The article I read is about Muslims dealing with the rising discrimination at work. It starts off saying that co-workers are calling Muslims terrorists and Osama, and they are also not allowed to wear head scarves or take prayer breaks in some work places. It also says that complaints were increasing even before the Islamic Center in Lower Manhattan was planned to be built. By September 30th, 2009 there was already 803 complaints filed. According to federal data, it had gone up 20% since 2008, and nearly 60% since 2005. They are not giving out how many complaints that have been filed this year until January 2011, but Islamic goups suggest that the number will set another record. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has found some complaints with such big concern, that they have filed quite a few lawsuits for the Muslim workers. In August 2010, the EEOC sued JBS Swift, a meatpacking company. They sued them because 160 Somali immigrants said supervisors and co-workers swore at them because they were Muslim, threw meat, blood, and bones at them, and interrupted their prayer breaks. On September 1st, the EEOC filed a case against Abercrombie and Fitch, accusing them of not hiring an 18 year old girl who was Muslim, because she was wearing a headscarf. The rising number of complaints about Muslims is higher now than it was after 9/11. Mohammad Kaleemudding, a Pakistani immigrant who drove trucks for the American war effort in Iraq for 3 years, said that while he was working in Houston for a construction company, he was called Osama, al Qaeda, Taliban, and terrorist. After protesting against the slurs, he was fired by the company. He said he woners why they are doing that, when he has always been nice to them. He then filed a complaint and the EEOC sued the company, who then had to pay him $61,250. Imane Boudlal, a 26 year old woman from Calablanca, Morocco, worked for 2 years at the Storytellers Cafe in Disneyland in Anaheim, California. She decided to wear her hijab during Ramadan while working, and then her supervisors told her she could either work in the back or the telephone job. She said no and hasn't been to work since. The Disney officials said that the head scarf clashed with the early 1900's theme of the restaurant, and so they suggested a hat more of that time period that fell over here ears. She rejected the hat, saying that they wanted to hide the fact that she was a Muslim. A Disney spokesman said that the company has made over 200 accommodations since 2007.
LINK FOR ARTICLE : http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/24/business/24muslim.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2
I think it's sad how Muslims, even at work, can't just work a day without being called a terrorist or Osama. Also, how they aren't allowed to wear head scarf, I think that isn't really fair just because everyone else probably gets to wear whatever they want for the most part, unless it was a job with a dress code.
ReplyDeleteYou also said, 803 complaints were filed, I think thats crazy! Just because, that pretty much shows how americans are "concerned" about the Muslims, worried about terrorists and such.
It probable doesn't feel good for that girl who wanted to work at Abercrombie, couldn't just because of her head scarf. That probably didn't make the girl feel too good.
I just think it's sad how some Muslims get blamed for the works of the terrorists when most had nothing to do with it. :/
I think that Muslims should just be left alone at work. They shouldn't be called names like terrorist at work or not get a job because they are Muslim. They are people too, and not all of them deserve this. It is crazy of how many complaints were filed, this shouldn't be happenig to them.
ReplyDeleteI think that it was bad that when a girl went to work in her head scarf, they wanted her to work out back. Also that they tried to have her take it off and wear a hat. I think that it was right of her to decline the hat and not go back to work. Some of the stuff that is happening to these people are sad. But overall good job Ellen :D
Ellen, Excellent job summarizing your news story! It is very comprehensive. You did not answer the questions in the prompt and lost points for that.
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