Hijab-clad women claim they were refused entry to Bryan Adams concert in Doha

Canadian singer Bryan Adams performed in Doha on Wednesday. (Reuters)

DUBAI: Women in Qatar are claiming they were refused entry to Wednesday’s Bryan Adams concert in Qatar due to their hijabs.
Canadian singer Bryan Adams performed in Doha but dozens of women have taken to social media to claim that they were barred from entering the concert, despite having valid tickets.
Speaking to Doha News, 44-year-old Tunisian expat Iram Kassis said that a security guard asked her and her sister to step out of the concert queue because her sister was wearing a headscarf.
“We have been shocked by that and asked to meet with a responsible person to clarify this issue, especially (since) it was not mentioned in the terms and conditions of the website (when we) purchased the tickets,” she said.
“This was not a club where they could ban me from entering,” she said, referring to the understanding that venues which serve alcohol do not welcome women in hijabs or individuals in local dress.
Twitter users took to the platform to express dismay.
“#women standing outside the @bryanadams concert not allowed in because of our #hijab #discrimination #disgusting,” one user tweeted alongside a photo of a woman purportedly stood outside the venue.
Twitter user Rakaposhi @dkc6004 tweeted directly at Adams.
“My wife is being prevented from entering ur concert ’cause she wears a headscarf,” he wrote.
Other concert goers claim hijab-wearing women were visible in the crowd, leading Doha News to suggest the supposed ban was not evenly enforced.
The concert organizers Alive Entertainment have yet to make a statement.