Justice Department sues on behalf of Muslim teacher, triggering debate

Justice Department sues on behalf of Muslim teacher, triggering debate

www.washingtonpost.com

Safoorah Khan had taught middle school math for only nine months in this tiny Chicago suburb when she made an unusual request. She wanted three weeks off for a pilgrimage to Mecca.

They filed an unusual lawsuit, accusing the district of violating her civil rights by forcing her to choose between her job and her faith.

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Three weeks? Give me a break. I am all for religious freedom, but expecting to take three weeks off your job to go on a trip is beyond any reasonable request.

The pilgrimage to Mecca, or the Haj is a once in a life time obligation for Muslims. This woman did not have to go this year and could have easily informed her bosses a year in advance that she wanted to go so that they could arrange coverage.

She was only on the job for 9 months. Most jobs require you to accrue vacation and it takes quite a while go build up three weeks - if you can ever get there.

This entire situation was meant to create controversy and end up in court. That the federal government is getting engaged in this is absolutely absurd.

I've worked in NYC where there is a large conservative Jewish population. These folks needed to be home by sun down on Friday for observation. They, 100% of the time came in early or stayed late to make up for that. They always voluntered to work during Christian holidays so that others could spend more time with their families. In other words, they worked to enable it to be easy to accomodate them.

This woman did absolutely the opposite and she should not have been given an opportunity to resign - she should have been canned. If she was in a probationary period and she worked for me I would have fired her after her merely asking to go after only being on the job for 9 months.

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(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by dolphinfan


Is this the same story from months ago??
IMO she has years to make her pilgrimage and certainly could have planned things better..

From what I have read of Islam, if a believer cannot make the main pilgrimage they can take a secondary one at some other time of the year, so why doesn't she just do that during the school break?

Is it nice in Mecca this time of year?

Lack of planning on her part isn't her employers problem. I know that if I tried to do something like that I'd get canned. They're just taking this discrimination thing a little bit too far. I'd like to see how the judge rules on this one.

She is trying to exploit the system of the US. She was hoping for a court ruling to pay her off ...$$$$$$

I say fire her....and get a real teacher in the door~ That way, the muslim teacher can search for Mecca all she wants, and not on the tax payers dime!

Isn't that is what relief teachers are for? If she wanted an extended break then it is fair enough that she does not get paid, but to get sacked sounds a bit harsh. Just putting the argument out their.

This is why I say that religion has no place in society as a whole. You could play it off against her or for her. She has the right to express her religion, ect. On the other hand, you have a JOB. An employer PAYS you to provide THEM with a SERVICE. If you FAIL to provide said SERVICE, the employer goes to find someone who WILL. Really this whole "issue" shouldn't have gone anywhere. It's another example of someone trying to take advantage of their "religious rights". Well sorry about your luck lady, but this is America. In America, we don't just take off work for three weeks, especially when our job means the future for our children you selfish person you. She should be ashamed, putting an imaginary being before the future of our children.

I will make a post on what is happening. This is a destabilization demoralization program

reply to post by Vortiki


The average working life is around 50 weeks a year for 50 years or about 17,500 days full time in full employment. Someone wants 21 of those days for something they believe in has to lose their job? Does society already own enough of our time?

What about a close family member who is terminal and you take a week or two to be there during the last days and organise the funeral? That family member is pretty much dead and won't be awake for the funeral. Attending this time is something you believe in. Should you lose your job over that as well?

reply to post by kwakakev


This is a completely different scenario that you propose. That is why a great many employers have leave designed for such an event. This is an extreme amount of time that can not only be taken later but also requires far less time to achieve. There is no comparison.

It's unreasonable when you consider that she had only been on the job 9 months, and that she gave her employer little notice before demanding time off. Once again just another selfish idiot trying to take advantage of the system. I pray for the day society collapses.

reply to post by DrCarter


Time off for a belief was the comparison. I think most religions are pretty nuts at times, but they provide most people with a good moral grounding and a way of life they are comfortable with. On these boards there are many people I disagree with, but since I value my right to have an opinion, I must also value the right for other people to have their opinions as well.

reply to post by wtf1is1happening


All large workplaces have procedures to request leave that can vary from a few weeks to a few months, if she did leave this until the last minute then her case is not looking very good.

As for being there only 9 months, where do you draw the line? If she is a full time employee then she has all of those full time rights. Unless her work contract says otherwise, then she has a legal case on this point.

reply to post by kwakakev


I certainly respect that, and I meant no offense if any was taken.

She should not have resigned; she should simply have withdrawn her request and gone back to work. I understand her religious obligation, but she only has to go once in her life. Planning for the next year would have been far wiser. I admire her deep devotion, but what will she do now with no job?

America & Europe will be destroyed by immigration = non-workers,
Multiculturalism: Let's pick someone from Africa, - send him to Ottawa, Stockholm, Berlin - NOT Paris TOO many....

reply to post by DrCarter


None taken. Gotten a lot worst than that.

reply to post by InvisibleAlbatross


On the surface it does look like the more sensible option, I am sure the courts will go through all the details. I expect she will look for another job. All the court business may make it a bit harder to find a new job, or it may just reinstate her old position if that is workable. Life goes on.

reply to post by kwakakev


You're confusing, mixing and matching many different issues.

Should a firm have a solid vacation policy as well as a family and medical leave policy? I think they should. Should firms have tolerance and endeavor to be flexible to accomodate their employees? Sure. I absolutely think that a firm should allow for time off to attend funerals (not weddings). A funeral lasts a day. Assuming a days travel two and from, you should get your three days to attend the funeral, max. If its in town, you get the day off, no more.

This woman was being unreasonable. Being there 9 months, she likely was on the job over at least 2 school breaks yet never endeavored to make her trip during that time. She never gave notice, but rather and I'm certain, thinking that the school would be fearful of Muslims demanded the trip.

The Haj does not take three weeks. This woman was bundling a vacation into her trip. She has off during the summer and could have taken several months on her little journey. She could have done her Haj in a couple of days, with a weekend in the middle. Even were she to propose that, however, I would tell her no. She does not need to take the trip during school. She do her Haj deal over Christmas break where most schools are closed for at least two weeks.

The point is, that she did nothing but demand the leave and for that she should have been canned

reply to post by dolphinfan


I am yet to form an opinion on this case and just trying to understand the situation. Your view is a very common one in regards to this case, however the Justice Department took it on for whatever reason they did and I am just exploring the issues. Multiculturalism is not easy as there lots of different ways to do things, perhaps this case has an important multicultural aspect to it that the law needs to review, perhaps she is just a difficult person to work with.

I am not fully aware of the importance this pilgrimage has to her, if it is a special event and that could only happen on certain days, any time or some once in a lifetime event. She felt it was important enough to resign over, most likely before any legal aid was offered, why? Did she plan to stop over in Paris for some shopping or was there some reason for these dates? I do not know and reserve judgement, just keeping an open mind and exploring the case.