Posted on 06/23/2004 5:24:40 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Muslim Trucker Sues Company for Firing Him After He Refused to Haul Beer The Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Muslim truck driver is suing his former employer for religious discrimination, claiming he was fired for refusing to haul beer because doing so would violate his beliefs. Ibrahim Barzinji, 42, filed the federal lawsuit earlier this week against Arkansas-based J.B. Hunt Transport Services. J.B. Hunt declined to comment.
Barzinji had been working just a few months when he drove a load of auto parts to St. Louis in June 2003. He said he was asked to pick up a return load of Budweiser at an Anheuser-Busch plant.
"When I saw it was a beer company, I called my dispatcher and said, 'I can't do this. It's against my religion,'" Barzinji said.
He said a supervisor told him to choose between transporting the beer and losing his job.
"I said, 'Why force me? You are a big company'," Barzinji recalled. "'Just get me another load.'" He got one - and then was fired.
Dealing with alcohol in any way is against Islamic law, said Amir Arain, spokesman for the Islamic Center of Nashville.
But explosives are OK, eh?
That's not true.
Cut his head off.
Don Corleone: "Tattaglia's a pimp. He never could've out-fought Santino. But I didn't know until this day that it was Barzinji all along."
Definitely a perp. Make him an offer he can't refuse.
Oh, isn't this just rich?
His lawyer says "heads will roll".
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Maybe he might find Canada a more suitable place to read the Koran.
i suppose i'll get flamed for saying this, but i can see what he did. if he indeed felt it was morally to transport alcoholic beverages, then he shouldn't add to what he sees as moral decay. there are things i feel are morally wrong, and i don't think i should have to support it through my actions.
Two Catholic pharmacists were fired by the company they worked for because they wouldn't sell abortion drugs. The courts upheld their firing. This guy is toast.
I wanted to say that.
We need volunteers to pick up a truckload of beer. Any takers?
yeah i agree. theres too much jumping on aything muslim just cause it is without thinking things through. christians and jews will make moral decisions about their work and what they are prepared to do or not do, and so did this guy.
that said, maybe he is overreacting, they didnt want him to drink the beer. in some arab countries you are allowed to drink alcohol only if you are a non-muslim. this is a (somewhat) sane approach and maybe he should have taken the same concept. the beer was for non-muslims. why have problem with carrying it?
So then you think truckers should all check their load, make sure they personally like the product, or refuse to ship it? Yeah that makes sense. And busboys shouldn't have to clear my beer bottle either right? If he does not want to haul something, then become an independant trucker and work for himself. That is the American option - not to sue for being asked to do your job.
I drive an 18 wheeler and many of the "backhauls" we get assigned to are not very desirable, But if you want to work, you do your job, pick up the load and deliver it!!
bitch about it when you get in...refusing to haul a load will not only get you fired, but will cause a bad report on your DAC report and no one else will hire you.
Screw him..he knew what the job entailed when he signed on..kinda like a queer claiming he shouldn't be made to brush his teeth after every "load"!!
*snork* There goes the Coke all over the keyboard.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.