The Mercury reports that members of Durban’s Muslim community have slammed the Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani hotel management for refusing to allow two Muslim student chefs to continue their internships if they did not remove their beards.  

Mohammed Yusuf and Huzaifah Mohideen, who are students of the Capsicum Culinary School, were ecstatic when on landed a four-month-long internship at the hotel, but said on Thursday they had been disgusted by the hotel’s attitude towards their religious beliefs.  However, the Tsogo Sun group said the act was purely an adherence to hygiene policies to ensure the safety of guests.  Tsogo Sun was asked why it did not provide beard nets for those who wanted to keep their beards, but it did not respond.

• Read this report by Sphelele Ngubane in full at The Mercury

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