BELGIUM: KING ALBERT II HONOURS ANTI-RACIST EMPLOYER AND HIS HEADSCARF-WEARING MUSLIM EMPLOYEE
Record ID:
646538
BELGIUM: KING ALBERT II HONOURS ANTI-RACIST EMPLOYER AND HIS HEADSCARF-WEARING MUSLIM EMPLOYEE
- Title: BELGIUM: KING ALBERT II HONOURS ANTI-RACIST EMPLOYER AND HIS HEADSCARF-WEARING MUSLIM EMPLOYEE
- Date: 14th January 2005
- Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (JANUARY 12, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. SLV EXTERIOR ROYAL PALACE (2 SHOTS) 0.08 2. MV KING ALBERT II OF BELGIUM ENTERING RECEPTION ROOM WITH RIK REMMERY; SCU ZOOM OUT MUSLIM, HEADSCARF-WEARING EMPLOYEE NAIMA AMZIL; AND THEIR SPOUSES 0.34 3. SCU RIK RIMMERY PAN THE GROUP 0.46 4. SECURITY OUTSIDE ROYAL PALACE 0.53 5. SLV REMMERY'S CAR LEAVING PALACE AND STOPPING NEXT TOREPORTERS 1.15 6. (SOUNDBITE) (French) RIK REMMERY SAYING: "I told him (the King) that when it comes to racism, I am always ready to help my country. He answered that I should keep on doing this, that I have already done a great deal and that he was very happy with our attitudes" 1.32 7. MV REPORTERS AROUND REMMERY AND AMZIL 1.34 8. (SOUNDBITE) (French) NAIMA AMZIL SAYING: "I have been given a lot of support, but now to get the King's support it is, he said he is backing us, that he is very happy about our actions, both of us, myself and Rik and that he will back us, hoping that this story will soon come to an end" 1.53 9. SCU NAIMA AMZIL AND REPORTERS 1.56 10. (SOUNDBITE) (French) NAIMA AMZIL SAYING: "For the time being, we don't want to add fuel to the flames, so I have decided to go to work without my head scarf, until this comes to an end, until those who have been writing these letters are arrested. And then I hope to work again with my headscarf, yes" 2.15 11. SLV REPORTERS SPEAKING WITH REMMERY 2.20 12. (SOUNDBITE) (French) RIK REMMERY SAYING: "I am of course against racism, like everybody. But, as I have already said before, I have never said I am supporting the headscarves. I just respect Nnima as she is. Around eight years back she came to us wearing her headscarf, I accepted her that way then, so today also she can stay and work with her scarf. It is not a problem." 2.48 13. MV NAIMA AMZIL AND HER HUSBAND LEAVING 14. NAIMA AMZIL SMILING 3.08 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 29th January 2005 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- Country: Belgium
- Reuters ID: LVA9AXDWQ4E037OH7NI7MW29WZQ0
- Story Text: King of Belgium honours anti-racist employer and his
headscarf-wearing muslim employee.
The King of Belgium on Wednesday (January 12, 2005)
honoured an employer who has defied death threats to keep a
headscarf-wearing muslim employee.
In spite of the threats to himself and his family, Rik
Remmery has refused to dismiss Naima Amzil and on Wednesday
the pair of them along with their spouses were granted an
audience with King Albert II in Brussels.
Amzil wore her headscarf or chador eight years ago when
Remmery employed her but last November her boss, who runs a
food factory in Ledegem, in the Flanders region, received
an anonymous letter.
The writer told Remmery to dismiss Amzil with eight
days Naima or his factory would be burned down. The letter
was signed 'Nieuw vrij Vlaanderen', or Free Flanders.
The letter was also faxed to a local newspaper.
More threats followed, including one offering a 250,000
euro "reward" to anyone who killed Remmery before the end
of 2004.
The last letter Remmery received contained a bullet.
After meeting the king on Wednesday, Remmery told
reporters: "I told him that when it comes to racism, I am
always ready to help my country. He answered that I should
keep on doing this, that I have already done a great deal
and that hew as very happy with our attitudes."
Amzil said: "I have been given a lot of support, but
now to get the King's support it is, he said he is backing
us, that he is very happy about our actions, both of us,
myself and Rik and that he will back us, hoping that this
story will soon come to an end."
She added: "For the time being, we don't want to add
fuel to the flames, so I have decided to go to work without
my head scarf, until this comes to an end, until those who
have been writing these letters are arrested. And then I
hope to work again with my headscarf."
Remmery said: "I am of course against racism, like
everybody. But, as I have already said before, I have never
said I am supporting the headscarves. I just respect Naima
as she is. Around eight years back she came to us wearing
her headscarf, I accepted her that way then, so today also
she can stay and work with her scarf. It is not a problem."
\Last year a right-wing Flemish party took more than 25
per cent of the vote in elections.
Remmery is now under police protection and has received
more than 15,000 messages of support from all over Belgium.
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