US Sues School over Denial of Muslim pilgrimage

US Sues School over Denial of Muslim pilgrimage

news.yahoo.com

WASHINGTON – The federal government sued a suburban Chicago school district Monday for denying a Muslim middle school teacher unpaid leave to make a pilgrimage to Mecca that is a central part of her religion.

In a civil rights case, the department said the school district in Berkeley, Ill., denied the request of Safoorah Khan on grounds that her requested leave was unrelated to her professional duties and was not set forth in the contract between the school district and the teachers union.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Don't teachers get three months off in the summer?
I don't understand why this is an issue at all.

My sister in law is a school principal. She takes all her vacations in the summer.

Why schedule a trip during the school year when one can go anytime throughout the summer months?

I am baffled why this was made into a lawsuit- it would be like me taking off December to go to Bethlehem, and having it denied...
Actually more so, because the Muslims are to make one pilgrimage before they die, and it doesn't seem to be at a "certain" time.

I am tired of these stories.
Thoughts?

news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

From the article:

Khan started as a middle school teacher for Berkeley School District 87 — about 15 miles west of Chicago — in 2007. In 2008, she asked for almost three weeks of unpaid leave to perform the Hajj. After the district twice denied her request, Khan wrote the board that "based on her religious beliefs, she could not justify delaying performing hajj," and resigned shortly thereafter, according to the lawsuit filed in federal court in Chicago.

Berkeley School District compelled Khan to choose between her job and her religious beliefs, the lawsuit said.

The government asked the court to order the school district to adopt policies that reasonably accommodate its employees' religious practices and beliefs, and to reinstate Khan with back pay and also pay her compensatory damages.

news.yahoo.com...

This sounds dubious to me. She starts working there in 2007, then decides in 2008 to go on pilgrimage- most places of employment would not allow this, unpaid or otherwise for a new employee, regardless of religion.

reply to post by thegoodearth

This sounds dubious to me. She starts working there in 2007, then decides in 2008 to go on pilgrimage- most places of employment would not allow this, unpaid or otherwise for a new employee, regardless of religion.

Yes, why didn't she go before starting work? THat would have been the sensible thing..

But the real question is, did the school deny her due to the religious reasons or for other reasons.?

I mean, a teacher gets enough holidays as it is..
It's unusual and disruptive to have a teacher absent during term..

reply to post by backinblack


The school denied the leave (during the school year) on the grounds that it was unrelated to her professional duties, and also ngrounds were not set forth in the contract between the school and the teacher's union to allow for this.

I was under the impression that it's only Muslim *men* who are religiously obligated, given that they are healthy and wealthy enough, to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, anyhow.

reply to post by gnosticquasar


I wouldn't want to venture a guess on this. I am not sure on their customs as far as this is concerned.
I think it is every Muslim, though I could be wrong.

Edit to add- the article states "Every Adult Muslim".

reply to post by thegoodearth


I don't know..Maybe she set them up..It is a bit rude of here to ask so soon into her employment.
I'm sure she could perform Hajj a few years later and the school would then be more open to the idea..

I'd have to know if any other teachers that have served longer HAVE been granted leave in the past..
There's really not enough information in the link to decide what's really transpired here..

reply to post by thegoodearth


Oh, the government has soooo much extra time & money to waste on issues like this!

Given there is only a certain time that *really* matters for Muslims to go to Mecca (after Ramadan and then Eid), and apparently it is during the school year. But this lady had to have known that in advance!

I'm sure the ACLU was probably behind this (not that they are always instigators), but I cannot believe this is happening now.

The woman should be happy she has a career in this recession. BS!

reply to post by sonjah1


This is the only story I can find online regarding this.
I am very curious to see who is behind the scenes here- this sounds like a classic CAIR operation.

reply to post by thegoodearth

Sues School over Denial of Muslim pilgrimage

I wonder if reaction to this article would be different if it had been phrased "Sues school for not gaurunteeing that a position would still be available for her if she decided to come back after leaving the country."

Nobody was stopping her from going.

reply to post by LordBucket


Right?

Apparently, the woman resigned her job in 2008 after being denied, stating that the pilgrimage was "not to be put off".

Then she filed suit.

It's my limited understanding of the pilgrimage to Mecca that is should be performed at least once in a Muslim's life, not annually. The teacher didn't "have" to go that soon after starting her new job and not accumulating enough time off to pull it off. To me, it sounds like someone trying to milk the system and then being called on it.

She, as a new employee, shouldn't be expecting such a long time off during the school year.

Click here for more information.

I find this quote very interesting-

In doing so the school district violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by failing to reasonably accommodate her religious practices, the government said.

I truly wonder what kind of floodgates this lawsuit will open up.

After all, the OK amendment was put on injunction, with no firm date to revisit it, as of yet. Therefore, Sharia Law is to be "recognized" in OK courts.

Now the religious customs of Muslims are to be incorporated into teacher's contracts in Chicago, IL.

news.yahoo.com...

Originally posted by thegoodearth
Now the religious customs of Muslims are to be incorporated into teacher's contracts in Chicago, IL.

news.yahoo.com...

edit on 13-12-2010 by thegoodearth because: (no reason given)

NOT surprising considering whose "former hometown" this is coming from.........POTUS

Chicago is so blatantly liberal, that it's just spoiled rotten to the core, and I consider myself to be quite liberal. There's no sense behind this issue at all. She's going off on a vacation on top of the vacation she already gets?! Excuse me, but school teachers get enough vacation time as it is. And now the US Government has the nerve to turn this incident into a lawsuit? No wonder teachers get paid squat when they have idiots like this on their payroll.

reply to post by laiguana


Lest we forget-

Our tax dollars pay for this whole mess.

I am curious how this turns out.

If she wins the case, my questions are, does this only work with "major" religions? Or can I just make up a new religion and get paid leave whenever my so called religion has a "special day"? Or does a new religion first have to be classified as a "major" religion? How does it get classified as a "major" religion?

Just curious.

reply to post by gift0fpr0phecy


Sorry, I read it wrong...
Yes, they are asking for compensation and back pay too...

Yes, it does raise many, many questions. All not good.