21/09/2009 - Hajib row lands hoteliers in court
A Christian couple who run a hotel in Merseyside are to stand trial for a racist offence after allegedly arguing with a Muslim guest in March.
Ben and Sharon Vogelenzang are accused of making offensive comments after an unnamed guest stayed at the Bounty House Hotel in Aintree while undergoing hospital treatment. She came down to breakfast in a hajib, the traditional Muslim headdress, and a discussion began with the hoteliers who had not seen her wear the item before.
The guest alleges that Dutch-born Mr Vogelenzang, called the founder of Islam, Mohammed, a warlord, and that Mrs Vogelenzang called the hijab a form of bondage. Police then charged the couple, who have run the hotel for six years, with using "threatening, abusive or insulting words" that were "religiously aggravated" under the Public Order Act 1986.
Mr and Mrs Vogelenzang say they were forced to sell their business after the row caused their takings to fall by 80%. They will appear at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on December 8.
Copyright © Press Association 2009
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