LONDON // Mona Awad, a 29-year-old British-born Muslim whose family came from Egypt, has revived the controversy about bigoted behaviour within Britain's financial services establishment. Ms Awad is claiming £16.7 million (Dh92m) in damages from the Halifax Bank of Scotland, otherwise known as HBOS, for sexual, racial and religious discrimination.
At the preliminary hearing this week of an employment tribunal in Nottingham, where Ms Awad worked as a corporate manager for HBOS, her lawyers described a macho culture of lewd jokes and racial and religious bigotry. If the tribunal finds in her favour - and the case will not be heard in full until later this year - it will be a huge blow for the financial services industry which claims to have eradicated the behaviour which led to multimillion-pound compensation payments to women.
But campaigners in Britain say the Awad case shows that the industry remains as prejudiced as ever. They say banks and other financial institutions, especially within the high-rolling city of London, deliberately recruit aggressive, cynical men who are incapable of treating women or ethnic minorities in a civilised manner.
Fawcett, a non-governmental organisation in London which has been campaigning for equal rights for women for more than a century, says that "behind the conspicuous wealth of the city lies a hidden story of discrimination affecting women at all levels".
It claims that sexism in the city - and in the country as a whole - remains rife, and that women earn almost 25 per cent less than men who do similar jobs, a statistic confirmed by the Equal Opportunities Commission, which says the statistic for the city is even worse, with women earning almost half of what men take home.
In 2007, the BBC reported that hundreds of women in New York and London were suing an investment bank for US$1 billion (Dh3.68bn) for sexual discrimination. The BBC also interviewed many women who had worked in London's financial heart, who described how they were routinely treated as sexual objects by male colleagues.
What makes the case of Ms Awad, who is married, even more of a headline grabber, is that she is claiming multiple discrimination: that she was picked on because she was a woman, a Muslim and not white.
Under British employment law she will have to prove each count: that HBOS targeted her because she was female, because she was a Muslim and because her family came from the Middle East. She is not allowed to say that the bank simply discriminated against her as a person.
"It is crazy," said Zohra Moosa, a senior campaigner at Fawcett. "She must show they discriminated against her on three separate counts; as a woman, a Muslim and as a person who was not white. The law should be changed. You cannot split up a person up like this."
In a written statement to the tribunal Ms Awad said she was subjected to "disgusting innuendo". She said she had kept a diary of the abuse meted out by two male managers, both of whom have since left HBOS after an internal inquiry into the affair.
"The repeated acts of harassment destroyed my self-esteem and confidence," she said, adding that she eventually became ill and could not work.
The tribunal will hear about a succession of incidents, such as a manager allegedly accusing her of "sleeping her way to the top". On another occasion, it is claimed the same man asked her if, as a Muslim, she "carried bombs on trains". She said she was also mocked for fasting during Ramadan.
After complaining about what was happening in Nottingham she was transferred to Derby, but the abuse there was as bad, she claimed.
Anti-discrimination campaigners say if she wins, it will show that while Britain has some of the toughest anti-discrimination legislation in the world - it is unlawful to discriminate for racial, religious, sexual and even age reasons - it is still far from being tolerant.
Ms Moosa, of Fawcett, says companies in Britain are still run mostly by white, middle-aged men, who know how they should behave towards women, gays and ethnic minorities, but at heart remain uncomfortable with people who are not like themselves.
"These men rely on the rules to tell them how to act. But they don't always understand why or how they should behave fairly," she says.
Joanne Wade, one of the UK's top employment lawyers, says there has been an increase in discrimination claims because people now understand their rights.
"Employers are more careful now but they often get it wrong," she said. "Many do not have the language to talk across religious and cultural divides."
sfreeman@thenational.ae
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
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BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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Company%20profile
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Results
4pm: Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
4.35pm: Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m; Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
5.10pm: Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Canvassed, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O’Meara
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
7.30pm: Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Final Song, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
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Squads
India: Kohli (c), Rahul, Shaw, Agarwal, Pujara, Rahane, Vihari, Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Shami, Umesh, Siraj, Thakur
West Indies: Holder (c), Ambris, Bishoo, Brathwaite, Chase, Dowrich (wk), Gabriel, Hamilton, Hetmyer, Hope, Lewis, Paul, Powell, Roach, Warrican, Joseph
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
