500 Muslim workers walk off job at Nebraska plant

by Keli Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:14 pm

500 Muslim workers walk off job at Nebraska plant
Associated Press
Monday, September 15, 2008

OMAHA — Five-hundred Muslim workers walked off the job Monday at a Grand Island meatpacking plant after they say they were denied time to pray during the Muslim observance of Ramadan.

A group of women at Grand Island's JBS Swift & Co. plant said at a news conference they were kicked by a supervisor when they attempted to pray.

Hawo Mohammed said she tried to pray quickly in the bathroom until a male supervisor followed her in and told her she was taking too long.

More than 100 workers at a Greeley Swift plant were fired last week because the company said they walked away from work before their shifts ended.

The workers blamed the company's refusal to allow their breaks to coincide with sunset so they could pray.

Swift, which was purchased by Brazil's JBS SA in March, has had problems with Muslim workers at the Grand Island plant in the past.

Dozens of workers from Somalia quit their jobs last year because they said they weren't allowed to pray at sunset.

I am amazed that Muslims even get to keep calling their holidays by their real names. I think in fairness that the Muslims should have to start referring to Ramadan as the "Fall Fast Thingy" or something.

by TerryRC Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:16 am

But don't make the christians work on "The Day That Commie Hippie, Jesus Was Born [Christmas]" or "The Day Zombie Jesus Came Back [Easter]".

Don't cut into that pre-game christian prayer at Nitro, either.

You are such a hypocrite.

Afraid of losing the "first-among-equals" status that christians seem to have in this country?

by Keli Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:26 am

TerryRC wrote:But don't make the christians work on "The Day That Commie Hippie, Jesus Was Born [Christmas]" or "The Day Zombie Jesus Came Back [Easter]".

Don't cut into that pre-game christian prayer at Nitro, either.

You are such a hypocrite.

Afraid of losing the "first-among-equals" status that christians seem to have in this country?

I might be a hypocrite; but, I am going to just turn my other cheek to your vitriol and forgive you. (Have you ever spoken to a Muslim like that, TRC--or, do you just hate Christians?)

by **SheikBen** Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:27 am

Terrys,

One would expect in a nation in which the majority self-identify as Christians that there would be a proportionate "advantage" to the Christian holidays in terms of time off. That having been said, I think the Muslims and the Buddhists and the atheists should all have the same number of days that Christians do, and any time forgiven to one ought to be forgive to the other. If Muslim prayers take twenty minutes out of one's day, then those who pray need to stay at work twenty minutes longer. If Christmas break is 10 days long, and the Muslim wishes to work those days, she should have 10 days off for Ramadan or whatever.

I am obviously not a Muslim and I pray for the salvation of the Muslim people in Jesus Christ. I don't want them to work any harder, (or less) because they are not Christians.

by **SheikBen** Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:29 am

TerryRC,

Proof of Christian tolerance can be found simply by comparing what happens when you say the sorts of things you do in the US with what would happen if you were to say those things in Saudi Arabia.

by TerryRC Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:44 am

Proof of Christian tolerance can be found simply by comparing what happens when you say the sorts of things you do in the US with what would happen if you were to say those things in Saudi Arabia.

No, Sheik, that is proof of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

How "tolerant" you christians are varies.

I might be a hypocrite; but, I am going to just turn my other cheek to your vitriol and forgive you. (Have you ever spoken to a Muslim like that, TRC--or, do you just hate Christians?)

Where is the acid, Keli? What I said was the truth. You celebrate intolerance of islam but scream about intolerance of christianity.

I was spot on about you and I want nothing to do with your forgiveness.

by Aaron Wed Sep 17, 2008 10:30 am

Your wrong Terry RC.

It's Poca.

Nitro doesn't pray.

They have a moment of silence.

by TerryRC Sat Sep 20, 2008 4:47 am

Your wrong Terry RC.

It's Poca.

Nitro doesn't pray.

They have a moment of silence.

I stand corrected. Thanks.

(In your post, "your" should be "you're".)

by Aaron Mon Sep 22, 2008 8:00 am

Your wrong Terry.

It should be You're, not you're.

And your welcome.

by TerryRC Mon Sep 22, 2008 1:57 pm

If you are correcting a single word instead of the whole sentence, it is acceptable to use lower case.

Thanks for playing.

by Aaron Mon Sep 22, 2008 2:24 pm

A little about the man who did the praying at Poca. He will be sorely missed by a lot of people.

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500 Muslim workers walk off job at Nebraska plant

500 Muslim workers walk off job at Nebraska plant

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Re: 500 Muslim workers walk off job at Nebraska plant

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Re: 500 Muslim workers walk off job at Nebraska plant

Re: 500 Muslim workers walk off job at Nebraska plant