Faith is important to many Americans. Sometimes, it feels as if Christians get all the accommodations made and other religions just have to get in line. When you consider how many Muslims have had problems recently at their jobs, it might be true. Fortunately, there is an organization that fights for the rights of Muslim employees to have their religious practices accommodated. The Council on American-Islamic Relations is an advocate for understanding Islam, protecting civil liberties, and promoting justice and encouraging dialogue.
What CAIR Does
CAIR was established in 1994 to promote a positive image of Islam in America. According to its website, it has 10 core principles, including:
- Protecting the civil rights of Americans, regardless of faith
- Condemning all acts of violence against civilians
- Supporting equal and complementary rights of men and women
Although CAIR’s primary work seems to be in civil rights, it actually does much more. There is a lobbying group that monitors legislation in regards to the Muslim community. CAIR has an extensive media team to provide credibility as representatives for Islam and Muslims. It has a research team, and through grassroots organization efforts, CAIR issues action alerts for critical political and social issues. The group provides education to law enforcement and government officials about the Muslim community.
Another way CAIR is active in the political arena is by sponsoring voter registration drives in the Muslim community. There have been many interfaith outreaches to create dialogue and promote unity between Muslims and their neighbors. CAIR has been criticized in the past for being a terrorist organization, but there has never been any proof of that. The organization is dedicated to being a positive force.
Another Employer Fired Muslims for Religious Practices
The ULC has reported on companies that have fired Muslim employees in disputes over prayer observance accommodations. You might remember the Fort Morgan, Colorado, incident when a meat processing plant fired 150 Muslim employees. Another incident happened at a lawnmower factory in Wisconsin. In April, CAIR-MN, the Minnesota branch of CAIR, filed discrimination charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of 21 Muslim employees with Truth Hardware and Doherty Staffing Solutions.
The claim alleges that the company refused to allow factory workers a break for prayer. Many employees were told that they would have to wait until the end of their shift to pray. Truth Hardware sent employees home with instructions to wait for an accommodation to be made but never followed up and called them back to work.
Some of the employees simply want to return to work in an environment that accommodates their prayer breaks. Others are seeking lost wages. CAIR-MN wants to encourage all businesses to learn more about how to work effectively with Muslims.
CAIR has published multiple pamphlets for different groups about Islamic religious practices. There is one for health care providers, another for educators, and one for employers. The key points that need to be remembered are:
- The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States protects the free exercise of religion.
- Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act provides that an employer may not discriminate against a person because he/she adheres to a particular faith, and that employers must accommodate an employee’s religious practices unless doing so would cause undue hardship to the employer.
Employers must have legitimate reasons, such as a slowdown in production, to deny accommodations. When employers refuse to accommodate the Islam faith, it doesn’t just affect Muslims. It also affects Christians, Buddhists, and Jews. This is why this issue is so important. Faith is important to Americans. It doesn’t matter what your heritage or background is. If you work with Muslims, reach out to CAIR. Get educated. It’s not about avoiding a lawsuit. It’s about creating community.