A Perth man has spoken of his disbelief after a concreter he asked for a quote took one look at him and drove straight past, explaining later it was because he looked like a Muslim.
Omeed Mehdi is not in fact a Muslim, though he is soon to marry a Muslim woman. He was raised in Australia and has called it home for 26 years.
More News Videos
Concreter turns down job due to 'Muslim look'
A Perth man talks about his disbelief after a concreter he asked for a quote took one look at him and drove straight past, explaining later it was because he looked like a Muslim.
"I went and waited there at the site stood for a good half hour and SMSd him, asking how far away he was," he told News Talk 6PR on Wednesday.
"He didn't reply for a couple of hours, and then said that he was at the pub.
"I just ignored it, not thinking anything of it, thinking he probably just doesn't want the job.
"Then he sent me a message the next day asking if he could come back for a quote; again I ignored it.
"The following day he sent me a message I thought, I'll have a bit of a laugh with him and say he can come give me a quote at the pub carpark, I didn't think of it too much at the time. But his reply after that took me by surprise.
"That he'd driven past and thought I looked like a Muslim, so he'd decided to go to the pub instead."
![Mr Mehdi couldn't believe his eyes when he saw these texts.](/web/20160916115525im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/f/v/e/8/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.grfvjg.png/1473827849988.jpg)
Mr Mehdi said the exchange then continued, with the tradie telling him he was now willing to give the job a chance because he was 'having a quiet week', and that he was 'willing to give you musies a go'.
"That part really hurt me. My fiance was sitting next to me at the time. I couldn't believe it," Mr Mehdi said.
![Omeed Mehdi](/web/20160916115525im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/f/v/t/5/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.grfvjg.png/1473827849988.jpg)
"Ive never experienced racism in this kind of a way before."
He said mainstream media drove fear of different cultures into people's heads, and said he felt pity for this "caveman".
"Ninety-nine per cent of the population aren't like that. It's just a very small minority of people who have this mentality, and with education it can be fixed up.
"I would sit with him and have a chat and ask him what made him think this way? What has he experienced?
"But it's totally unfair, if he put himself in this situation, if I drove past him and didn't want to give him the job based on the way he looked.
"You just can't do that ... be in business and do that."
WAtoday attempted to call the tradesman for comment, but his phone was turned off.
0 comments
New User? Sign up