Muslim Costco employee refuses to serve customers purchasing pork

[AndaliteBandit]

Right Wing News reports--

I’m sorry, your rights as a Muslim do not trump the rights of Costco. Camara’s argument is specious. He had to have known when he took the job as assistant cashier that it would involve ringing up pork products. Therefore, he took the job under false pretenses. Costco has every right in the world as a private business to place workers where they see fit. Camara is not stupid – he had to deduce being transferred to handling carts was because he refused to handle pork. As a Christian, if I had to ring up porn I would find it very offensive. But if I took a job in a store where I knew that was sold, I would either have to ring it up or find another job. Same for Camara.

Costco is being sued by a former employee for religious discrimination.

Jean Camara told ABC 7 that when he refused to work with pork, he was told to work outside gathering carts.

“Just because you have a different belief, that doesn’t give anybody the right to treat you different,” said Camara.

Camara, a devout Muslim, worked at the Costco in Sunset Park Brooklyn, New York, in September of 2012 as a cashier’s assistant.

When pork came across the conveyor belt, Camara refused to handle the product because his religious beliefs forbid him from touching pork or alcohol.

Camara told his managers about the restriction and their alleged response was to switch him to cart duty outside. He claims they never told him why he was being reassigned, and when he asked numerous times to be placed in another department, his requests were denied.

This led Camara to file a human rights complaint against the company.

Camara was fired for insubordinate conduct 16 days later.

“We all share different beliefs so we all should be treated equally no matter what belief we have,” Camara said.

Camara surely knows that under the uber politically correct atmosphere Americans live in now, an atmosphere his religion helped to create, that asking what his religion is constitutes a no-go zone. This has the feel of a set up in order to create publicity for the individual and Islam in the media and to force Costco to comply with his religious diktats. Does he honestly believe a cashier would be hired for a position that refused to ring through all products? That’s absurd. This suit should be thrown out as the frivolous case that it is. These attempts at a cultural takeover and the implementation of Sharia Law cannot and must not stand.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...&ct=clnk&gl=us

Should an employee be forced to serve customers who do not adhere to the employee's religion?

[Kujako]

If the job is selling pork, you sell pork or find another job.

[unfilteredJW]

Short answer? Yes

Long answer? You are hired to do a thing. If you can not do the thing, you can't do the job. Hence, you should not be hired to do the thing.

[Deleted]

Isn't this a really old story?

[zenkai]

Right Wing News reports--
Should an employee be forced to serve customers who do not adhere to the employee's religion?

Yes, for the same reason they should bake cakes for gays

[Kathandira]

Right Wing News reports--







http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...&ct=clnk&gl=us

Should an employee be forced to serve customers who do not adhere to the employee's religion?

He isn't forced to do anything he doesn't want to. He is free to seek alternative employment. He is not contractually bound to his position at Costco.

[Deleted]

Should an employee be forced to serve customers who do not adhere to the employee's religion?

No he/she can just quitt.

[Stop Pretending]

Yep, just like the woman in Kentucky who refuses to issue gay marriage cerificates. Fire them both.

[Halyon]

If the job is selling pork, you sell pork or find another job.

Yes, pretty much this. Find another job if you can't be professional about it, knowing that people will buy pork, and you're hired to serve them.

[Zantos]

Should an employee be forced to serve customers who do not adhere to the employee's religion?

Yes. By all means. The work place is not the time or place to use your religion to get your views known. If their religion prevents them from doing their job, Fire them.

[AndaliteBandit]

Isn't this a really old story?

It's from March of this year, yes, but it seems to be relevant once more now that a strikingly similar complaint has been raised by a Kentucky county clerk.

[Sivick]

yes, exactly in the same way that county clear from kentucky has to give marriage licenses to gay people. i don't care what your religion is, don't get a job if you can't perform it.

[hellosaltygoodness]

totally agree he should have to serve pork. and i am *shocked* i tell you, shocked! that a website that regularly supports the "right" of christians to be exempt from serving gays or providing contraception or abortion care as part of their job duties, is not defending the "right" of muslims to not serve pork. right-wingers can always be counted on to be hypocrites.

[luc54]

Isn't this a really old story?

I remember it happening like year ago, but there might have been several dfferent cases. At least he didn't react like this tho:

Now that would be quite something.

[unfilteredJW]

totally agree he should have to serve pork. and i am *shocked* i tell you, shocked! that a website that regularly supports the "right" of christians to be exempt from serving gays or providing contraception or abortion care as part of their job duties, is not defending the "right" of muslims to not serve pork. right-wingers can always be counted on to be hypocrites.

You mean a right wing news outlet is engaging in hypocrisy?

Say it ain't so.

[vilememory]

If you get a job at a super market and you have some rule about a product you sell you shouldn't be surprised when it comes up. Nor can you bitch about it, I am allergic to shellfish. The smell of cooked lobster, crab, clams, oysters and whatever else we sold at the grocery store I worked at would make my throat swell up. Yes we cooked that stuff right there at the store for customers, mostly lobsters. That shit was almost killing me, but I couldn't tell people sorry you have to go to another check out lane because the lobster you have is killing me. So no, you can't refuse to serve somebody buying food that is against your religion.

[Schmilblick]

If the job is selling pork, you sell pork or find another job.

Exact-fucking-ly

[Vermicious]

He wasn't handling pork... it was covered with plastic.

Sorry buddy, but you created your own path. Deal with it.

[Alydael]

This is an easy one. If I was Costco I would tell him: "refuse to sell pork, I refuse to pay you. Stop trying to bully people into following your own personal beliefs, it is kind of pathetic- grow up."

[AndaliteBandit]

He wasn't handling pork... it was covered with plastic.

Similar to how a same-sex marriage license isn't an act of homosexuality, it's a piece of paper.