Dhimmitude in the U.K. gone wild. The Daily Mail is reporting that a mother, when tried to breastfeed her 7-month-old hungry, crying baby in the Council Headquarter, she was told to leave because it may offend Muslim visitors.
Carer Emma Mitchell was told she couldn't breast-feed her five-month-old son Aaron |
Abreast-feeding mother has been ordered out of council offices after staff said it would 'cause an uproar' among Muslim visitors, it has been claimed.
Emma Mitchell, 32, was about to feed her 19-week-old son, Aaron, when a receptionist at Oldham Civic Centre told her it was a 'multicultural building'.
When she was told to use the toilets of a nearby shopping centre she argued with a manager before being offered an empty room under supervision.
Carer Emma Mitchell was told she couldn't breast-feed her five-month-old son Aaron
Ms Mitchell, a carer who is currently on maternity leave, said: 'It was just awful. I felt humiliated, intimidated and guilty through the whole thing.
'We all live in Oldham and we all use this building, and I was doing what was one of the most natural things a mum can do.
'If someone from another culture started praying in the waiting room, I wouldn't say, "Excuse me, you're offending me" I would respect it because it's their culture.
'So I shouldn't be made to feel what I wanted to do was wrong just because it's not in their culture.
The mother of two was asking about hiring a babysitter for her two boys when Aaron became hungry and started crying.
She then asked the receptionist if she could use a corner of the room to feed him, but she refused, saying it was a ‘multicultural building’.
Mrs Mitchell, who is married to Neil, 43, a lorry driver, said: ‘She then rang the manager who told me that I couldn’t breastfeed here and to go into the shopping centre’s public toilets instead.
‘A member of the complaints department came down and spoke to the receptionist.
‘But she then told me that I had caused an uproar. I just asked to be allowed a place to feed my crying baby.’
Michelle Booth, 38, a friend who was at the civic centre, said: ‘I don’t understand. It’s political correctness gone mad when they’re worried about offending people of other cultures over something so natural.’
Under UK law, mothers can breastfeed in public under the provision of goods, services and facilities section of the Sexual Discrimination Act, whatever the age of the baby, in places such as council buildings, cafes, restaurants, libraries and doctors’ surgeries.
Last night councillor Shoab Akhtar, of Oldham Council, said: ‘We fully support the right of mothers to breastfeed their children and actively encourage it due to the long-term health benefits it provides.
‘Mrs Mitchell’s disappointing experience has highlighted the need to make all our staff fully aware of our policy and our legal requirements.
‘Staff will be trained in the coming days to ensure this never happens again, and we will be contacting Mrs Mitchell to apologise.
‘Staff should make every reasonable effort to assist a mother’s need to breastfeed, whether she requests the use of a private room or otherwise.’
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