Muslim woman 'abused' over dress by Christian hotelier

A Muslim woman was asked by a Christian hotelier if she was a terrorist and a murderer because she was wearing Islamic dress, a court has been told.

Ericka Tazi told Liverpool magistrates she faced a tirade of abuse from Benjamin Vogelenzang and his wife Sharon, at their hotel on Merseyside.

Mr and Mrs Vogelenzang deny using threatening, abusive words which were religiously aggravated.

Prosecutor Anya Horwood told the court Mr Vogelenzang, 53, called the Prophet Muhammad a "warlord" and likened him to Saddam Hussein and Hitler. And his 54-year-old wife told Mrs Tazi her Islamic dress represented "oppression" and was a form of "bondage", the court heard.

Giving evidence, Mrs Tazi told the bench that dressing in her hijab seemed to "trigger something" in the hotelier. Later that night Mrs Tazi contacted Merseyside Police.

Mrs Tazi said: "My journey has been a long, long journey, it was a very difficult decision to wear these clothes... Guests at the hotel told the court that Mrs Tazi was left distraught by the row.

Brazilian student expelled over dress

Executive summary about Brazilian Student Expelled Over Dress by Tales Azzoni

SAO PAULO — A Brazilian university expelled a woman who was heckled by hundreds of fellow students when she wore a short, pink dress to class.

Bandeirante University published advertisements accusing Arruda of attending class with "inadequate clothing" and having a provocative attitude that was "incompatible with the university environment."

In the ad, titled "Educational Responsibility," the college said it had warned Arruda to change her behaviour and decided to expel her after talking to students, staff and Arruda herself.

Arruda told Folha Online she was appalled. Some students had complained that Arruda seemed out of place in her revealing clothes, Brazilian media reported.