Amazon Provides Hijab for Muslim Workers in Minnesota Facility

Seeking a more inclusive work environment, huge US retailer Amazon has partnered with a hijab brand to provide hijabs for its Muslim workers.

Henna and Hijabs partnered with Amazon to launch Amazon-branded hijabs for workers at the SMN1 facility in Brooklyn Park.

“Henna and Hijabs is committed to bridging the accessibility gap that Muslim women often encounter in different spaces,” said Hilal Ibrahim, Henna and Hijabs’ founder, Sahan Journal reported.

Following the launch of the partnership on Wednesday, SMN1 has become the first Amazon facility to use the branded hijab, a cause for celebration for many Muslims.

“I can’t really express how happy and excited I am in words,” Ryan Mohamad, an Amazon worker at SMN1, said as she donned her hijab with the Amazon logo.

Her hijab was the result of 18 month process to add hijab to apparel options.

Bridging Gaps

Ryan’s excitement was a cause of pride for Hilal, who sees her company successfully bridging gaps for Muslim women.

“We aspire for this partnership to foster a sense of inclusion and belonging amongst the members. What an incredibly humbling honor to be able to fill this need,” Hilal said.

The hijab is not the first initiative by Amazon to accommodate its Muslim employees.

Last October, Amazon opened a new sorting facility which accommodates Muslim employees by offering them ablution and prayer spaces.

The facility came almost four years following protest by a group of Amazon Muslim Somali workers in Minnesota who demanded better working conditions in the retailer’s warehouses.

According to Amazon, it has more than 100 fulfillment centers across the US. The centers employ more than 125,000 full-time employees.

The state of Minnesota has a population of nearly six million people. No more than 1% of this number are Muslims who have over 30 mosques across the north state.

SOURCE:https://aboutislam.net/muslim-issues/n-america/amazon-provides-hijab-for-muslim-workers-in-minnesota-facility/