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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 17547
[Religious]
Date Posted:
3/27/2007
8:49:27 am EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 7,931
RSS: 19,524
Comments: 32
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Faith And Work Collide In Minneapolis
Author: Stephanie Simon Source: Sun-Sentinel (FL)
Title: FAITH AND WORK COLLIDE IN MINNEAPOLIS
"GET OVER IT," urged the posting on an online bulletin board, "you are in America act like an American!!"
The anger was directed at Somalian immigrants who have roiled this city by declaring certain jobs offensive to their Muslim faith. Many Somalian cabdrivers — who dominate the airport taxi business — refuse to transport passengers carrying alcohol. Some Somalian cashiers will not handle pork products; instead, they've begun asking customers to scan their own bacon.
To the immigrants, it's a question of religious freedom — and protecting themselves from sin.
"This is not something we are choosing to do. It's part of our religion," said cabdriver King Osman, 37. "It's forbidden to carry drink. Forbidden!"
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Community Thoughts: There are 32 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Well, Then. | Mar 30th. at 11:04:22 am EDT
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Ypsiroselee (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - Email Me
I will get into another cab if a cabbie gives me guff over my liquor. There won't be any pork in my luggage, if that helps. I'm a vegetarian, and all that.
At the end of the day, he will have made pennies for his efforts, and hopefully, he will find consolation in that.
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| Compromises In Plural Society | Mar 28th. at 8:57:28 pm EDT
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Dreamweaver (Highland, Indiana) - Email Me
While I agree that this country is supposedly about religious freedom for all, people do have to understand that we all have to compromise a little when we go into public as a necessary grease that allows a pluralistic society to function. I am a nurse, and I have had to take care of people whose conduct has been against my religious principles. People like child molestors and rapists whose acts are so abhorrent to me that it's all I can do to provide care for them. As a nurse, I have the right to refuse care that goes against my principles, within limits - if I can't participate in a procedure (and this happens with some nurses) due to religious grounds, I have to make it known to my superiors ahead of time so they can get another nurse to cover my duties. I don't have the right to just say no out of hand without providing for adequate patient care. That is something I accepted when I became a nurse. If these Somalis can refuse to do certain job-related dutites based solely on religious principles, then it is their responsibility to let their employers know so that these duties can be covered in a timely fashion. If that's not possible, then you either suck it up and deal, or find another line of work.
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| It's Not Discrimination.... | Mar 28th. at 12:12:03 pm EDT
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Erihu (Sunset Beach, North Carolina) - Email Me
to expect people to do their jobs to the best of their ability, or do something else.
"Many Jews have the same laws prohibiting the cosumtpion or contact with pork products..."
Yes, they certainly do, but you don't see them complaining about scanning pork products at the store, do you? Either they do the job without complaint, or they don't take that kind of job at all.
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| Two Wrongs Do Not A Right Make | Mar 28th. at 12:06:05 pm EDT
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karrie9 (Kenosha, Wisconsin) - Email Me - Web
Just because some instances of some people's beliefs usurping others rights or ability to shop exist doesn't mean we should let heck break loose and allow more and more instances to slide.
It's just plain dumb to try to achieve cohesive pluralism (equal religious rights for all!) and/or democracy by increasingly riddling the fabric of life and legal systems with theocratic shard constellation hits that, if represented visually, would probably look like gunshot spray patterns.
And what happens to fabric/bodies if repeatedly shot like that? 300 million loose end pick up? Mincemeat?
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| **sigh** | Mar 28th. at 10:43:35 am EDT
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Amtehuti (Queens, Florida) - Email Me
When states stop banning the sale of alcohol on Sunday, pharmacists stop refusing to fill birth control or send condoms, maybe then I'll say Muslims should be forced to carry passangers with alcohol. There are far too many rights that prefer other faiths. How many people can't wear pentacles because it offends Christians?
The rights of Muslims are constantly trampled because of a mistaken and bigoted view that equates Islam with terrorism. Jewish men may wear headpieces, Sikh members may wear their turbans, but a Muslim woman wearing a headscarf and people start complaining. Many Jews have the same laws prohibiting the cosumtpion or contact with pork products, but some here believe it's alright to throw pork at Muslims! If it happened to a Jew, discrimination would be cried in five seconds. As another poster mentioned, would you throw coffee at a Mormon? This is just absurd.
It seems that religious accomodations are allowed until the religion is outside of popular approval. Our faith must deal with the same attacks, and yet we advocate discrimination against other faiths just as we're discriminated again. THIS is why we don't deserve civil rights: hypocracy.
