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
I bet Dell just jumps at the chance to have Cair "mediate"! What kind of idiots ask for a partial mediator?!?
Maybe muslims should learn to read another pamphlet
"American Capitalism: Why I don't pay your Sorry a$$ to pray on my time"
I spent some time in Saudi Arabia and at prayer time they sent all shoppers out of their businesses, locked the doors and went in back for tea.
and therefore requires greater flexibility and creativity on the part of employers and workers.
REQUIRES??!! I think not.
I think my Religious requirements should be met by my employer as well. Perhaps they will make communion available to me "as oft as I should do it"?
This thread is back from the dead!
good point. If this were 30 Catholics that were fired for going to get ashes on Ash Wednesday people here would be screaming.
There you go. Prayer time is just an extra paid coffee break.
There's not enough info to form an intelligent opinion about Dell's actions or those of the fired employees (if that is in fact the case).
In general, I am in favor of people not having to leave their religion at the door in the workplace. People - Christians, Jews, Muslims - who want to gather to pray during their lunch hour should be allowed to. That doesn't mean that they should get extra paid time for this activity, or that the employer has to provide a dedicated space. But, if people are willing to meet in an empty conference room when they would normally be chatting it up in the lunch room, what's the harm? It's certainly within the spirit of free exercise of religion that is part of our nation's values.
My group at Intel of 41 people is 33 Muslim ... 2 Chinese ... 3 Indian ... 1 Scotland national (Manager) 1 Canadian ... (none are citizens) and 1 native born American which is me
I wonder if Dell will give them extra time over lunch to behead some infidels.
I wouldn't complain at all if during the middle of work 1/2 of the people in the office got up and held a bible study instead of working.
If a company hires me to get a job done and I use some of that time to stop working and pray, am I not cheating my employer, abridging the work contract?
Having said that, I will add that when I worked in an office, I prayed all the time, but I didn't quit working to do so. E.g., one can pray while walking to the restroom, on breaks, during lunch, walking to the water fountain, while carrying material between offices, traveling between appointments, etc.
Perhaps it's the Muslims who need to make a reasonable accommodation.
Sorry, I meant, if that happened, I wouldn't complain if they got fired.
Exactly... this is the U.S.A., many people have fought and died for your right to go find another job where people don't mind if you (eh, hem) "pray" during the WORK DAY!! You also have the right to tip the f*ck out of the country... you won't be missed!
Ain't diversity wonderful?
And I can assure you they would be absolutely HOSTILE if Christians were praying to the One, True God anywhere NEAR where they were praying to their false god.
How can they realistically limit them?
Doesn't the Almighty hear heartfelt prayers even if uttered in silence while one is working?
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