Ex-soldier awarded settlement after launching religious discrimination case against MOD

A former soldier has brought a successful claim against the Ministry of Defence (MOD) after he said he experienced religious discrimination while serving in the British Army.

Ebrima Bayo spent more than eight years as a soldier in the Army but says he faced discrimination, including mockery from other soldiers for wearing his prayer attire and derogatory comments about his Muslim beliefs.

With funding from equalities watchdog the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), Mr Bayo, who is a practising Muslim, was awarded an undisclosed amount after he is said to have reported his concerns to his chain of command, but they failed to act promptly to address Islamophobia.

Mr Bayo said: "It has been a long six years trying to get justice for the discrimination, harassment and victimisation I experienced.

"The whole process has been very frustrating, disheartening and humiliating.

"I feel let down by the Army. Its reluctance to acknowledge that these acts happened to me felt like a huge kick in the face.

"I felt isolated and saddened that I had to fight so hard to get justice. The whole situation has left me feeling let down and having no faith in the military."

He continued: "The maltreatment and reluctance to accept that what happened to me was wrong and led me to decide not to pursue my Army career.

"I tried to resolve the problem internally by raising it with my chain of command. Nothing happened. I tried to address it by making a formal Service Complaint. That was rejected until I appealed it, which took two long years.

"I'm glad to finally be able to put all this behind me now, but as long as people are not held responsible for their actions, these kinds of things will continue to happen and will get swept under the carpet.

"This harms the Army because it puts people off joining and puts people like me, who should be flag bearers for the British Army, in the position of having to discourage others from joining, especially people who would be in an ethnic or religious minority in the forces."

With the representation of the Centre for Military Justice, Mr Bayo received a formal apology and a confidential settlement.

Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: "Mr Bayo had a promising career ahead of him, serving and defending his country, but suffered disgraceful discrimination and harassment on account of his religious beliefs as a practising Muslim.

"No-one should face the treatment that Mr Bayo suffered while at work because of their religion. The Equality Act 2010 outlawed discrimination due to someone's religion or belief, or due to their race or ethnicity.

"As Britain's equality regulator, we have powers to provide legal assistance to victims of discrimination. We used these powers to fund Mr Bayo's case.

"We are pleased that he has now received a favourable settlement and a formal apology from the Ministry of Defence."

She added: "The law is clear: no-one should be subjected to harassment or discrimination due to their race or religion, either at work or elsewhere. All employers should take note of this case and ensure that they have appropriate protections for their staff."

An Army spokesperson said: "We value all our people, regardless of race, religion, belief, gender, social background or sexual orientation.

"We are committed to improving the experience for all in the Army and do not tolerate abuse, bullying, harassment or discrimination of any kind.

"The circumstances of this allegation have been thoroughly investigated and, where misconduct has been proven, appropriate disciplinary action has been taken."