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Another story of our friendly Muslims in America

http://www.local6.com/money/3614199/detail.html

Woman Fired For Eating 'Unclean' Meat
Attorney: 'It's A Classic Case Of Religious Discrimination'

POSTED: 5:46 am EDT August 4, 2004
UPDATED: 10:51 am EDT August 4, 2004

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A Central Florida woman was fired from her job after eating "unclean" meat and violating a reported company policy that pork and pork products are not permissible on company premises, according to Local 6 News.

Lina Morales was hired as an administrative assistant at Rising Star -- a Central Florida telecommunications company with strong Muslim ties, Local 6 News reported.

However, 10 months after being hired by Rising Star, religious differences led to her termination.

Morales, who is Catholic, was warned about eating pizza with meat the Muslim faith considered "unclean.," Local 6 News reported. She was then fire for eating a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, according to the report.

"Are you telling me they fired you because you had something with ham on it?" Local 6 News reporter Mike Holfeld asked.


"Yes," Morales said.

Holfeld asked, "A pizza and a BLT sandwich?"

" Yes," Morales said.

Local 6 News obtained the termination letter that states she was fired for refusing to comply with company policy that pork and pork products are not permissible on company premises.

However, by the company's own admission to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, that policy is not written, Local 6 News reported.

"Did you ever sign to or agree to anything that said I will not eat pork?" Holfeld asked Morales.

"Never," Morales said. "When I got hired there, they said we don't care what religion you are."

Attorney Travis Hollifield is representing Morales in a lawsuit against the company.


"It's just un-American," Hollifield said. "It's not in compliance with the laws of this country."

Local 6 News reported that the case has precedent-setting issues because it addresses employee rights and religion in the workplace.


"It's a classic case of religious discrimination," Hollifield said. "They have not articulated a single reason other than religious reason behind the policy."

The CEO of Rising Star, Kujaatele Kweli, told Local 6 News that they have tried to create an office that accommodates anybody's religion -- not just Islam.

"Clearly you're accommodating," Holfeld said.

"Yes." Kweli replied.

"And you have an ecumenical philosophy," Holfeld said.

" Yes," Kweli replied.


"(Then) shouldn't you be able to accommodate all faiths in the same lunch room?" Holfeld asked.


"We do, we can," Kweli said.



"But you've dismissed one of your employees for eating pork in the lunch room," Holfeld said.


"Yes, pork is considered unclean," Kweli said.



The Koran forbids Muslims from eating pork. And according to Kweli, Morales and every employee at the company is advised of the no pork policy.

"Our point of view is to respect the laws of the land and the laws of the land as I understand it is to the accommodate people's right to practice their religions if you can," Kweli said.

"Even if it impacts other people?" Holfeld asked.

"Well, it always impacts other people," Kweli replied.

Orlando attorney Mark Nejame is close to the Muslim community, Local 6 News reported. He said Kweli's intentions may cross constitutional parameters, according to the report.

"They're making it seem that if you don't follow a certain set of religious practices and beliefs then you're going to be terminated and that's wrong," Nejame said. "If this case prevails, what it will mean -- the implications of this case -- is it will eliminate accommodations of religion."

Both sides are steadfast in their belief that they are right. Morales is taking the company to court charging discrimination, Local 6 News reported.

I don't know about you guys but I don't ever have ham on my pizza or BLTs.

Even Monica didn't get fired for that....

Does the ACLU know about this? Oh wait.. they just hate Christianity.

lol @ blood

I'd have to hear both sides of the story....she made it 10 months. That's about long enough for the company to decide that she was a piece of sh*t and can her.

Remember, there are two sides to every story. Don't let your own fears and pure hatred for muslims jade your vision.

Religion has nothing to do with it.....regardless of why there should be no pizza, BLT's or whatever on the company premises, the rule was in place and she broke it! End of story. I'd have fired her too if it was a rule. Who's religion was violated here? The woman who ate the pork? What religion was violated? Is it her religious right to eat pizza at work? Don't mistake her so called "right" to eat pork as a religious one. I can't think of a religion that considers eating pork a right. The company policy said "no pork." That's it, plain and simple. If a business owner such as the Christian owned Chikfila chain states that no one is to work on Sunday (a true scenario), and a rougue Muslim employee decided to come in to work on Easter one year, would his boss have the right to fire him for violating company policy? Yes, he would! Was the Muslims religious rights stepped on? No.

This board is turning into a racist breeding ground. Don't believe it? Take every reference to Muslims you can find on this board and change the word "Muslim" to "Black," "Mexican," or "Jew" and then read the sentence again. It will sound pretty familiar. The propoganda war that you see on CNN is actually working. Gee, how many years ago was it that we threw the Japanese into internment camps? Or what about the so called "commies" during the cold war? It's been 4 years since 9/11, and what have we learned....to hate muslims only slightly more than they hate us! That's the Christian spirit....keep up the good work.

where was this rule written down? it appears not to be in writing anywhere.

substitute the word "jew?" okay. how about this (speaking from someone who is married to a jew and who is, technically speaking, through matriarchal lineage, a jew himself): kosher laws prohibits pork, too. yet there's been not one lawsuit for firing gentiles for eating pork in jewish owned businesses.

i have worked with muslims in the past -- all very fine people. we mad accomodations in the workplace for their prayer time. one of my officers, near the end of his armed security shift, would take out his prayer mat and perform his prayer duties. this we allowed despite the fact that it essentially took him off duty for the duration of his prayers, despite the fact that the other officers had to do his work duties for him during that time -- and they did so willingly and without complaint; they respected their colleague's principles. yes, we were very intolerant and hateful. please.

who is being intolerant here? the company or the woman they fired for simply eating a meal that they disliked? should i be fired for eating meatloaf at lunch if my boss is a vegetarian? if there is no rule against it?

furthermore, when an employee is on a meal break, that employee is no longer "on company time." should i be fired for having a ham sandwich at lunch if my boss is jewish?

the laws of our land prohibit one from forcing one's religion upon another. in essence, this is what the company was doing.

i do hope she wins. in this country, we are still protected from having another's religion jammed down our throats -- in this case, LITERALLY.

adroomi

you are right. the lynch pin, was not eating pork, if she wanted to eat a ham sandwhich, she could have left it in her car, parked on non company ground, and eaten it there. she violated her employer's rules about the sanctity of his property.

i suspect she has been trying to start a lawsuit for a long time and it will not go anywhere.