Student complaining-religion

[totoromama]

I train adults in professional services and they do professional exams.
I'm really upset about something a student said today. I need to vent but don't think I can take it further.
I taught anything successful 4 day course with an exam.
The student in question got a really high score, she was so happy!
I leant over her to look at the score she was telling me and my pendant necklace came out of my top.
Her whole demeanor changed.
She stood up and exclaimed that if she had known I was x she wouldn't have done the course and she was going to complain.
I'm so upset.my religion has nothing to do with my job. I feel scared.
She'll complain and it'll effect me at work not for my performance.
I'm not sure my aibu.

I hate what Israel is doing but f@:k that. You have every right to express your religious identity. I am appalled this person felt free to blatantly discriminate against you. You must stand up for yourself.

I'm sorry that happened to you.

You must report her. She is a racist and sounds unhinged judging by her reaction. How would she treat clients who she knew were Jewish or any other faith or identity she doesn't like? Would she be able to act professionally and objectively with possibly vulnerable clients? Doesn't sound like it.

I'm so sorry that you're living with this @totoromama and that a student whom you'd helped has been so bigoted.

I really admire your professionalism - that even after she made a Jew-hating comment, you still offered to put her forward for advanced training. That is real professionalism and care for your students.

Too bloody right.

JFC. Do you even understand what racism is?

Its the thinking you have outlined right there in your post.

And the hijab is relevant as it shows the student was choosing to wear items clearly demarcating her religion whilst hating on someone for visibly being of another religion.

The remarkably stupid people think anti-Zionism is divorced from anti- Semitism.

This is just so sad OP. What a shame she couldn't look beyond politics and just see you as a person that was kind, helpful and a great teacher.

I suggest you read up on the religion of Judaism, read up on what the word Zionism means, and then read up on how people are using the word ZIonism in real world contexts and then read up on how many people who describe themselves as anti- Zionists treat Jews and speak about Jews.

And anyone who thinks Wikipedia is a reliable, prejudice free source of information needs no help from anyone else to look stupid.

You do realise that Zionism is just a belief that Israel should exist as a Jewish state? Among 22 Arab and 120 Christian states in the world. The one single Jewish state.

Seconded.

This student sounds awful. I wish mention of this kind of prejudice could go on people’s references!

I think its clear I don't read Wikipedia.

I also don't tend to listen to people who make appeals to their alleged authority rather than actually demonstrate any knowledge of their purported area of expertise or demonstrate any ability to debate on the subject. Especially if they need to resort to insulting people they think they disagree with ( or what you fondly imagine is insulting). Like you. Arrogance is not curiosity and and lack of curiosity is lack of intellect.

LIke I said, look up on how the word is used in context in the world, then see how weak your claim is that anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism.

If you are lecturing on ME and yet able to spout some of this nonsense... wow, I'm not surprised we're in the position we're in right now.

I would hazard a guess that many Muslims would express experiencing similar racism following those attacks… I don’t think Jews are ‘unique’ or ‘special’ in this treatment - but I can only speak from my own lived experience.

I would never say (or believe) that antisemitism is worse or different from the racism other minorities face and have faced over many years. It is all fucking appalling.

The minute we judge someone, ANYONE, because of a religious symbol/necklace/head covering etc, we really have lost the essence of humanity.

Oh and for anyone still reading this thread, how it has turned into a discussion (aka argument) about the Middle East, Zionism or anything of that nature seriously baffles me.

RELIGION DOES NOT EQUAL POLITICS. END OF.

Debate the Middle East history, war, governments etc as much as you want on the relevant forum - but it is not relevant to a thread about someone experiencing aggressive comments based on their religious symbol.

Surely anyone who experiences judgement based on the colour of their skin, religious beliefs, ethnicity, economic status, disability etc etc should lead to disgust, not debate.

💯 - I was just about to reply to this as it's outrageous but you've said it all 💯 👏👏👏

1. I'm just saying how her employer is likely to feel. I'd be surprised if they didn't feel this way (though they are unlikely to say anything).
2. I don't pretend to be an expert, but as far as I know many women who wear the hijab believe that it's something they have to do to be a good Muslim. I appreciate that there are different views on this, but I'm talking about what some women believe. I remember having a female Muslim house guest for a couple of weeks. We were an all-female household at the time, but she would never leave the house without her hijab, and when she ordered a takeaway delivery she always put her hijab on before answering the door.

Well said.

Yup. Zionism is not unreasonable. There's a journalist, Andrew Gold, who argues that when there's such Jew hatred openly in a country (as in the UK) Jewish people need to know that they have a place of sanctuary - Israel.

For some people, Zionism has become the belief that Israel should exist as a Jewish state regardless of the ways in which that statehood is achieved. As ever, the caveat is not all people - however, it certainly seems that the current Israeli government feels that way.

Well there are plenty of Jewish people who wear specific things as a display and requirement of their faith so are they meant to stop doing that to make everyone else more comfortable?

if someone walks into my office in a Christmas jumper and I yell at them about something a Christian nation did or is doing is that ‘me’ who is the problem or the person wearing a Christmas jumper?

Everyone has the right to wear whatever feels right to them as part of their faith. I do feel more Jewish when I wear my grandmother’s Jewish star necklace. I feel more connected to my history and my community. And this entire thread is actually convincing me to start doing it again.

If a student displays her anti-Semitism and your employer acts like the solution is for you to change what jewellery you wear (obviously there's nothing whatsoever wrong with your choice of jewellery), find a better employer. And go to the papers. Ugh.

I do think there's a difference between wearing something which you believe is a strict requirement of your faith and wearing something which tells people what your faith is, but is not a requirement of the faith.