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| Equality For Everyone | Mar 28th. at 10:08:50 am EDT
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swampwizard (Morgan City, Louisiana) - Email Me
I am truly astonished at some of the responses. I see WitchVox as a place for the voices of all religions. A place of religious freedom and tolerance. A place where members understand what it's like to be ridiculed for their religious beliefs.
The argument from these individuals seems to be that by the Muslim people raising their voice about handling pork and alcohol, it seems to disrupt their own lives. They claim that Muslims are asking too much. How so?
I am sure just about every person here wants their religious beliefs to be respected. It might be the ability to talk about your pagan beliefs, to wear your pentacle, be able to take a day off of work to celebrate a religious holiday without persecution from your employer, and the many other problems that pagan, heathens, and others not part of the mainstream Christian movement seek.
Would you think it appropriate for someone to throw tea or coffee on a Mormon because of them not wanting to deal with coffee or tea? How would you feel if you went to purchase a black candle, the cashier was a Christian, found you were pagan, and started slinging Holy water on you and rebuking you? Would you not feel your religious rights were being violated?
In order to spread religious tolerance, you have to be tolerant of other religions yourself. Personally, I don't drink. However, if I was with someone that did have alcohol with them, I would understand the Muslim cab driver's reason. In a previous comment, someone had a great idea: Let the cab company know you have alcohol. By doing that, you don't even have to go out of your way to be religious tolerant. What about the bacon? I LOVE bacon! I have no problem with scanning and bagging a couple items such as my bacon, pork chops, and sausage. Heck, I help the cashier by bagging my own groceries when I go to the store. So by me having to bag only a couple items is no biggie.
It all boils down to the fact that if you want people to start becoming tolerant of your religious beliefs, you must do the same. Simple law of karma... What goes around comes around.
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| Sorry, I Take The Conservative Stance | Mar 28th. at 9:37:01 am EDT
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Perriwinkle the Evil (Ozark, Alabama) - Email Me
All people who sign a contract of employment who then demand special treatment not specified in that contract are breaking the contract, period. They should be penalized for their bad faith in the contract.
As for the freedom issue....THIS IS SO NOT ABOUT FREEDOM.
Freedom is about making choices. PERIOD. You make a choice, and for charm or tedium, you then get to face your consequences. This is the most natural way to live.
What this is about is ENTITLEMENT. They want special treatment above and beyond the basic freedom that every citizen and welcome (read: Legal) guest enjoys.
What this is about is a bunch of people who don't want to make choices and face the consequences. People who do this are called SPOILED ROTTEN BRATS.
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| Something That Strikes Me As Funny | Mar 28th. at 9:14:22 am EDT
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stalkingwolf (Bullhead City, Arizona) - Email Me
there is a reference in this article to cab drivers
not having to pick up a fare if they " appear dangerous".
That appearance can and does apply to Myself and several of my associates over the years. We are all
well over 6' and 230#. I choose to wear black BDU's
for several reasons. Comfort and durability being 2.
Another is the pockets. In my line of work I am constantly carrying pieces, parts and various tools.
The availability of 10 pockets is handy. But I digress.
As has been stated their rights end where mine begin.
If I am in a checkout line and this situation arises,
that is everything comes to a schreeching halt because of the checkers refusal to handle a product
on the basis of their religion MY actions would be definite and possitive.
First call the manager on duty and loudly complain
about my time being wasted.
Second, leave my cart and all its contents where it is
and take my business and MONEY else where, after again loudly notifying the manager of the reason.
suggestion: make the store responsible for the situation. Demand that they provide a special checkout isle for these checkers clearly marked
" NO PORK OR PORK PRODUCTS". they do it
for express and NO CHECKS OR CREDIT CARDS.
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| Pockets Of Theocratic Rule | Mar 28th. at 7:50:10 am EDT
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karrie9 (Kenosha, Wisconsin) - Email Me - Web
Systems of law and the fabric of daily life should not be qutie so motheaten.
As in the cases involving reproductive rights and birth control (even in the case of rape, and we've had articles on that topic on WV and in major media, some of them recent) -- it's not only little moments at the check out or calling a cab company at stake. Entire lives can be and have been affected.
**That** is why one employee and their beliefs should not have the right to usurp the lives and beliefs of many customers.
Also, in European courts, they are more and more frequently deferring to Sharia law when dealing with Muslims -- even if abuse is involved and/or the application of Sharia law is unwanted by one or more parties.
