family
Most companies are actually pretty accomidating when it comes right down to it. Companies do give time off for that popular holy days and holidays to everyone and in most of my working experencie and school experience I have gotten time off for anything I needed that involved Spirituality. Sure it isn't paid unless I have chosen to use Vacation or Sick time. Does it suck? Sure but I also know that the majority of the higher ups and the nation is Christian and they are going to cater to the main religion. They did it back in pre Christian times with the pagans when Chrstianity was just blooming. Pagans got all sorts of time off and the Christians were told to get over it. Much like anyone Non Christian is told to figure things out or get over it.
Now what brought this lil blog of mine up is the incidents in MN at the airport and now in Grand Island NE where Muslims are walking or stiring up legal problems due to the need to shove their religion down other ppl's throats by claiming they can't do something due to their religion. I understand their need to pray when they need to pray. I really do. But I also understand that companies can NOT cater to every religion out there in aspects of RUNNING their businesses!
Between 70-90 Somilian Muslims walked out of a packing plant because they were NOT given their time to pray 5 times a day. Now for those of you who don't know packing plants having almsot 100 workers pull off of a line in an 8 hour day is loss of money for the company. Not to mention time and more work for the next shift of workers that have to make up the time and money that you cost the company. Most companies that are packing plants are actually some of the best companies to work for if you are a non-christian mainly because they do reley on poor to middle class citizens and legal and illegal ailens to work their plant. They don't care what religion or spirituality you are as long as your a good hard worker. They are also some of the best paying jobs if your not afraid to do hard work. These workers were informed that the company had no problem with praying and has accomedated them with spaces to pray but they had to do it on their breaks. That was unacceptable to the workers who wanted special privlages to leave the line for all 5 prayer times. Which is unacceptable for the companies to loose money and time in having that many employees leave their stations to pray.
IMO if you know that your spirituality requires you to pray or even if you have specific issues that cause you to leave your job so many times a day then do NOT choose to work at that specific job. Especially even if you think you are low man on totem pole and if you leave your position it is going to cause major problems for the company YOU chose to work for. If you are moving into a situation where your lifestyle or spirituality is not fully embraced then you have two opitions.....You either change up your behavor with out comprimising yourself to much or you get out of the sitiuation. I know folks out there are going it is their spirituality to pray 5 times a day or saying you don't know shit about the Islamic faith. My response is that yes I know it is their spirituality jsut like being a Druid Student is mine. I pray through out the day but in modern times I also know that I can't do everything the way it should be done because either items are not availble, time permiting, and even possible fear because ppl don't understand my spirituality. So I change my behavor with out comprimising myself. If something is needed to be said or done for my spiriutaily and I can't do it........I do what I can while doing what needs to be done in this modern day and age. That means chopping veggies while talking to Anu I do. If that means asking Mannan Mc Lir for some more paitence dealing with my children along the river while getting after them while helping them pull in a pike or a carp I do. If that means I don't get time to meditate and I am a terrible meditator and I know I need to make the time I wait for the kids to be in bed and lock myself in my bedroom or if the kids are up I lock myself in the bathroom.
I would also say your right I don't know much about the Islamic faith besdies they have the Koran, the believe in Mohammad, and they pray 5 times a day. And that woman should be covered and that woman according to them are evil in almost all aspects but they do respect Islamic women because they are important. I am in the process of getting around to reading the Koran to have a better understanding and so I am not like the mass of ignorant folks in the world to automatically think all Islamic folks are evil or terrorist.
But I do believe that nobody should have to accomadate their livilhood for someone's inability to comprimise. If someone or a company is trying to be accomidating and you don't like it then instead of demand negoitating even more. From what I read the workers walked out after asking and didn't bother negoitaiting more prayer time before they walked. That would be like my Sister and Mother who are Catholic walking out on their jobs for working on Sundays which if you get technical is against the Cannon of Catholic laws. They are both RN nurses and choose to be nurses. They work hospitals that they are required to work weekends once in a while and most hospitals and nursing homes you work every other weekend for your schedule. If they didn't work Sunday's but went to church instead; they would be held responsible just like their brothers and sisters of the Muslim faith are held responsible for choosing to work a job and then walking out on it due to their religion. If one of the most feared Christian Faiths can start negoitating with their followers (Catholic church) by saying hey we understand you have to support your families and come to church when you don't have to work then so can any other religion out there. For Macha's sake, I don't get in trouble by my Gods for blowing off some of the "holy" days as long as I make time for them sometime in the day to tell them hey I am still your daughter and I still honor you and please understand in today's world I have to accomadate not only you but my family and today's world.
