Posted on 06/15/2008 1:16:22 PM PDT by MplsSteve
Clashes are increasing between Somali Muslims and Minnesota employers. Can the loose-fitting garb be a safety hazard? Is there a difference between a bathroom break and a prayer break?
Fatuma Hassan has just enough rice in her near-empty cupboards to make it through the month. The anger she felt when she lost her job in May has given way to a dull, nagging hunger.
Yet this soft-spoken 22-year-old became an unlikely hero within the Somali community when she and five of her Muslim co-workers were dismissed last month from the Mission Foods tortilla factory in New Brighton for refusing to wear a new company uniform -- a shirt and pants -- they consider a violation of their Islamic beliefs.
"For me, wearing pants is the same as being naked," Hassan said, noting the prophet Mohammed taught that men and women should not dress alike. "My culture, my religious beliefs, are more important than a uniform."
Over the past century, Minnesota has seen waves of immigrants from Germany, Sweden, Norway and Laos, among other nations, and each group managed to move up the ladder of prosperity despite some initial doubts about their ability to integrate.
Yet nearly two decades after a violent civil war brought thousands of Somali refugees to the Twin Cities, their integration in the U.S. workplace is becoming more contentious.
Their insistence on maintaining Muslim traditions, including prayer times and modest clothing, have led to firings at several manufacturers across the state and a sharp increase in religious discrimination complaints.
The well-publicized clashes also have sparked legal and ethical debates on whether efficiency-hungry workplaces are doing enough or defiant workers are accommodating too little.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
They'll never assimilate - but yet want all the benefits of being a citizen here.
They demand special acomodations in their employment and in our schools.
There is a rise in crime caused by Somali youths, particularly in the Cedar-Riverside area.
And as your read the entire article, you get the distinct feeling that they are highly organized and are unwilling to back down in any way, shape or form.
Comments or opinions - anyone?
Pathetic... these savages should be kicked out before they can have anchor babies of their own.
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We dont have this problem to worry about in Maine. There are hardly any Somali-employer clashes. The large Somali population here hardly ever works.
I just sent the author a email telling him I think that they should go home to Somalia.
Mass deportations are the only solution.
Assimilation or deportation. The choice is that simple.
"My culture, my religious beliefs, are more important than a [uniform home in America]."
Good bye! Have a nice trip home.
In fact, many times I've thought it was so strange that Moslem men and women wear the same stuff.
“Comments or opinions - anyone?”
From personal experience, they are the lowest form of just arguably human vermin on the planet.
“Imagine that a person comes coming from that environment is suddenly subjected to all these regulations and rules” in the workplace, he said. “He may think these are an intrusion to the freedom that he had at home.”
Hmmmm! Go home!
Depends on the job but in factories all loose fitting clothing is 100% a safety hazard. Anyone who doesn't like it is welcome to go somewhere else for a job.
Enagaged? I presume engaged to Al Franken and his ilk.
Comments or opinions - anyone? ................ We live in a country with no official language, no official religion, lots of free stuff from the Government., and everyone is equal, so why should this be a surprise? We let the 3rd world in thinking we are being helpful and all we are doing is accelerating the Bosniazation of what was once the U.S.A.. I thank God, that I lived most of my life here during the best years of the 20th Century.
I wonder what Islam says about wives working outside of the home?
They hate the West.
What are they doing here ?””
INFILTRATING—as they have done for the last 30 years.
A Madrassa in Minnesota, at Taxpayers’ Expense
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2031190/posts
Muslims are a never-ending source of grievances and claims of victimization. If things are not just as they are dictated in the Koran, then Muslims are being discriminated against.
The employer is fully within his rights to require employees to wear a uniform. Wearing a uniform on the job is not religious discrimination, and Muslims are not entitled to an accommodation. This is ridiculous. These are the same Muslims who claim that they cannot scan bacon if they work at a grocery store check-out, or allow a seeing-eye dog for a blind passenger if they drive a cab, because of Muslims accommodation is entirely a one-way street: accommodate Islam, or else. If these people are not citizens, they need to have their green cards revoked and sent back to Somali.
