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
At least you are consistent.
Muslims can shift their prayers around if they want to. It seems they're just trying to do an interpretation advantageous to their troublemaking.
This sentence escaped the editors.
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.
It sounds to me as though the company has moved heaven and earth to be accommodating. How about the employees showing some "goodwill?"
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.
I think I'd prefer to resolve the issues pending rehiring.
If these people are that experienced, why not just explain to the workers how to accommodate the company's needs.
Hmmm. Forgot about that. Maybe I'll just buy a printer instead of a lap top
OTOH, Saudis stop what they're doing and pray. I was very apologetically turned away from a shop once by an owner because I got there just as the prayer call was starting.
Why are they hiring this trouble making rubbish in the first place ?
My next PC will be a DELL..........Maybe TWO if the company doesn't hire the "peace loving Muslims" back.........
As an employer, if 3O Catholics wanted time off several times a day and a special room to collect their ashes in, I would be screaming; you got that right.
Hasn't happened yet. And Ash Wednesday comes but once a year. Thus my conclusion is you're nuts.
The Muslims would be much happier living in a Muslim country. Any questions?
good grief. let 'em pray. just don't have them on the clock when they do it. or adjust their lunch hours to cover the prayer time.
Gee! I don't know...
Something about finding a dozen or so headless bodies if you disagree with certain types of people...
Better to give in to anything they ask for.
I guess CAIR has not heard of the separation of church and work. If one is attending a religous observance during working hours, then they are not working.
One can work and still be religous, but nobody should be given a daily break for a religous observance. There are plenty of legally observed religous holidays I don't care what their good book says. The firing is legal.Dell has to establish work rules based on their policy rather than an imported facist religion.
CAIR needs to shove off. Forcing their religion on others is not "understanding" and only leads to more resentment of their religion of conquest.
You wrote well. You WOULD be violating the job contract, wheter written or verbal, implied or inferred if you were to stop on company time and any activity other than you job. Earnest prayer is done all the time while activities are accomplished. Islam is truly based on works, which is what causes some Islamists to be utterly terrified when they do not get to do their 'works.' Of course, their false god has the choice of deciding whether they are 'fit' for his 'paradise,' once they die. So in a nutshell, even with everything they do, he could still send them to their version of Hell. Hell, having a proper name because it is a real place. There is a bonafide Hell for Islamists and all others who reject Jesus. You know, it sounds so harsh, yet it is with so much pain for the lost and so love that Christians understand the price was paid once, for all time, for all who would accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Satan would be enraged even if only one Christian were walking the earth, though all others worship him: Such a story to tell, of Salvation that person would have, and to so many people!!
Thanks for the link Former Dodger.
I feel these guys are trying to "get over". From what my buddies at GITMO and Afghanistan told me...whenever they were close to uncovering something in their interrogation, the captives would pull out the "prayer card". At first they aquiesced. Then, as we started to become more keen on TROP we found that it is possible for them to "make up" for missed prayer...yet another "caveat" we exploited at their chagrin. To come here and pull that crap is complete and utter B.S.!!
I can say a prayer to Jesus Christ and the Father God in heaven anytime I want to. I just don't get Islam...
"Allahu Fubaru, cutofftheinfidel'sheadinallah'sname, allahu where'smysubaru...blah, blah, blah..." BTTT
Oh, CAIR, pffttbbb.
These are tech jobs. If you don't hire foriegners, who the heck are you gonna hire? The pool of applicants for tech industry jobs is dominated by immigrants. The last 5 people I hired for open I/S positions were all from India. I'm not complaining, I don't care who I hire as long as they can do the job. Not a single native born American even made it past the phone screen. They were all either too ignorant, wanted too much money, or both.
No, because 30 Catholics would go get the ashes on their personal time just like I have been going to church services on my personal time, either before or after work, for my entire life. Never would have thought to demand that my employer give me time off to go to church on the employer's time.
Do you want to work or do you want to worship? Why should someone else pay you to pray on their time? Not much of a sacrifice on the part of the worshipers when they can pray on someone else's time and get paid to do so.
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