Facts

Woman Ordered To Remove Hijab At McDonald's In London

mcdonald's MichaelJay / istockphoto.com
Taylor Rock|

A 19-year-old in the UK is alleging that she was denied service at a McDonald's in Holloway, London, because she was wearing a Muslim hijab. In a video of the incident, a security guard tells the woman it's "just a matter of taking it off," to which she responds, "I wear this for religious reasons and I'm not ashamed of it, and I will stand in line and get the food I want because this isn't OK."

A customer in line stands up for the woman, telling the guard he can't stop her from wearing the head garment. When the woman cuts to the front of the line to complain about the alleged policy, an employee behind the counter tells her to stop filming and that she will be served. The woman claims she doesn't want anything anymore and exits the building.

Later that day, a friend posted about the encounter and uploaded the video to Twitter. 

"My friend was refused service at a McDonalds today in London because she was wearing a Hijab. When she started recording the incident, she was told to stop but thankfully didn't. Thank you to the kind man who defended her against the security guard and employees at the store," @south_sab tweeted. "We will be contacting the relevant authorities to ensure this is dealt with. It is disgusting that hate crimes and discrimination are so prevalent in this country, especially in such a diverse city like London. We cannot be silent bystanders to this hate."

McDonald's U.K. was quick to offer an apology, explaining that they have launched an investigation and the security guard has been suspended. "We want to make it absolutely clear that we welcome people of all faiths," the chain's Twitter account insisted.

The Daily Meal has reached out to McDonald's for additional comment.

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