An Oldham mum, whose nephew was killed in the war in Gaza where her husband remains trapped, has been sacked from her job after claiming she was dismissed for airing her thoughts about the conflict.
Mum-of-three Afshan Abubakar, of Glodwick, had only returned to work eight days before her contract as a trainee consultant for Citizens Advice was terminated on Friday.
It was cited that she was “offensive and wholly inappropriate”, among other reasons.
The 42-year-old claimed that one of the reasons for her sacking was because she was speaking about politics – more specifically Palestine, which has been under siege since the war broke out between the middle eastern country and Israel at the start of October.
“I’m still in shock, I didn’t expect it,” she said.
“I’m already going through trauma, work knew of my situation and I thought they would’ve supported me. I’m just trying not to freak out.
“I’m scared and worried, what am I supposed to do now? I’ve got three children aged 15, five and three, I’m going to have to claim child benefit.”
Afshan, who worked for the organisation’s Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford branch, has been trying to get her husband Hani Abualqaraya who is stuck in Gaza, on a flight to the UK since September.
She said: “I’ve not been able to sleep for over a month – it’s my first experience of genocide, I’ve not known how to react!
“They were against me saying anything about Palestine – it’s not political to me, it’s personal it’s what my family are going through right now, my nephew was shot in the head!
“I’m trying to be brave and not breakdown, but I need money I’ve got rent to pay. I’m literally just in shock, I feel like my life has fallen apart.”
READ MORE: Oldham woman in fear as husband stuck in Gaza
On Friday, she explained that her employer held an informal meeting which ended abruptly after she raised concerns that the company was discriminating against her – while Citizens Advice state in her contract termination letter that the “tone and level of the meeting” meant that it was “in no one’s interests to continue”.
The letter also mentioned that the discussion would have been the same if another employee in Afshan’s “situation” acted the same way, “irrespective of their background, ethnicity, religion or political views”.
Afshan met Hani virtually through volunteer work, teaching English to children over Zoom at the Al-Fakhoora school in Gaza - which was struck by an airstrike earlier this month.
A spokesperson for Citizens Advice Oldham said: “The Citizens Advice service in Oldham prides itself on being impartial; this is especially important when people and communities are experiencing difficult times.
“We'll continue to support our colleagues and those who need help in this way, always endeavouring to respect everyone's views and put our colleagues and those who need us first.
“As a charity, we value diversity. We have clear employment policies and guidelines that all staff and volunteers are expected to adhere to at all times. We don’t tolerate abusive, aggressive, derogatory, or personal conduct that is considered offensive and inappropriate.”
They added: “The policies are in line with employment law and ACAS (advisory, conciliation and arbitration service) good practice. Any staff member who feels they have been treated unfairly is able to challenge that through internal processes or an employment tribunal.”
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