Muslim PC sues after workmates 'laughed at his beard'

[Vince Noir]

Source - Various UK newspapers 09/03/2009

I know this is rather trivial, but I would like to hear opinions on this. Obviously besides the racial abuse, I've always considered banter an important part of a working environment.

Would you crack a joke at this guys beard?

A Muslim police officer claims he was forced out of his job by colleagues who made fun of his beard and called him a ' '.
PC Javid Iqbal, 38, said white officers openly discussed in front of him how they were ' better' than their ethnic-minority colleagues.
The married father of two also claims officers pulled faces at each other if told they had to go out on patrol with him and forced him to walk home from a job instead of picking him up.

[Viking Prince]

And the source of this is???

If the case has merit, the officers should be ashamed and there should be consequences. If the case does not have merit, the guy should quit his job. What is there to discuss????? Call me clueless. (I am at times anyways.)

[Trey]

No comment on the events, but all I'll say is how can that guy walk around and expect to be taken seriously?

[Faramir D'Andunie]

In all honesty, yes I would not resist not making a joke about that beard.


However, seems that maybe his collagues went a bit far from some jokes and humour...

I have to wonder was it necessery to resort to court? Couldn't superiors handle that issue?

[Sidmen]

The guy's beard looks like it was photoshopped onto him.. It angles off when the rest of him is straight on.

Anyway, the guy's beard is weird; I'd suggest a mustache to go with it; but after the first laugh I'd get out of it; It'd just be normal.

[Vince Noir]

Its all over the British Tabloids this morning, don't crucify me, I coudlnt help but read a free newspaper...I swear...

My question is would you crack a joke at this guys beard? It's pretty epic...I don't think I would be able to hold a conversation without making a joke. This happens all the time the UK these days. Where does one draw line between making a joke and racism/religious intolerence?

[bushbush]

you can't really make jokes like that (unless it's between good friends and the jokes are mutually appreciated) in work place...that's just inviting law suit. "i was just joking" is increasingly becoming a bad defense in these sort of harassment lawsuits.

[Vince Noir]

you can't really make jokes like that (unless it's between good friends and the jokes are mutually appreciated) in work place...that's just inviting law suit. "i was just joking" is increasingly becoming a bad defense in these sort of harassment lawsuits.

But a good defence it is. I called this fat chick a beach whale the other day and escaped punishment by whipping out the old 'I'ts a joke, chill' line. She cornered me later that day and tried to smother me.

[bushbush]

But a good defence it is. I called this fat chick a beach whale the other day and escaped punishment by whipping out the old 'I'ts a joke, chill' line. She cornered me later that day and tried to smother me.

oh brother...don't try that in work place....cuz that defense won't work in a court.

i.e. I was joking when i called her a fat ....trust me, a judge won't find it funny.

[The Dude]

oh brother...don't try that in work place....cuz that defense won't work in a court.

i.e. I was joking when i called her a fat ....trust me, a judge won't find it funny.

Only if the judge is also a fat whale. As for the OP, I'd feel sorry for the ma but his beard is just too silly. Ok, I do feel sorry for the man. Judging by the pic, he looks like a nice guy, but come on. Noone has a beard grow immediately from his lip. XD

[Admiral Piett]

But a good defence it is. I called this fat chick a beach whale the other day and escaped punishment by whipping out the old 'I'ts a joke, chill' line. She cornered me later that day and tried to smother me.

That's so effed up but I couldn't help but laugh.

Dude, his beard... That doesn't look real...

[Alex-ander]

The beard does look a bit false. But if it is true the reason he is sueing is because he will probably get £250,000 damages. Or on a good day with a symapathic judge maybe £500,000.

I do not condone racisim if that is what it is but i do wonder what would happen if the man was white.

[Fluttershy]

guy should grow a stash with that, get a badass lumberjack type beard goin! Dudes could appreciate a lumberjack type beard! His current 1 is kinda...weird

[Captain Jin]

An interesting question is whether non-religious police officers are allowed to have beards, or if he was alllowed to keep his because of religious regions. Which is probably the case, since most departments only let you have a moustache and not a beard at all. Maybe it's different in Britain though.

[Sidmen]

Wait, hes not white?

I swore he was a white dude that had a funky beard for religious reasons...

[Vince Noir]

Wait, hes not white?

I swore he was a white dude that had a funky beard for religious reasons...

http://www.everwonder.com/david/colorblind.html

[Erwin Rommel]

Wait, hes not white?

I swore he was a white dude that had a funky beard for religious reasons...

For a moment there I thought he was a rare species of a Muslim Amish or something

[Sidmen]

http://www.everwonder.com/david/colorblind.html

I got them all; and have scored 15/20 on all my vision tests; and I still think he looks like a white dude. Not White White, but human White. Just like your avatar.

[herr LaSk]

People scare me some times... The guy was being harassed at work, so what if he had an ugly beard, you cant just blather out abusing comments because someone doesn't perfectly fit within what you consider to be an acceptable appearance. What happened to professionalism at work?? From the little I got from that article, he seems perfectly in his right to sue them.

Curious though, I didn't know police officers where allowed to wear a beard that long. Just imagine some drunk getting hold off his beard and yanking him down to the ground. Wouldn't that be a potential work hazard or something.

[Tominokar]

Your title and quoted source are two very different things.

Yes his beard looks retarded. But judging from your 'source' they went a lot further than merely laughing about his beard.

white officers openly discussed in front of him how they were ' better' than their ethnic-minority colleagues.

forced him to walk home from a job instead of picking him up.

Thread is an epic fail