Competitors in Noosa for a badminton competition threatened to boycott the Tewantin-Noosa RSL. Credit:Facebook Hijran said that, as she was lining up with a friend to order dinner, a woman came over and said, "Excuse me, can I ask what it is that you're wearing?" She replied that she was wearing a headscarf because she is from the Muslim faith and women must wear it for religious reasons. "She told me that, as per the RSL's rules and regulations, we do not allow for anything to be worn on the head," the 35-year-old accounts and admin worker told Fairfax Media. "I said I was unaware of the rules and I asked it it was okay for me to stay and have my meal with my friends. She said, 'yes for tonight it will be fine but if this happens on a regular basis I would have to ask you to leave'."

On its website, the RSL says head gear is banned unless the Board is satisfied there are acceptable reasons to wear it. In a response to Fairfax Media, the RSL's chief executive, Phil Stephenson, said the staff member didn't know what was on Hijran's head at first but when she was told it was religious, Hijran was allowed to stay. He denied she was told she would have to leave if it was a regular occurrence. "The duty manager on the night describes the head attire as being a white lacey piece of material underneath a bright floral scarf which made our duty manager unsure if it was for religious reasons therefore [it] needed to be clarified by asking the lady," he said in an email. Hijran said she ate her meal quietly, so as not to create a scene, but her teammates were not happy.

Some of them shared their experience at the badminton stadium the following day and other competitors refused to go to the RSL. One competitor, Margaret Dwyer, from the Geelong Ladies Badminton Club, said tournament organisers suggested boycotting the venue. She posted an angry message on the RSL's Facebook page in support of "our fellow badminton sister", saying the venue's slogan of "all visitors welcome" should be reviewed. Hijran said her great grandfathers served in WWI and she was "saddened" by the RSL's treatment of her. "I didn't want to make a big deal about it because I stand out enough as it is, but I was upset to think that, living in Australia, I could be treated like that," she said.

Mr Stephenson said he believed his staff handled the matter appropriately. "The Club is not discriminatory in any way and it is not the Club's intention to relay any form of discrimination," he said in a response to Hijran's sister. "I apologise if you feel this was the intention." ​The incident was reported to Islamophobia Register Australia. Mariam Veiszadeh, founder of the register, said it potentially breached state and federal anti-discrimination laws. "This is a rather disturbing incident which has broader implications," she said. Queensland's Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Kevin Cocks wouldn't comment on the incident but said employees were expected to be aware of workplace policies and whether those policies were in line with anti-discrimination laws.

"Policies or practices that treat people less favourably due to their religious belief or activity (which includes the wearing of religious clothing) may be discriminatory," he said. Stay informed. Like the Brisbane Times Facebook page