Amid a raging Hijab row in India, an Indian restaurant in Bahrain has been shut down for allegedly denying entry to a hijab-wearing woman. The incident came to light after a video went viral on social media. Reports say that the manager of the restaurant was an Indian, who has now been suspended.
The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) has launched probe in the matter and issued a statement, stating the body rejects all actions that discriminate against people, especially regarding their national identity.
An official statement has also been issued by the restaurant on its official Instagram account, condemning the incident.
The statement read, “Everyone is welcome to Lanterns as how it has been for more than 35 years that we have been serving all nationalities in the beautiful kingdom of Bahrain. Lanterns is a place for everyone to come enjoy with their families and feel at home. In this instance, a mistake has been made by a manager who is now being suspended as this does not represent who we are. As a goodwill gesture, we welcome all our Bahraini patrons to Lanterns on Tuesday 29th of March to have complimentary food on us.”
However, amid these latest developments, the woman in question, identified as Mariam, has clarified that the manager was a British and not an Indian. Mariam had earlier tweeted about the incident and said that she was with her friends when the manager denied entry to one of her friends for wearing the veil and she is the woman in the video that has now gone viral. The big question that arises then is that who is trying to spread Hindu hate?
