heaven above
October 11th, 2004, 03:38 PM
All leave has been cancelled by South Yorkshire Police, West Yorkshire Constabulary are at 24 hours notice to support . All due to the serious nature of the below offence.........
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SHEFFIELD STAR
RACISM STORMA WORKER at a Sheffield city centre hotel has sparked an investigation by leaving a racist message on a customer's answer phone.
Somali immigrant Neima Jama was shocked and distressed after listening to a message from a woman at Novotel mocking her religion and joking about "smearing halal meat with black pudding".
Care assistant Neima, from Pitsmoor, visited Novotel to book a wedding reception in December for her cousin.
She was told there might not be space for 100 guests at Christmas time, which an employee confirmed in a message left on Neima's mobile phone answering service.
But after politely saying the hotel in Arundel Gate was fully booked, the hotel employee failed to end the call properly.
Neima's answerphone then clearly recorded the woman joking and laughing with colleagues while making sick jibes about the Muslim faith.
To a chorus of laughter she can be heard on the message saying: "I'm not being funny but most people in this country still celebrate Christmas, do you know what I mean?"
She went on: "You know when we get inquiries and we've rejected them for whatever reason and you have to put why... I've just put on this one 'can't be *****'."
The employee then said to her colleagues: "She wanted halal meat. I went into the kitchen and they said 'Oh yeah, we'll do halal as long as they realise it'll have been smeared all over with black pudding'."
Tearful 20-year-old Neima, who works at the Hazeldean Nursing Home in Poole Road, Darnall, listened in horror as she was referred to as "some kind of Muslim" and a "right pain in the ****."
She said: "I was shocked and upset when I heard it. I just started crying.
"I came to Sheffield four years ago and so far I've really enjoyed it here and the elderly people I look after at the care home are lovely, so I just can't believe that the Novotel can be so cruel."
Members of Sheffield's Muslim community today condemned the way Neima was treated.
Abdul Gooljar, president of the Sheffield branch of the Islamic Society, said: "I think this is disgusting."Muslims don't eat pork, it's against our faith, so the comment about smearing the halal meat with black pudding is terrible.
"At the Islamic Society we try to work closely with all different religions to promote equality in the local community and are proud to call ourselves British citizens. But this kind of racial discrimination serves as a reminder of the difficulties we still face."
Neima complained to the Sheffield branch of the Racial Equality Council, where staff have taken a recording of the message.
She wrote to Sheffield Brightside MP and Home Secretary David Blunkett, asking for his support.
A Racial Equality Council spokesman said: " Miss Jama has approached us and asked us for advice. We are looking into the matter and will act accordingly."
Sheffield Novotel manager Jean Philippe Lagarde said: "We have started conducting an internal investigation with the employee in question. A disciplinary inquiry has begun. Racism is something we do not tolerate."
A spokesman for the Novotel chain, which has hote ls in 60 countries, said it was being investigated as a matter of urgency.
Hi there, this is The Novotel in Sheffield. Having checked with my colleague the other day I'm afraid we are not able to offer you any time during the week of the 22nd to 27th December.
Erm, as I suspected we are actually booked up with Christmas parties.
Answer machine:
Sorry about that, bye bye ... (attempts to hang phone up).
That was that woman who came in the other day - honestly, she was a right pain in the **** ... (laughter) ... some kind of Muslim you know ...
They wanted a wedding on Christmas week ... when I said about Christmas parties they were like ... (inaudible, more laughter) ...
I'm not being funny love but most people in this country still celebrate Christmas do you know what I mean? (laughter).
Just because you're Muslim...
You know when we get enquiries and we've, like, rejected them for whatever reason, and you have to put why, and it's, like, no space, not included, or whatever?
I've just put on this one 'can't be *****'. (laughter) ... She wanted halal meat.
I went into the kitchen and they said 'Oh yeah we'll do halal as long as they realise that it'll have been rubbed all over with some... black pudding'. (laughter) ...
