Sacked for being a Jehovah’s Witness, claims Swedish care assistant

children-paperA northern Swedish nursing assistant has reported her employer to the national authorities after she was apparently fired for her religious beliefs.

The Local reports that the woman, who lives in Umea and is a Jehovah’s Witness, told a co-worker that according to the Bible, people were not meant to be born with illnesses.

The woman’s comments came after her colleague suggested that the reason one of their patients, a young disabled girl, had been born with such difficulties, was because they allowed her to provided happiness to those around her. The care worker also apparently criticised homosexuality when asked for her opinion on the subject by a co-worker.

The assistant nurse was summoned before her employer who denounced her strong religious views. Her manager also claimed she believed children with disabilities were being punished by God.

“But that was the exact opposite of what I said,” wrote the woman in her letter of complaint to the Swedish Discrimination Ombudsman.

The family of the disabled girl is reported to have lost all faith in the care assistant, although she denies ever speaking with them about her beliefs.

Swedish law stipulates that it is illegal to fire anyone due to ethnicity, gender or religious and sexual preferences.

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