BS. Food Shelf? Food Stamps? I bet money there are all sorts of Leftist Minneapolis groups who do nothing but "help" these sorts of "refugees" Pathetic attempt at propaganda. And in this state, it will work. Our voters are far too stupid to do anything but show up and pull the lever every election for the same posse of insane Leftist DFLers.
The professor of Islamic law says the poor ignorant immigrants don’t know what they are up against here in this racist country. Yeah right. So why does Pelosi wear a head scarf in the Middle East?
Then the one girl says that her culture is more important than a uniform. What she is really saying is Muhammed is more important than a job - so pay up infidels.
Hmmmm! Go home!
Post of the DAY!
We have a muslim family that lives in the same apartments. The daughter bullies my daughter, and the son makes prank calls threatening to kill people (he called me and scared me terribly!) The mother believes her kids are angels and I am evil for accusing her children of such things.
The other day, I called the police on the daughter bullying my daughter again and was told “you are the second parent to call on this girl today”.
The mother stands on her balcony and stares at my house. If I am sitting in front of the sliding patio door or standing on my balcony, she screams at me in whatever language she speaks (it’s not english).
“My culture, my religious beliefs, are more important than a uniform.”
Then get your black a.. and go back to where you came from !
You need to sit in front of your patio door......while cleaning your gun.
When and where and with whom shall this deportation process be organized and begin? They really won’t assimilate and why should they, it’s not required in our diversified society? What politician(s) would begin to speak to this issue sanely? Throughout history, groups have been deported, some rightly (as with the muslim Moors in Spain although it took 700 years.) I some times think that this solution is beginning to form in people’s subconscious but they’ve been so PC’d and brainwashed that they’re afraid to be labeled as “racist, divisive, islamophobic, etc.” when in fact they’re really concerned about maintaining their own culture and way of life. When does the wake up call begin, when there’s another 9/11 or are these enemies of Western freedom going to play the waiting game and provide us with a death by a thousand cuts? Wake up America, and grow some gonads.....
“There is a rise in crime caused by Somali youths, particularly in the Cedar-Riverside area.”
They are not here to embrace America and become become Americans, they are part of the islamic Trojan Horse that is here to destroy America. Violent Somali (muslim) “yutes?” I will never forget that these miscreants dragged the stripped bodies of our soldiers through the streets of Mogadishu after our troops had gone there to protect their sorry asses and to ensure food was delivered to them (food that the islamic warlords had ripped off). They don’t deserve our aid and comfort: They deserve two to the chest and one to the head.
Wake up, America.
If he has all those freedoms at home then what the hell is he doing here?
Who are you, the Borg? Personally I don't give a damn if they assimilate or not. But don't expect the rest of the world to bend over backwards to accomodate you. You want to pray 5 times a day? Fine. Dock your pay for the time spent doing so. You want to wear loose fitting clothes? Terrific. But don't expect to be able to work around machinery in a manufacturing environment. You don't want to carry people with liquor? Outstanding. Don't drive a cab and you'll never have to. Want to wash your feet in a public restroom? Great. Do it in the toilet and not the sink I'm going to wash my hands in. Don't force your culture on me and I won't force mine on you. Deal?
I suggest you read a great deal more about Islam and their societies and history throughout the ages, especially when they’ve decided to “adjust” the societies they’ve begun to inhabit. They’re only interested in the long run of forcing their culture on you, whether you like it or not. You get three choices with Islam; convert, accept second class citizenship or die. An open and free society is the one easiest for them to play their trade without having to wield a scimitar. You may want to read excerpts from the Koran as well, they’re amply displayed on this website. There are several reasons as to why these events are rising to a head in this day and age; if you want to discuss them further, please do.
So what's your solution, drop the open and free society that we enjoy? Bend ourselves to deal with them? Sorry but I'm not willing to do that. They're here, and so long as they don't do anything illegal then they get to stay here. I'm willing to let them practice their religion, but not at my expense. If their religion interferes with their job then they don't deserve to keep the job.
No, maintain the free society by preventing enemies of a free society from destroying it. Their whole societal framework is a combined political/religious/economic/legal entity, no separation of any of the units, unlike the West. Their ability to practice any elements of them are tied together. They will not assimilate and they will seek to over throw and destroy this society. It is expected of them as good mohammedans. Read all about it, it’s available anywhere on the internet and at fine bookstores everywhere.
