Special Problems of Muslim workers post 9/11

Special Problems of Muslim workers: 

Special Problems of Muslim workers Post 9/11 Virginie Gabra

Islam: The Religion: 

Islam: The Religion Islam began historically on the Arabian peninsula, in the towns of Mecca and Medina by a prophet named Mohamed. The Qur’an is the Holy Book of Islam The official language of Islam is Arabic Islam is based on five pillars: 1) Shehadah (testimony, which makes one a Muslim) and Declaration (Mohammed is the messenger of God) 2) Prayer (5 times a day) 3) Paying Zakkah (money) every year to help the poor 4) Fasting the entire lunar month of Ramadan 5) Hajj to Mecca

Islam: The Religion (Cont.): 

Islam: The Religion (Cont.) Conservative Outfits are the Qur'anic requirements that Muslims, both male and female, dress and behave modestly. Muslim women usually were the Hijab (veil) which is viewed by Western Countries as a sign of women’s oppression. Muslims eat Halal food only (allowed under the Islamic Shariaa ) and usually don’t drink alcohol . Halal animals should be slaughtered according to Islamic law. Muslims don’t eat anything that comes from pig

Muslims in the United States: 

Muslims in the United States There are approximately one billion Muslims in the world, but only about 180 million Arabs. From the 1880s to 1914, several thousand Muslims immigrated to the United States The United States has an estimated six million Muslims. More than half of them are of Arabic origin. Muslims living in this country are more educated and tend to have higher incomes than average Americans. Many are doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc . Most US Muslims are immigrants, and their children who were born here. About one-third of US Muslims are African-Americans who have converted to Islam. Some interpretation of their acceptance of Islam as “reversion” to the religion of their ancestors in West Africa

September 11, 2001: 

September 11, 2001 The 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States had a worldwide impact especially on the Islamic world since the terrorists were Muslims . There were a total of 2,996 deaths from the attacks, including the 19 hijackers from Islamic groups and 2,977 victims. When terrorists struck New York and Washington ten years ago, U.S. Muslims were as shocked and horrified as other Americans. Many Islamic organizations condemned the attack and launched blood drives and provided medical assistance, food, and shelter for victims.

Muslims’ Harassments: 

Muslims’ Harassments After the attacks , America saw an increase in the number of hate crimes committed against people who were perceived to be Muslim, particularly those of Middle Eastern and South Asian descent A gunman killed the 49 year old owner of a gas station in Mesa, AZ. He was a Sikh. His family believes that he was killed because he "looked Middle Eastern." A gunman killed a Pakistani Muslim store owner in Dallas, TX. Adel Karas , 48, an Egyptian-American grocer was shot and killed near his International Market store in San Gabriel, CA. He was a Copt A man drove his car through the front entrance of Parma Mosque in Cleveland OH. In Chicago, a Molotov cocktail was thrown at an Arab-American community center. A gasoline bomb was thrown into the home of a Sikh family in California. Countless angry looks, obscene gestures, hate messages in Internet chat rooms and elsewhere on the Internet, bomb and other threats via telephone have targeted Muslim and Arab-Americans.

Muslims’ Harassments (Cont.): 

Muslims’ Harassments (Cont.) Hostility developed against Muslims in the U.S. and outside. They felt: 1) Harassed and Humiliated (Desmond Tutu, The Washington Post’s On Faith) 2) Strained interfaith relations ( Kim Lawton, PBS program “Religion & Ethics ”) 3) Victims of misunderstanding (Jim Wallis, Huffington Post) 4) A struggle of the their lives ( Laila Al- Marayati , Los Ángeles Times) 5 ) Embarrassment and redemption ( Amin G. Aaser , The Huffington Post)

Title VII and Muslims’ Rights in the workplace: 

