Christian Government Worker Rebuked for Inviting Muslim Co-Worker to Church
[Update: April 8 2015. The Employment Appeals Tribunal has ruled against Miss Westeney, claiming that it was inappropriate for her to pray with her colleague and invite her to church.]
A Christian who was disciplined by an NHS trust for inviting a Muslim colleague to church is appealing against the written warning she received.
Victoria Wasteney, a senior occupational therapist, was told that she had ‘bullied’ a Muslim colleague by praying with her.
She is being represented by the Christian Legal Centre, which accuses her employer of “marginalization.”
Accusations
Miss Wasteney had discussions about Christianity and Islam with a junior colleague, Enya Nawaz, and offered to pray with her when she became upset about health problems.
She also invited her to church and gave her a book called “I Dared to Call Him Father,” about a Muslim woman who converted to Christianity.
However, Miss Nawaz accused her of trying to convert her to Christianity and made a formal complaint. Miss Wasteney was suspended for nine months while the East London NHS Foundation Trust investigated.
Appeal
Speaking to the Daily Mail in January, Miss Wasteney said: “I’m not anti-Muslim and I’m always very mindful to be sensitive to other people’s beliefs.”
She is taking her case to the Employment Appeals Tribunal where she will be represented by human rights barrister Paul Diamond, and supported by the Christian Legal Centre (CLC).
Chief Executive of the CLC Andrea Williams told The Sunday Times: “Where countries let go of a cohesive Christian worldview you get chaos and marginalization. We are letting go of what has given us our freedom.”
‘Freedom’
At the Employment Appeals Tribunal, Miss Wasteney’s lawyer will argue that the European Convention on Human Rights “enshrines the freedom to be able to speak about faith in the workplace and not be disciplined for it.”
Mrs. Williams said: “The NHS is increasingly dominated by a suffocating liberal agenda that chooses to bend over backwards to accommodate certain beliefs but punishes the Christian.”
