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Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave to

j-mac

j-mac

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A school district is being sued for not allowing a Muslim teacher to take unpaid leave to make a pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Federal Government has brought the case on behalf of Safoorah Khan, claiming that it is a violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

It is the duty of every Muslim to join the million of pilgrims at the Hajj in Mecca at least once in their lifetime - and the middle school teacher had hoped to go in 2008.


Khan had started at Berkeley School, in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, in 2007 and asked for unpaid leave of three weeks to visit Saudi Arabia.

After the education district twice denied her request, Khan wrote to the board that 'based on her religious beliefs, she could not justify delaying performing Hajj'.

She resigned shortly thereafter, according to the lawsuit filed in federal court.

Federal prosecutors say the leave was unrelated to her professional duties and was not set forth in the contract between the school district and the teachers' union, thus violating her civil rights.

Muslim women sues after being denied three weeks unpaid leave to make pilgrimage to Mecca | Mail Online
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Wait a minute....I thought there was a seperation of church and state?

And second, why do we have to get this from a UK news paper? Why isn't it reported here?

And lastly, is this a pattern after Holder's speech to Muslims proclaiming to "not let anything bad happen to them?....

Real Dhimmi's this bunch.


j-mac
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

Well, she did ask forunpaid leave.
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

apdst said:
Well, she did ask forunpaid leave.
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why couldn't she have made her hadj during summer break? do they close down Mecca during the summer or something?
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

I think the issue will be whether she was denied the leave purely based on the subject of her request. Whereas if she had requested the leave for something else, would she have been granted it... I highly doubt any school board would be dumb enough to ramp up the religious tension here but she's a teacher, and in order for a school to provide consistency of teaching to the students, having a teacher disappear for 3 weeks never helps.

At the same time, I know religion is very important to some people, and if she feels that she has to fight this, right or wrong she's standing up for what she believes to be right, a quality not shared by all. Remember, right or wrong folks.

I think the seperation of Church and state thing needs to be taken off the table immediately, she wasn't asking anyone to sanction what she was doing, nor pay her for doing it. Requesting unpaid leave is not requesting anything special really...
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

again, teachers get a couple of months off in the summer. why couldn't she have made her trip then?
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

Jetboogieman said:
I think the issue will be whether she was denied the leave purely based on the subject of her request. Whereas if she had requested the leave for something else, would she have been granted it... I highly doubt any school board would be dumb enough to ramp up the religious tension here but she's a teacher, and in order for a school to provide consistency of teaching to the students, having a teacher disappear for 3 weeks never helps.
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Fair statement, In my mind then that would bring out the question of why at this particular time?

At the same time, I know religion is very important to some people, and if she feels that she has to fight this, right or wrong she's standing up for what she believes to be right, a quality not shared by all. Remember, right or wrong folks.
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Maybe the school system is saying that by not allowing the leave they are staying neutral in the religious aspect.

I think the seperation of Church and state thing needs to be taken off the table immediately, she wasn't asking anyone to sanction what she was doing, nor pay her for doing it. Requesting unpaid leave is not requesting anything special really...
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they did grant her unpaid leave....She quit. She can always re apply after she returns....


j-mac
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

the article in the OP forgot one small point...

It is the duty of every Muslim to join the million of pilgrims at the Hajj in Mecca at least once in their lifetime... if they are able.

This, according to Muslim friends, gives even the most devout Muslim an 'out'. If they cannot afford the trip... if they are physically unable to make the trip... if their employment prevents making the trip... etc, etc, etc.
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

OscarB63 said:
why couldn't she have made her hadj during summer break? do they close down Mecca during the summer or something?
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That's a good point. Maybe the summer is the off season?
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

Whovian said:
the article in the OP forgot one small point...

It is the duty of every Muslim to join the million of pilgrims at the Hajj in Mecca at least once in their lifetime... if they are able.
Click to expand...

nothing here that says the trip must be conducted during the American Public School system calendar year. I think she was just looking for an excuse to quit and sue.
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

There's also the issue of having to pay a substitute teacher and a the potential for the kids in the class falling behind, because of the regular teacher's absence.
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

OscarB63 said:
nothing here that says the trip must be conducted during the American Public School system calendar year. I think she was just looking for an excuse to quit and sue.
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that was my point... kind of.

The 5th pillar of faith does not specify 'when' the hajj must be made... just that if you are financially and physically able to do so, you are to do so at least once in your lifetime.
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

What does she expect, you can't just take three weeks off from teaching! I don't care what your religion is, and you guys are right...She can wait till the summer.
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

how about Holder's Justice Dept taking this up as a civil rights issue, whe the Black Panther case was dismissed? Anyone?


j-mac
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

Yeah, screw the kids that I got hired for to teach.

