Now if you're talking God, the first step is a good pint of Guinness...
Posted on 03/10/2005 2:40:02 PM PST by ambrose
DELL fires 30 Muslims over workplace prayer
Muslim civil rights group calls for rehiring, offers mediation
by OfficialWire NewsDesk
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- (OfficialWire) -- 03/10/05 -- A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today called on Dell Computers to rehire 30 Muslims workers allegedly fired from a plant in Tennessee for seeking to perform religiously-mandated prayers in the workplace. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also offered to help the company and its employees reach a mutually-agreeable solution to the dispute.
CAIR said the workers were fired from a Dell facility in Nashville, Tenn., after they sought to perform the Islamic "Maghrib" prayer each day after sunset. (While the window of opportunity to perform the other four daily Islamic prayers, the sunset prayer is tied to a particular time of day and therefore requires greater flexibility and creativity on the part of employers and workers. Muslims pray each day after the break of dawn, at midday, in the afternoon, at sunset, and in the evening.)
"Given sufficient goodwill on the part of all those involved, both the employees' legal right to reasonable religious accommodation and the employer's right to maintain smooth operations in the workplace can be maintained," said CAIR Legal Director Arsalan Iftikhar.
In a letter sent today to Dell President and CEO Kevin B. Rollins, Iftikhar asked that the Muslim workers be rehired pending resolution of the issues involved. He said CAIR staffers who have experience dealing with workplace religious accommodation are available to act as mediators between the Muslim workers and Dell.
CAIR publishes a booklet, called "An Employer's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices," designed to prevent just such incidents. The booklet is available by emailing pubs@cair-net.org. (Include name, address and phone number when requesting the booklet.) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires an employer to accommodate religious practices unless it causes an "undue hardship."
The Washington-based group has 31 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
Posted 3/10/2005 2:48 PM
Why yes...how did you know?
Islamic Republic of Hamtramack!
Countries like that are doomed to forever be third world countries. We're on our way.
Heck, why not a 'roo or a ding..
Some prostrate themselves to a moonrock, right?
I thought about it for a while ....
Is aiding and abetting perjury a crime ?
If so we need to send an extradition request to South Africa, the good imam has committed several million counts ...
F H
>>>My, grandmother, what big teeth you have.<<<<
Once he is under your spell, he can't claim that he was never warned.
Hey I have to have a role too!
Yep. At least the Irish don't maintain the Blarney Stone is a god...
I'm sure there's something 'specially for you. Let me work on it. Head of my Secret Police maybe?
Were they on the clock?
Not if Tennessee is a right-to-work state.
Anybody can be fired for any reason ina RTW state, with no recourse.
Ditto...I do not trust Muslims. Islam is the religion of murder.
Well I worked and lived in the Mideast for several years and traveled extensively, and believe me, those terawatt speakers blasting off before sunrise got old very quickly. But I was a guest in their countries so I grudgedly accepted it.
It quickly became obvious that the purpose of these prayers 5 times a day was not intended for holy spiritual purposes, but as a means of political control and suppression.
Hooray to Dell for standing up to a phony religion!
Now we have another Jesse "pesse" Jackson in a burka. Pay this poverty pimp to leave us alone!
I admit it was a lame post. I guess I just never found my voice on this. I'm torn between the knee-jerk "who the **ck do they think they are" and the fact that this land was settled by people who sought to worship God according to their consciences.
I recall the Savage used to begin his shows with the line, "Hellooooooooo Infidels!" and I always thought it was ironic. And he would talk about that town in Michigan where, supposedly, Islamic prayers are broadcast publicly...and my blood started to boil and so I just posted something blank as a sort of placeholder...maybe I was intimating that part of me would probably agree with a Savage rant on this one.
Now if you're talking God, the first step is a good pint of Guinness...
I work in Folsom Calif
Thanks for that. And, while I think everyone is entitled to practice their religion, I also feel they need to do it on their own time. The point I was trying to make is that if Muslims are allowed x minutes or hours of prayer during the day, then why shouldn't we be able to - - all of this could clearly get out of control for the employer. It should all be done after hours, during regular lunch or break times, etc. That said, IMHO there's no reason that if a group wanted to have a Bible study session after work or during their regular lunch time, that they shouldn't be able to do it in the workplace in a conference room, etc.
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