Moroccan woman forced to resign for scarf wearing back to work
Regional-Belgium, Culture, 4/12/2005

Naima Amzil, who was forced to resign earlier this year because her boss got death threats for employing a Moslem scarf wearing woman, went back to work, the Belgian newswire Belga said on Monday.

Before her resignation, her boss Rik Vannieuwenhuyse, running a fish processing company in Ledegem, close to Courtrai (West Belgium), had resisted firing her in spite of the anonymous threats.

Both the employer and employee's stance over the threats triggered sympathy and support in Belgium and abroad among the media and NGOs. Rik and Naima were received in a token of support by King Albert of the Belgians on January 12.

To put and end to the threat, the Moroccan-born Naima resigned on March 12 in the wake of a seventh death threat letter containing two bullets addressed to the Rommery company.

Rik Vannieuwenhuyse said Mrs Amzil "simply returned to work after few weeks off." "Her colleagues and myself are very happy to see her and we hope all will be as before," he added.

Naima going back to her job comes some eight days before the visit of the Belgian sovereigns to the Remmery company scheduled on April 19, according to the royal timetable.

The threats to Vannieuwenhuyse were claimed by an unknown organisation calling itself "Nouvelle Flandre libre." Other enterprises employing Moslems also received threats.

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