but also on the religious and civil rights of customers

Amina Rubin, CAIR

On Saturday, Shelly refused to go to the back room if she did not remove her hijab. "I want to be served like everybody else," she told the Post.

She left the credit union and called CAIR. "There was so many people there, and I was embarrassed," she said.

Tom Lyons, senior vice president for security at Navy Federal, said he did not have any information about Shelley's case and could not discuss it in details, the paper reported.

Last month, NFCU told CAIR that it would remind employees that the bank's new "no hats, hoods and sunglasses" policy does not prohibit Muslim customers or staff from wearing hijabs.

But the same month the bank denied service to a Muslim woman in San Diego, CA despite that she tol being told her head scarf was for a religious garmet. NFCU offered that Muslim customer a personal apology, according to CAIR.

I want to be served like everybody else

Kenza Shelley

Necessary policy

Lyon's supported the NNCU’s policy, saying it was meant to prevent armed robbery and identity fraud.

Security is the reason behind this policy and employees receive "special training on what is and isn't religious headgear," Lyons said.

"We want to be able to clearly identify who you are and make sure the transaction is safe," Lyons said according to the Post. "This is a policy that applies to everybody in the branch. She wasn't singled out. . . . We tried to accommodate her and help her with her transaction and move on."

Lyons said financial institutions witnessed an isignificant rise in robbery cases last year, mainly in the Washington area, and that many of them have implemented similar rules. He said Navy Federal instituted the policy only last December, later than many banks.

"This is not a new process. It's all over the country."

Fred Solomon, a spokesman for PNC Bank, said all branches have prohibited hats and other head attire for more than a year, according to the Post.

We want to be able to clearly identify who you are and make sure the transaction is safe

Tom Lyons