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Ahead of the court case Merete Hodne said she would take it all the way to the European Court of Human Rights if the Norwegian courts ruled it was religious discrimination. She has now taken the first step as the business woman refused to accept the courts decision as she claims the court was unduly influenced by her previous membership of an anti-Islam organisation. The 47-year-old risked a prison sentence of up to six months after Malia Bayan, 24, was turned away from the salon in Byrne, south west Norway, last October.

EPA Merete Hodne is appealing the court's verdict that it was religious discrimination

After the incident was reported to the police by the young woman, Hodne said she was fully within her rights to not colour the hijab-clad woman’s hair. The hairdresser added it would have been discriminatory against her other customers if she had not thrown miss Bayan out of the establishment. Hodne, who runs a salon in Bryne, south west in Norway, told Tv2: “I fear the totalitarian symbol of the hijab which says that I should be killed, and for me it is quite unnatural to provide good service in my situation. “As most people know hijab clad woman do not get to show their hair to men. My salon is a man and women’s hair salon.

I fear the totalitarian symbol of the hijab Merete Hodne

"It would have been deeply discriminatory if I had banished men from the lounge because of a woman who could not show her hair to them.” Hodne added she turned the hijab-clad woman way because “Islam is evil”. She said: “I don’t want this evil inside the doors where I’m in charge. “Evil is Islam’s ideology, Mohammedanism and the hijab are symbols of this ideology, like the swastika is for nazism.

PH Hodne said she would take the case all the way to the European Court of Human Rights

“I’m not afraid to lose but I won’t pay for something that is wrong. I’ll appeal to the court of human rights. “I have dedicated my life to this. I’m not a racist. I am a political activist fighting against Mohammedanism of Europe. It’s not Muslims I’m critical of.” The hairdresser was initially fined £800 by the police but the sum was increased to £900 by the court. The court ruling said: "The court... has no doubt that the defendant acted intentionally, that she deliberately discriminated against Bayan by expelling her from the salon because she is Muslim.”

TV2 Malika Bayan was thrown out by the hairdresser for wearing a hijab