I'm, like, 'Yeah I don't think that's gonna go down well'...
(Changes subject and recording ends).
11 October 2004
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=============================================
SHEFFIELD STAR
RACISM STORMA WORKER at a Sheffield city centre hotel has sparked an investigation by leaving a racist message on a customer's answer phone.
Somali immigrant Neima Jama was shocked and distressed after listening to a message from a woman at Novotel mocking her religion and joking about "smearing halal meat with black pudding".
Care assistant Neima, from Pitsmoor, visited Novotel to book a wedding reception in December for her cousin.
She was told there might not be space for 100 guests at Christmas time, which an employee confirmed in a message left on Neima's mobile phone answering service.
But after politely saying the hotel in Arundel Gate was fully booked, the hotel employee failed to end the call properly.
Neima's answerphone then clearly recorded the woman joking and laughing with colleagues while making sick jibes about the Muslim faith.
To a chorus of laughter she can be heard on the message saying: "I'm not being funny but most people in this country still celebrate Christmas, do you know what I mean?"
She went on: "You know when we get inquiries and we've rejected them for whatever reason and you have to put why... I've just put on this one 'can't be *****'."
The employee then said to her colleagues: "She wanted halal meat. I went into the kitchen and they said 'Oh yeah, we'll do halal as long as they realise it'll have been smeared all over with black pudding'."
Tearful 20-year-old Neima, who works at the Hazeldean Nursing Home in Poole Road, Darnall, listened in horror as she was referred to as "some kind of Muslim" and a "right pain in the ****."
She said: "I was shocked and upset when I heard it. I just started crying.
"I came to Sheffield four years ago and so far I've really enjoyed it here and the elderly people I look after at the care home are lovely, so I just can't believe that the Novotel can be so cruel."
Members of Sheffield's Muslim community today condemned the way Neima was treated.
Abdul Gooljar, president of the Sheffield branch of the Islamic Society, said: "I think this is disgusting."Muslims don't eat pork, it's against our faith, so the comment about smearing the halal meat with black pudding is terrible.
"At the Islamic Society we try to work closely with all different religions to promote equality in the local community and are proud to call ourselves British citizens. But this kind of racial discrimination serves as a reminder of the difficulties we still face."
Neima complained to the Sheffield branch of the Racial Equality Council, where staff have taken a recording of the message.
She wrote to Sheffield Brightside MP and Home Secretary David Blunkett, asking for his support.
A Racial Equality Council spokesman said: " Miss Jama has approached us and asked us for advice. We are looking into the matter and will act accordingly."
Sheffield Novotel manager Jean Philippe Lagarde said: "We have started conducting an internal investigation with the employee in question. A disciplinary inquiry has begun. Racism is something we do not tolerate."
A spokesman for the Novotel chain, which has hote ls in 60 countries, said it was being investigated as a matter of urgency.
Hi there, this is The Novotel in Sheffield. Having checked with my colleague the other day I'm afraid we are not able to offer you any time during the week of the 22nd to 27th December.
Erm, as I suspected we are actually booked up with Christmas parties.
Answer machine:
Sorry about that, bye bye ... (attempts to hang phone up).
That was that woman who came in the other day - honestly, she was a right pain in the **** ... (laughter) ... some kind of Muslim you know ...
They wanted a wedding on Christmas week ... when I said about Christmas parties they were like ... (inaudible, more laughter) ...
I'm not being funny love but most people in this country still celebrate Christmas do you know what I mean? (laughter).
Just because you're Muslim...
You know when we get enquiries and we've, like, rejected them for whatever reason, and you have to put why, and it's, like, no space, not included, or whatever?
I've just put on this one 'can't be *****'. (laughter) ... She wanted halal meat.
I went into the kitchen and they said 'Oh yeah we'll do halal as long as they realise that it'll have been rubbed all over with some... black pudding'. (laughter) ...
I'm, like, 'Yeah I don't think that's gonna go down well'...
(Changes subject and recording ends).
11 October 2004
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