NCAM Backs Council of Imams Queensland: No Woman Should Be Refused a Job Because She Wears a Hijab

Media Release – 31 October 2026

The National Council of Australian Muslims (NCAM) stands with the Council of Imams Queensland (CIQ) in condemning religious discrimination at work. In a statement on 29 October, CIQ said a young Muslim woman applying for a job in Queensland was reportedly told by a prospective employer: “There is no chance of me hiring someone who wears a hijab.” CIQ said the employer has since spoken with members of the Muslim community, acknowledged that his response was disrespectful and apologised to the young woman.

“No young woman should be told that her faith rules her out of a job before she has had the chance to show what she can do,” NCAM Director Sajida Salman said. “The hijab is a personal act of faith. It has no bearing on a person’s ability to do the work, and it should never decide who gets hired.”

Refusing to employ someone because of their religion is against the law in Queensland and under federal workplace law. NCAM is concerned that such attitudes are not isolated. Barriers in recruitment are often hidden and hard to prove, and many applicants never learn why they were turned away.

NCAM welcomes the employer’s apology and his willingness to listen. As CIQ rightly said, accountability and reconciliation must go hand in hand. “An apology does not undo the hurt, but it shows that people can change when they are willing to listen and learn,” Ms Salman said.

NCAM calls on employers across Australia to review their recruitment practices and to train hiring staff on religious inclusion. We encourage anyone who believes they have been refused work because of their faith to seek advice from the Queensland Human Rights Commission, the Australian Human Rights Commission or the Fair Work Ombudsman.

“Muslim women are nurses, teachers, engineers, lawyers and business owners right across Australia,” Ms Salman said. “Every employer who looks past the hijab gains talent. Every employer who does not is the poorer for it.”

For media inquiries, please contact: media@ncam.au

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National Council of Australian Muslims (NCAM) acknowledges all First Peoples as the Traditional Custodians throughout the land across Australia, and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We recognise and respect the historical and traditional connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have to the land, water, culture and community. We appreciate the importance of the world’s oldest living culture, and support the union of a reconciled Australia. NCAM is committed to ensuring inclusion, equity and equality.