Divide & conquer

Islam: Islamic group presses U.S. Somalis to quit meatpacking jobs over prayer | Mark Bergin

More than 100 Somalis quit their jobs this past May at a Nebraska meatpacking plant due to conflicts between their work schedules and the daily requirements of Islamic prayer. A week later, about 70 of those workers returned to the Swift & Co. plant in Grand Island determined to seek accommodation. Instead, they got the same message as before: no walking off the production line, except for standard breaks.

Jama Mohamed, one of several employees fired in June for ignoring that rule, claims supervisors rudely interrupted his prayer, shouting for him to stop before taking his mat and grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. Another fired worker claims that the hostile environment drove some Muslims to cease praying at work altogether.