If she was a wacky Christian, it'd lead CNN.
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

OscarB63 said:
why couldn't she have made her hadj during summer break? do they close down Mecca during the summer or something?
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Because the pilgrimage is supposed to be done at a certain specific time in the Islamic calendar:

The pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and last month of the Islamic calendar. Because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, eleven days shorter than the Gregorian calendar used in the Western world, the Gregorian date of the Hajj changes from year to year. Ihram is the name given to the special state in which Muslims live while on the pilgrimage.

Hajj - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I believe this prescribed time came around the middle of November this year.
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

j-mac said:
Fair statement, In my mind then that would bring out the question of why at this particular time?





j-mac
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Now, believe me, I could be totally wrong here, as I really have no substantial evidence backing up this thought, but -- I was under the impression certain months are preferable to go to Mecca for some religious reason, thus why she wanted to go now, instead of in the summer. Anyone know if that's just hogwash, or if there's some sort of basis to that theory?
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

Birdzeye said:
Because the pilgrimage is supposed to be done at a certain specific time in the Islamic calendar:

The pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and last month of the Islamic calendar. Because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, eleven days shorter than the Gregorian calendar used in the Western world, the Gregorian date of the Hajj changes from year to year. Ihram is the name given to the special state in which Muslims live while on the pilgrimage.

Hajj - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


many of the rituals surrounding hajj have been modified for "convenience" due to the large number of people attending the event.


I believe this prescribed time came around the middle of November this year.
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if you no longer have to kiss the Black Stone, but can instead simply point to it or you no longer have to do the animal sacrifice but can appoint someone to do it for you...why can't you do it in june instead of november?
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

Well she gets to make her trip since she quit. That should be the end of it. Suing because of some civil rights violation is BS. You were hired to do a job, you either do it or you don't. If you don't, you shouldn't expect to continue working there much longer. It seems like she had plenty of opportunity to choose other times, but didn't. So that's her fault.
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

Birdzeye said:
Because the pilgrimage is supposed to be done at a certain specific time in the Islamic calendar:

The pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and last month of the Islamic calendar. Because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, eleven days shorter than the Gregorian calendar used in the Western world, the Gregorian date of the Hajj changes from year to year. Ihram is the name given to the special state in which Muslims live while on the pilgrimage.

Hajj - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I believe this prescribed time came around the middle of November this year.
Click to expand...

Therefore, since she is obligated to make the journey once in her lifetime, she can wait until a time in her life that the calendar does not interfere with her work schedule.
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

j-mac said:
Wait a minute....I thought there was a seperation of church and state?

And second, why do we have to get this from a UK news paper? Why isn't it reported here?

And lastly, is this a pattern after Holder's speech to Muslims proclaiming to "not let anything bad happen to them?....

Real Dhimmi's this bunch.


j-mac
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I think you might be confused on what separation of church and state really means... and this case isn't in conflict with that idea as it's meant to be understood
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

OscarB63 said:
again, teachers get a couple of months off in the summer. why couldn't she have made her trip then?
Click to expand...

j-mac said:
Fair statement, In my mind then that would bring out the question of why at this particular time?
Click to expand...

It was obviously requested at that time because Mecca happen only on the eighth and thirteenth days of the last month of the Islamic calendar of each year :doh

Whovian said:
the article in the OP forgot one small point...

It is the duty of every Muslim to join the million of pilgrims at the Hajj in Mecca at least once in their lifetime... if they are able.

This, according to Muslim friends, gives even the most devout Muslim an 'out'. If they cannot afford the trip... if they are physically unable to make the trip... if their employment prevents making the trip... etc, etc, etc.
Click to expand...

Employment issues is not an 'out'. It is an excuse.

It is not a duty but also compulsory. An obligation on every Muslim who is physically and financially able able to make the journey. A BS excuse like employment issues does not cut it.
 
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Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

Laila said:
It was obviously requested at that time because Mecca happen only on the eighth and thirteenth days of the last month of the Islamic calendar of each year :doh



Employment issues is not an 'out'. It is an excuse.

It is not a duty but also compulsory. An obligation on every Muslim who is physically and financially able able to make the journey. A BS excuse like employment issues does not cut it.
Click to expand...

why is the date such a big deal? they have changed other parts of the ritual for the sake of convenience.
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

Laila said:
Employment issues is not an 'out'. It is an excuse.

It is not a duty but also compulsory. An obligation on every Muslim who is physically and financially able able to make the journey. A BS excuse like employment issues does not cut it.
Click to expand...

Well then, she can quit her job and go in that case.
 
Re: Muslim woman teacher sues U.S. school after being denied three weeks unpaid leave

Ikari said:
Well then, she can quit her job and go in that case.
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I thought she did :confused:

Did I misread the article?
 
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