Legal Storm: UK Muslim Women Take on Lloyds Over Pro-Palestine Posts

Two Muslim women employed by Lloyds Banking Group have launched a discrimination lawsuit against the British bank, following disciplinary measures taken against them for sharing pro-Palestine messages on an internal communications channel. 

In 2021, Afra Soheil and Aungbeen Khalid underwent investigations and disciplinary hearings after advocating within Lloyds Banking Group for divestment and boycotts of companies linked to alleged Israeli war crimes. 

Following their advocacy, Lloyds Banking Group issued sanctions against them, stating that their posts had breached the company's policies on "professional integrity." 

Soheil and Aungbeen had penned their messages following Israel's military offensive on the Gaza Strip, which spanned 11 days and resulted in the deaths of 250 Palestinians. 

Lloyds Banking Group also reported the sanction against them to the Financial Conduct Authority. This disciplinary action will stay on their records for several years and could affect their future job prospects within the financial sector. 

Both women have now filed a lawsuit against Lloyds Banking Group at an employment tribunal in London after their appeal against the disciplinary action was rejected. 

They are pursuing restitution and compensation, and are requesting the bank to retract the sanction submitted to the FCA. The tribunal is scheduled to conclude on July 17. 

According to court records, Soheil shared her message on the internal platform after encountering difficulties in returning a monitor she received from Lloyds Banking Group, produced by the brand Hewlett Packard. 

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement accuses Hewlett Packard of supplying equipment to Israel's military and of contributing to Israeli policies of "racial segregation and apartheid." 

A Lloyds Banking Group spokesperson said: “It would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing legal case.  We are committed to providing an inclusive place of work for everyone, and will always take appropriate action if colleagues fail to meet the expected standards set out clearly in our conduct policy.”