Peace lovers file suit

Mule · 07-24-2007, 07:00 AM

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Supervisors at a meatpacking plant have fired or harassed dozens of Somali Muslim employees for trying to pray at sunset, violating civil rights laws, the workers and their advocates say.

The five- to 10-minute prayer, known as the maghrib, must be done within a 45-minute window around sunset, according to Muslim rules. The workers at the Swift & Co. plant in Grand Island say they quit, were fired or were verbally and physically harassed over the issue.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has drafted a complaint to be filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The petition compiles testimony from at least 44 workers who had planned to sign the complaint during a meeting Sunday. The signing was changed to a later date because of a logistical problem.

Jama Mohamed, 28, said he was fired in June for leaving a production line to pray. Supervisors would not allow him a break, he said.

"Some of them took the (prayer) mat from me; they started shouting, they started telling me to stop it, and one of them grabbed me by the collar of my shirt," Mohamed said through an interpreter.

"I was crying at the time this was happening to me, and when I finished I told them while they were doing that I was in the middle of a prayer."

Mohamed said he was then called to an office, where a supervisor fired him.

Mohamed Rage, chairman of the Omaha Somali-American Community Organization, said Swift had fired at least two dozen workers for praying since May.

Donald Selzer, an attorney for Greeley, Colo.-based Swift, said only three Somali workers were fired for reasons relating to the issue, and that it was for walking off the line without permission, not for praying.

Unscheduled breaks can force unplanned shutdowns of lines, Selzer said.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

Don't see a problem with firing someone for taking an unscheduled break from an assembly line. This is an issue of not doing your job, not having your religion dissed.

If they know they will have to stop to pray at sunset, why not work another shift?

Joeaksa · 07-24-2007, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mule

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- "Some of them took the (prayer) mat from me; they started shouting, they started telling me to stop it, and one of them grabbed me by the collar of my shirt," Mohamed said through an interpreter.

"I was crying at the time this was happening to me, and when I finished I told them while they were doing that I was in the middle of a prayer."

Mohamed said he was then called to an office, where a supervisor fired him.

Lets see, the guy cannot speak English so wonder if he was legal or not. How do you get a workers visa to enter America without speaking any English.

Kick their butts out and replace them with American workers. If he ever learns English and is legal to work here the full duty time and without "prayer breaks" then rehire him, otherwise let him work elsewhere.

sammyg2 · 07-24-2007, 02:59 PM

Maybe I should sue my company because sometimes they require me to work on the sabbath.
BAH!

They need to conform to America, not the other way around. I say give them the proverbial boot if they don't want to follow the rules. That goes double for their lying, theiving, terrorist supporting lawyers.

Racerbvd · Racerbvd's Garage

They weren't hired to pray, they were hired to work on a line. Can the bastards, and send the ones who don't speak English home, or to Cuba!!

Hugh R · 07-24-2007, 05:40 PM

I have no problem with reasonable accomodations for a person, but gotta agree, if you can't work the shift, you shouldn't have taken the job. My religion requires me to take a two hour nap after lunch. Fortunately my employer accomodates me (just kidding).

Flatbutt1 · 07-24-2007, 06:27 PM

the chairman of the Somali comiittee may wish to change his name..somehow Rage doesn't seem to be appropriate

Red Baron · 07-25-2007, 02:51 AM

They ought to ride that magic prayer carpet right back to where they came from..

JavaBrewer · JavaBrewer's Garage

Sort of like the smokers I see always outside the building. Do they ever work...

onewhippedpuppy · 07-25-2007, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Baron

They ought to ride that magic prayer carpet right back to where they came from..

That made for an amusing mental picture.

Someone needs to break to them, this is AMERICA. No prayer breaks here, sorry. Deal with it, or go back to your country where Islam is the state religion. Oh, quality of life is hell there? Ever wonder why? ****** idiots. Even worse, they might actually win in court, considering our legal system.

kach22i · kach22i's Garage

I did a little prayer once on the job, and it worked!

It was 1979 I was 19 years old, and I just worked my third double (16 hour shift) in a row and turned around to watch the sun rise. My view from on top of the 3-story tall coke oven overlooking Zug Island was surreal. Right then I asked God to have me laid off so I could go to college.

I got sick from food posing the next day from something warmed up on the coke ovens, collard greens some black dude gave me. The forman would not let me get something to eat for the full 16 hour shift, I was ready to pass out and was having hallucinations. I called in sick for what turned out to be my last day. The next day they laid 3,000 of us steel workers off.

Good times.