The Somali group in the Twin Cities has had a lot of problems like this. Somali cab drivers at the Minneapolis airport were the ones not picking up passengers with seeing eye dogs and visible sacks of liquor. Somali clerks have refused to scan pork products at the checkout counter of some Twin Cities stores. If they don't like the work then STFU and find something else.
Yes I am.
In truth I’m much more hard core then that.
Rome failed not because they lost any military campaign or paid too much in taxes.
Rome failed when they quit being Romans.
Assimilation or deportation. There is nothing else to talk about. There can be no other solution. If non assimilating immigrants are allowed to stay they alone will be the single force that destroys our American culture from within. We will call it America it would in fact become Little (insert name of turd world country here).
“The mother stands on her balcony and stares at my house. If I am sitting in front of the sliding patio door or standing on my balcony, she screams at me in whatever language she speaks (it’s not english).”
Got a gun? Sit on your balcony and clean it. Maybe she’ll stop screaming.
Question: which one of our enlightened lib politicos is responsible for letting these savages into the country in the first place - Clintoon?
From the article...
“Another key difference with Somalis is that many of them have vague hopes of returning to their country one day when the fighting stops and thus may see assimilation as less of a priority than those who intend to settle down, Sheikhosman added.”
There you have it... When they say “less of a priority” its lib-speak for “They have NO INTENTION of assimilating.”
Send them home.
I wouldn’t take that crap. If the kid calls again making threats record it and call the cops and have him put up on terrorism charges. I’d also clean my shotgun on the patio, every weekend. Seriously... if you don’t push back they’ll try to push you out.
Why is there a professor of Islamic law at the U. of Minnesota? Rather a bad use of taxpayer funds at best.
I would revoke their US citizenship and give them 30 days to return back to Somalia.
I have a lot of friends in MSP so I visit there quite often, and every once in a while I will layover there. I’ve had quite a few negative experiences with them. I’ve had Somali taxi drivers try and rip me off by taking me by a circuitous route to my destination. The Somalis who work at the airport tend to range from downright mean, to just completely unappreciative. Here’s my generalization for the evening: they are an awful group of people. Thanks Bill Clinton!
Be sure to thank Ted Kennedy everytime you have trouble with one of these people. He is the one who insisted that they be brought to America as refugees.
I do - Muslim culture is incompatible with our way of life and traditions. The people of Minneapolis should be up in arms over this, but unfortunately Minneapolis is the northern version of Berkeley.
Funny is that Mission Tortilla is a Mexican business. I find that it is just ironic that a company that support ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION can’t handle other immigrants who refuse to assimilate.
So we have to destroy the free society in order to save it? Suppress those you are suspicious of? I think we show our strength by tolerating them and at the same time not changing our own ways just because they insist we do.
When I was growing up I had a whole raft of older immigrant relatives who refused to give up the foods of their homelands, the orthodox religions of their homelands, and insisted on speaking Serbian among themselves at family gatherings. Yet all their kids and grandkids drifted away from the old ways and adopted American values and ideals. You forget that these are immigrants. Then next generation is the one that will assimilate, and the one after that even more so. That has always been the way in this country.
And your solution is what? Round them up and put them in detention camps? Deport each and every one of them? Even if they were born here? Is your faith in this country that weak, and your fear of what you don't understand that strong?
My solution would be to tell them to obey our laws and respect our traditions or take a hike. These people are not the idyllic immigrants of yesteryear.
Deport each and every one of them?
Let them stay and decimate our values and further the Balkanization of this land? If it has to come to that, yes deportation would be the only answer.
Even if they were born here?
Eisenhower rounded up hundreds of illegals, many who took their children that were born here back to Mexico. That's not my problem.
Is your faith in this country that weak, and your fear of what you don't understand that strong?
Again, immigrants today are not the immigrants of yesteryear. They are not assimilating and they are not respecting our traditions, laws, and values. In fact, we should return to the immigration policy we had before Ted Kennedy ruined it in 1965.
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