Patterns of Workplace Discrimination Against Muslims

By Lee Ali

Media and Hollywood has vilified Muslims, for whatever reasons, for as long as I can remember. Nonsensical information about Islam and

Muslims in school and college text books has not helped the situation.

The backlash against "Muslims-looking" Americans would not have been as severe if the above mentioned information sources were not

as malicious against Islam and Muslims as they have been.

"Invisible" was one of the words used by a participant when I asked the audience to describe "Muslims in Workplace" during my keynote

presentation at the Diversity Summit 2001. She was right. Muslims are constantly denied their rights to wear head-scarves, grow beards, and

pray at workplace. These rights are protected under the US Constitution and Section VII of the Civil Rights Act

The following table describes patterns of discrimination against Muslims even before September 11.

Patterns of Workplace Discrimination Against Muslims (March 15, 2000 – March 15, 2001)

	Religion/ Ethnicity	Head- Scarves	Beard	Friday Prayers	Daily Prayers	Eid Prayers	Fasting	Hajj	Other	Total
Denied Job	7	8	3	1	1	0	0	0	3	23
Denied Religious Accommodation	0	10	18	20	6	4	2	1	3	64
Fired	8	11	3	10	5	3	1	1	2	44
Forced to Quit	1	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	6
Denied Promotion	7	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	1	11
Verbally Abused	4	2	0	1	3	0	0	0	2	12
Other	12	4	1	0	1	1	1	0	2	22
Threatened with Dismissal	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Demoted	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2
Given Inequitable Pay	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3
Given Inequitable Work	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Subject to Unfair Employment Practice	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	3
Treated Unequally	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4
Sexually Harassed	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Physically Assalted	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Teated with Hostility	3	0