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Women allege factory fired them for wearing hijab |
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Saturday, 07 June 2008 |
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MINNEAPOLIS – A group of Muslim workers claim they were fired by a New Brighton, Minn. tortilla factory for refusing to wear uniforms rather than their traditional loose-fitting skirts and scarves. Six Somali women claim they were ordered by a manager to wear pants and shirts they considered immodest by Islamic standards, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said May 27. The women have filed a religious discrimination complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
"For these women, wearing tight-fitting pants is like being naked," said Valerie Shirley, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota chapter of CAIR. "It’s simply not an option." Gruma Corporation, the Irving, Texas-based parent company of Mission Foods, released a written statement denying that any employees were terminated or disciplined at the New Brighton plant. However, the company made clear the six women have been relieved of their responsibilities for the time being, and may ultimately lose their jobs if they don’t wear uniforms. "Should these employees choose to adhere to the current Mission Foods uniform policy, they may return to their positions with the company," the company statement said. The federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 says employers must accommodate workers’ religious beliefs, so long as the requests are "reasonable" and do not create "undue hardship" for the company. — The Associated Press
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