Nope. Not merely little inconsequential moments and implications/ramifications in all cases in which people are deferring to their own or others' religious beliefs.
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| ... | Mar 28th. at 5:32:27 am EDT
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Draken (Bronx, New York) - Email Me - Web
Every time I see a muslim like this, I'm tempted to toss bacon bits at him (just like Landover Baptist suggested) .
As others have states, your rights end where mine begin and vice versa. If you work at a grocery store, don't refuse to scan my pork chops simply because you're muslim. I don't refuse to handle buy-bulls simply because I'm Pagan, I just see them as the works of plagiarism they really are.
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| We Look At This And See | Mar 27th. at 9:18:42 pm EDT
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Arachne Priestess (Cookeville, Tennessee) - Email Me
immigrant American Muslims who are unwilling to compromise their religious principles for american values. How many of us are unwilling to compromise our religious principles in the face of President Bush and Fundimental Evangelical Hordes that permiate our society?
If this is going to be a free society, it has to take into account the religions of all peoples, whether it interfers with daily life or not. Sometimes we forget that not all people think and feel as we do in our highly industrialized world where everyone is in a hurry, to busy to get to know one another, and always looking for the compromise that will most benefit us.
While we worry about ourselves in this 'Me' country, we don't seem to be as concerned for the religious tolerance of others, the 'they' of this country, that we ourselves so desperately cry out for.
Religious Tolerance doesn't just go in one direction. It goes in all directions, even when it inconveniences others.
While, I personally don't like being inconvenienced like this any more than anyone else, because I am a busy person. I also have to remind myself on a daily basis, that tolerance and respect are a two way street. And we will never receive for ourselves, that which we do not show to others unconditionally. This is the mark of a free 'we' society.
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| 2000 Year Old Etiquette Stale | Mar 27th. at 7:51:59 pm EDT
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Rubyglare (Sacramento, California) - Email Me
as 2000 year old bread. I wonder just what is the penalty for transporting alcohol, even rubbing alcohol, spiritually? Just what kind of spiritual "cooties" does pork carry? Cysticercosis-tapeworm infection is the scientific reason never to eat undercooked pig products (bacon, jowls, pigsfeet, ham, etc) ; tapeworms can travel to your brain & kill you, it can travel to your eyes & affect your vision-this I understand, but refusing to touch a (presumbly nonleaking) package of bacon to scan it is a bit much. Again, the Bible/Koran/Pentatuch (sp?) is mostly a book of etiquette from a worldview 2000 years ago: planting basil next to your tomatos is a capital crime? Wearing linen-rayon capris is a capital offense? How does this relate to the immaterial soul? It's getting more obvious that parts of these books are just manuals of how to live like it's 1A.D.
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| Fair Is Fair. | Mar 27th. at 6:12:13 pm EDT
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Furos (Huntsville, Ontario) - Email Me
"This attitude has outraged many longtime Minnesotans. The widespread response: This is America, and you're free to practice your faith. You're not free to inconvenience others because of those beliefs."
Ok, fair is fair after all. Can I expect that Americans will be allowed to buy booze on Sunday all night like they can all night Saturday? How about hunting?
The season is rather limited, a few extra Sundays in November would be nice...
If anyone else is inconvenienced by this "Sunday shutdown" then the argument that 'those beliefs' shoulden't be allowed to
inconvenience others is moot as there ARE faiths that do that already.
Fair IS fair- if you want to apply that to one religion you need to apply it to all.
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| THIS IS RIDICULOUS.... | Mar 27th. at 5:56:49 pm EDT
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Whitewolf (Schenectady, New York) - Email Me
I will say the same thing about this that I said about pharmacy people who refused to fill birth-control prescriptions.... IF YOU CAN'T DO YOUR JOB, GET ANOTHER LINE OF WORK!
Love to all
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| Should Learn To Compromise A Little. | Mar 27th. at 4:04:03 pm EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
I have no problems scanning my own bacon but I see no reason for a cab driver to fail to carry any passenger on the assumption that he or she is carrying alcohol. In that case they should request another cab to pick up said passenger if they feel that strongly against it. And if a cab cannot carry a service dog-that too is just plain wrong.
Such things should be in their resume before they hire in-or they are likely to lose out before they get too far.
If there is any chance that a job will interfere with one's beliefs-they should find something else--or learn to make compromises. That goes for just about everyone. We would have to if we were in their country-or church.
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