Muslim Engineer Banned From Nuclear Plants

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <section class="story__content" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px auto 80px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 18.75rem; orphans: auto; position: relative; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto;"><div class="story__intro" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextMedium, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 1.125rem; line-height: 1.625rem;">The man's lawyer claims the move to revoke his pass is "pure Islamophobia", but authorities argue it was for security reasons.</span></div> <header class="story__header" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><div class="last-updated" style="bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 40px; max-width: 40%; position: absolute; right: 0px; text-align: right;"> <div class="last-updated__text" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px;"> <span class="last-updated__time" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">                               </span></span><span class="last-updated__day" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span class="last-updated__day" style="box-sizing: border-box;">                                </span></div> </div> </header><div class="story__content-outer-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: left; padding: 0px 332px 0px 0px; width: 992px;"> <section class="story__media" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="module module--primary" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 25px; width: 660px;"> <div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 25px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--16x9" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 371px; position: relative;"> <img alt="" class="image__item js-responsive" data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="144x81 362x204 762x428 942x530 1600x900" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/19/330318/default/v1/rtxipyt-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/19/330318/default/v1/rtxipyt-1-1600x900.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(220, 220, 220); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 371px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 660px;" /></div> <div class="image__caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; min-height: 40px; padding: 10px 8px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Nogent-sur-Seine nuclear power station in France</span></div> </div> </div> </section></div> <div class="story__intro" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextMedium, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-size: 1.125rem; line-height: 1.625rem;"><br /></span></div> <div class="story__intro" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextMedium, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-size: 1.125rem; line-height: 1.625rem;"><br /></span></div> <div class="story__intro" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextMedium, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-size: 1.125rem; line-height: 1.625rem;"><br /></span></div> <div class="story__intro" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextMedium, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-size: 1.125rem; line-height: 1.625rem;">A Muslim engineer has been denied access to French nuclear power stations where he normally works over alleged security issues, according to reports.</span></div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> The 29-year-old project manager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was allowed on to the sites as part of his job between 2012 and 2013.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> But in March this year he was refused permission to work at the Nogent-sur-Seine nuclear power station in eastern France after a police investigation.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> The man was employed by a firm subcontracted by French energy giant EDF and his pass was reportedly revoked by management after he failed a vetting process.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> His lawyer has reportedly said the move was "pure Islamophobia".</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> The decision to stop his access was covered by "Secret Defence" - which means authorities are not required to publicly justify the decision.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> In June this year his lawyer Sefen Guez, who works with France's Anti-Islamophobia Collective (CCIF), was able to get the ban overturned by an appeals court</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> However, when the engineer turned up for work a month later, he was once again refused access.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> He has now launched a second appeal and while he waits for a decision, expected at the end of August, he has been reassigned to administrative work.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Mr Guez said: "This country respects the rule of law and my client, a qualified man with no criminal record who practices his religion in a normal way, like many other French Muslims, would quite naturally like to know the reasons for this ban."</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> He told France 24 that "considering the current atmosphere in France, his religious leanings cannot be ruled out" as a reason behind the ban.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> But officials from the police chief's office said: "It goes without saying that the ban was not based on criteria such as religion or race... Our judgement is based on security issues."</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> A spokesman for EDF told Sky News the energy firm was unable to comment on the matter as legal proceedings were under way.</div> </section></div>

Muslim Engineer Banned From Nuclear Plants

The man's lawyer claims the move to revoke his pass is "pure Islamophobia", but authorities argue it was for security reason...

Read more »