Oldham, July 14: A Mom was banned from breastfeeding her baby in a council office to avoid upsetting Muslims.
Officials told Emma Mitchell, 32, it would “cause an uproar” in the multi-cultural building.
They suggested she use public toilets in a nearby shopping centre instead. Angry Emma, 32, said last night: “It was awful. I felt humiliated and intimidated.”
She wanted to feed 19-week-old Aaron after he began crying in the Access Oldham office in the town’s civic centre. Emma said she asked if she could breastfeed Aaron while facing the wall in an empty corner of the room. But a woman receptionist told her: “Oh no, we don’t allow that here. We’ve had many complaints.”
Emma, from Shaw, Oldham, said: “There were five or six people in the room, mostly Asian like her.” Another official later told her: “You’ve caused an uproar in there.” Emma’s pal Michelle Booth, 38, who witnessed the incident, said: “The staff were implying breastfeeding was offensive to Muslim sensibilities.”
Labour councillor Shoab Akhtar said the office “wasn’t suitable” for breastfeeding.
-Agencies