Affy and Aliya (1) are two Muslim women employed by Lloyds Bank (LBP), one of the UK’s biggest banks. In May 2021, both posted statements in support of Palestine on the bank’s internal intranet portal. Both denounced the ongoing human rights violations committed by the Israeli government. Affy also expressed her desire for the company to boycott HP, which is complicit in the oppression of Palestinians.
As a result, Affy and Aliya were investigated and subsequently sanctioned for alleged ‘gross misconduct’ and breaching Lloyds’ policies regarding discrimination, harassment and abusive and offensive content, among other things.
This has had damning consequences in Affy and Aliya’s personal and professional lives. Affy, who was 21 at the time, lost a prestigious graduate role with a £60,000 starting salary as a result of Lloyds’ sanctions, and they both lost their annual bonuses. Having to defend themselves against Lloyds’ blatantly discriminatory attempt to restrict their fundamental freedoms has taken a massive toll on their mental and physical well-being. Both are anxious about their future careers and now fear reprisal for raising concerns about socially responsible business or speaking about Palestine.
Lloyds is proving itself to be unwilling to adhere to its self-proclaimed commitment to universal human rights, choosing instead to silence two Muslim employees echoing international law’s call for justice in Palestine. Lloyds’ approach to Affy and Aliya’s expressions of solidarity with Palestine is yet another manifestation of double-standards when it comes to advocating for Palestine, at which point the veil of progressiveness often vanishes. Expressing solidarity and advocating for human rights should have no exception, whether it is extended to Ukraine, Black Lives Matter or Palestine.
More than two years after this all started, the two women are now challenging Lloyds Bank in court at the Central Employment Tribunal (the hearings are taking place from 4th to 17th July).
(1) When going after Lloyds Bank, the two women decided to remain anonymous. Now that the case is in court, their identity has become public. Affy and Aliya are aliases for Afra and Aunngbeen.
We need urgent financial support to bring this discrimination case to court. The minimum costs to cover the lawyers’ fees as well as the court fees are estimated to amount to £30,000 / €35.000.
Your support will help Affy and Aliya challenge Lloyds’ unjust treatment in court and take a stand against the unjust restriction of Palestinian rights everywhere. Collective support is crucial for achieving justice for fearless individuals like Affy and Aliya, who face repression for standing unflinchingly against oppression.
In case the donations amount to more than needed for this case, donations will be used for other similar cases challenging censorship of Palestinian rights advocates in the UK.
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We are the only entity defending and empowering Palestinian rights advocates across European courts. These funds are essential for us to be able to do so effectively. This is why we are kindly asking you to give what you can to support this legal battle. Every donation, no matter the amount, will make a huge difference.
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Visual: CC Commons