Fugitives from justice can take the veil

But travelers to Saudi Arabia can’t bring a Bible. And a British airline is only too happy to enforce that edict.

An air stewardess is claiming religious discrimination against an airline which she says banned her from taking the Bible to Saudi Arabia.

The stewardess has been told by BMI that it is against the law of the insular Middle Eastern country to bring in religious books other than the Koran.

The woman, who is understood to be a committed Christian, takes her bible everywhere she goes and is now set to take the airline to an industrial tribunal claiming discrimination on religious grounds.

BMI, formerly British Midland Airways, said today it was merely following the Foreign Office advice that no non-Islamic materials or artefacts are allowed into the country.

A spokesman from the airline said: "We issue advice to all our staff and passengers that these are the guidelines.