'They said we don't give flats to Muslims,' alleges 25-year-old woman

Mumbai, May 27: Just a week after she moved into an apartment in Mumbai, Misbah Qadri, a communications professional, was asked out. "I was told that they do not give flats to Muslim people," she says.

The 25-year-old had found a three-bedroom apartment at Sanghvi Heights in Wadala after a long, difficult search. She teamed up with two working women, both Hindus; they contacted her on Facebook.

When she was about to move in, the broker allegedly told her that the housing society does not allow Muslims. Misbah was allegedly asked to submit her resume and sign a disclaimer, which said if she faced any harassment from her neighbours because of her religion, the builder, the owner and the broker would not be legally responsible.

Misbah found the terms offensive, but had no choice but to move in, as she already given up her previous apartment. She had hoped that she would be able to resolve the problem later.

A week later, however, the broker called her and allegedly threatened to throw her out of the flat. She alleges that she was asked to vacate the apartment and so were her friends, by association.

The society has denied it.

"We allow Muslim people to stay here. The broker should be asked about it," said Rajesh, the supervisor of Sanghvi Heights.

Lawyer and activist Shehzad Poonawala has drawn the attention of the state Minorities Commission to Misbah's case.

Last week in the city, 23-year-old Zeshan Khan, an MBA, was denied a job by a multi-national jewellery exports company, which said in an email: "We regret to inform you that we hire only non-Muslim candidates." The company later blamed the email on a trainee in its HR department.

Misbah Qadri, who grew up in Gujarat, says she was exposed to discrimination in the aftermath of the 2002 communal violence in the state. "I have been in Mumbai for 5 and half years. It happens in Gujarat and I have been facing it in Mumbai also," she said.