Title VII and Muslims’ Rights in the workplace Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits workplace discrimination based on religion. Such discrimination is prohibited in any aspect of employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, benefits, training, job duties, and termination. Workplace harassment is also prohibited by Title VII. In addition, an employer must provide a reasonable accommodation for religious practices unless doing so would result in undue hardship. Title VII prohibits retaliation against someone who complains about a discriminatory practice, files a charge, or assists in an investigation of discrimination in any way. Employers with 15 or more employees are required to comply with Title VII. Most unions and employment agencies are also covered . Following the events of 9/11, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission devoted a section on employment discrimination against people who are or are perceived to be Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian or Sikh

Work Discrimination: 

Work Discrimination A South Asian woman from Bangladesh applied for a job at a bakery and had a phone interview after which she got an offer. On the first day, she showed up with her hijab, the manager brusquely stated that she had found someone "better suited to the job" and sent her home After 9/11, An Arab American man was called by one coworker names like "camel jockey" and "the local terrorist ."

Work Discrimination: 

Work Discrimination I am a Sikh man and the turban that I wear is a religiously-mandated article of clothing. My supervisor tells me that my turban makes my coworkers "uncomfortable," and has asked me to remove it Imane Boudal claims Disney, her employer, sent her home without pay after she refused to remove her head scarf in front of customers.

Work Discrimination: 

Work Discrimination “Managers , and other employees regularly threw blood, meat, and bones at Somali and Muslim employees,” the EEOC suit alleges. “There was offensive anti-Somali, anti-Muslim and anti-Black graffiti present in the restrooms .“ and they were refused to get prayer breaks In a case filed recently by EEOC attorney Park, seven Yemeni sailors working for Norwegian Cruise Line were fired in rapid succession "because they looked Muslim," Park said.

Forms of Freedom of Religion in the Workplace: 

Forms of Freedom of Religion in the Workplace Sikhs may feel a religious obligation to wear a turban at work. Male Muslims may wish to wear a beard. Wiccans may want to work on a Christian holiday in exchange for having one of their Sabbats off work. A Jew might want to leave work early on Friday night to attend religious services, in exchange for working overtime earlier in the week. A Christian, employed on rotating shifts, might wish to have every Sunday off work.

Conflicts: 

Conflicts As in most cases of civil rights, conflicts sometimes arise between: an employee's right to practice their religion, and an employers right to conduct his/her business as they wish, and not be burdened by excess cost due to their employees' religious needs.

Suggested Approaches to Muslims in the Workplace for Managers: 

Suggested Approaches to Muslims in the Workplace for Managers Key Issues: Spread the Word : Make it known that you will make reasonable efforts to accommodate religious practices and expression and include this information in employee orientation materials as well as periodically in other employee communications Be specific and positive : State guidelines positively and root them as much as possible in business terms Be fair and equitable : Apply guidelines fairly across all religions Review company policies: Look for clauses that might unwittingly discriminate against some employees' religious practices . Educate yourself and others: Learn about the religious beliefs and practices of employees in your company and learn about employees’ holidays that could affect their life during working hours Don't forget the nonreligious : Create guidelines so that they apply equally to nonreligious employees

Required Accommodations for Religious Practices in the Workplace: 

Required Accommodations for Religious Practices in the Workplace I n addition to the legal requirement to accommodate religious employees, a commitment to religious accommodation can improve employee morale. Moreover, accommodation in the workplace is a method of retaining valued employees who are religious. Accommodations vary. For example, ­­ an employee may need a particular day off each year for a religious holiday; or to refrain from work every week on his or her Sabbath; or to wear religious garb, or to have a place to pray. An employer must try to arrange for these religious obligations. An employer may not simply refuse to accommodate an employee. If the employer claims that accommodation is not feasible because it would result in undue hardship, the employer must prove the undue hardship.

Preventing Discrimination: 

Preventing Discrimination As an employer, you can begin by not making assumptions about a person's religious identity from cultural or other characteristics and you should keep an open mind to different religions in order to prevent discrimination in your company. Hopefully, the other employees will follow your example. You can also post information from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that outlines your nondiscriminatory stance to the employees as a whole

Conclusion: 

Conclusion Never judge or treat/discriminate against an employee by their belief/background. Performance and Compliance to work policy is what matters.