Contrary to a misleading and inaccurate newspaper report, bmi has not banned bibles on services to Saudi Arabia.
Sorry to dispel your thoughts but yes they have banned bmi crew from taking bibles into saudi, along with newspapers, magazines, laptops and DVD's. There is a reason for this but this is no place to explain why. Initially there was an awful lot of apprehension from flight crew and cabin crew when heard that bmi would be needing its crew to layover in what is an unstable country and does have a high threat level towards brits. Crew tried every way out of going there whilst remaining on the L/H fleet. The company was not prepared to make any exeptions and give their crewing department a minefield where people could cherry pick which routes they would work on.
Perhaps someone who is particularly religious (see the cross and BA sitiuation) would find it impossible to be told that they could not take their cherished bible to work or wear a symbol of their faith, coming from a country that actively welcomes symbols of various faiths and accomodates them.
You can either be cynical or trusting and that is what the tribunal will have to decide, and at the end of the day we cannot know the truth, it is for the crew member concerned to search their own conscience.
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