IBM Worker Says He Was Fired For Being A Muslim

[OhioChick]

January 05, 2007 (11:00 AM EST)

By Paul McDougall,

A Muslim electronics engineer who developed five patents for IBM claims the computer maker fired him because of his religion and that managers at the company mocked him for refusing to eat during the Ramadan fast and once told him to ignore Islamic law and clean a knife that had been used to cut pork.
Mahmoud Mousa, who calls himself a "Jordanian Muslim American," was employed at IBM's microelectronics plant in Burlington, Vt., from June 2003 to December 2005, when he was fired because of his religious beliefs, according to a lawsuit Mousa filed last month in U.S. District Court in New York.

Mousa says IBM's stated reason for the firing -- that he had failed to show up for work -- "was a pretext to mask the motivating factor behind his termination -- discrimination on the basis of his religion and/or national origin," according the suit.

Mousa claims that he was subject to discrimination and anti-Islamic comments and behavior from two different managers while working at IBM's Burlington operations. On one occasion, a manager of non-Muslim, Indian origin criticized Mousa for taking time out for Friday prayers, asking him "Why are you doing this?", according to court records.
http://www.techweb.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196801403

<snip> Mousa also claims his $68,000 salary was considerably lower than salaries paid to co-workers with similar accomplishments. Mousa obtained five patents for IBM while at the company, including one for a means to create connections between vertically stacked circuits on computer chips, according to a search of a Web site that tracks patent filings.

[nini]

1. Thank God I work where I do

We've got all kinds of folks here and none of us would EVER treat another coworker like that.


However, if he didn't show up to work - then I'd say they were justified with the firing. The harassment is another issue IMHO.

[MADem]

2. Hmmmm....I didn't know it was in the job description of engineers to clean pork knives

What ever happened to "Fuck you, do it yourself--it's against my religion." Then there's "Keep that crap up, asshole, and I'm filing a grievance." And lastly, there's the "Human Resources, would you kindly educate my idiot asshole Indian supervisor about the Islamic requirement to pray five times a day? The retard is hassling me about it."

And gee, in Dean Country, too--I've always found Vermonters to be most tolerant of differences. Hell, they do a better job of putting up with New Yorkers than the Cape Codders do!

IBM isn't Bumfuck Tool and Die. They have a highly developed HR shop, which other companies have used as a model. I can't believe this engineer didn't understand how to achieve redress when confronted with these sorts of workplace situations.

I dunno, I smell a rat here. I wasn't there, so I honestly don't know....but I guess time will tell. Be interesting to see how the court rules, and how much of a case beyond accusations this guy is actually able to prove.

[Xithras]

10. Personally, I disagree with that. I would have fired him too.

Christian, Muslim, it doesn't matter. I happen to run a small company with 8 employees at the moment, and my offices are a business, not a church. Everyone's religion is somewhat offensive to those who don't believe, or who believe something else, so my employees know full well that NO religion is welcome in my building. I run a very progressive small company, but I'd cite someone trying to pray 5 times a day in his cubicle just as quickly as I'd cite someone who tried to hang a cross in theirs. I once locked horns with an evangelistic JW programmer who saw our office as his religious recruiting grounds...after two warnings I basically told him to hand over his resignation or be fired. He quit.

I don't understand why more employers don't do that. Keep your religion at home, or in your car, or in your church. It has no place in a place of business.

FWIW, I would have cited the guys harassing him with the pizza during Ramadan just as quickly. If you want to observe your religion by not eating, go for it. I wouldn't tolerate one employee teasing another over his beliefs, I just don't want those beliefs exercised in my offices.

[madeline_con]

12. Except the reason cited wasn't prayer.

He'd pray 3 times at work, given the average person's schedule and required prayer schedules.

I've never known a Muslim to get real loud during prayers, so he wouldn't be a distraction for 5 minutes thrice a day, IMHO.

If he were trying to convert everyone, there would be a problem.

[MADem]

15. Once, really, unless he had to get to work super early or work real late

It might be twice in the winter when the sun goes down early.

Dawn, noon, just before sunset, mid-evening, and from thence till dawn, more or less (some sects vary). Makes it a bitch to get any good sleep if you spread them all out evenly. http://www.islamicity.com/Mosque/salat/salat3.htm

[MADem]

13. Interesting article on this very subject, discussing "reasonable accomodation"

I'm thinking anyone who is religious who is interviewing with you might want to read the last paragraph first!!! http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=3589693

That said, IBM and many of the larger companies do 'do' reasonable religious accomodation, often as not as described in the piece. Nothing overwhelming, but if it can be done without impacting the work output or the rest of the staff, I guess they figure what the hell. The prayer requirement doesn't take that long, really--if the guy whipped through it, he'd still have time to have a cuppa tea on a scheduled break, and unless they worked really long hours (predawn to sunset) they'd only have to do it at work at noon; say, during the lunch hour.

But it is, in many cases, the employer's call. However, if the employer accomodates one, he's gotta accomodate all.

[UncleSepp]

14. I disagree...

"Everyone's religion is somewhat offensive to those who don't believe, or who believe something else"

No, it isn't. That may be your personal opinion - you may be offended by someone who believes differently than you, or who believes at all, but you are not everyone. There are plenty of people who not only aren't offended by, but are interested in and celebrate the religious practices of others, whether they themselves have a religion or not.

[madeline_con]

11. My sentiments exactly.

He was forced onto a clean-up committee after an employee party, or WHAT??!

[pnwmom]

3. If he did fail to show up for work, the "pretext" IBM used for firing,

then none of the rest might matter. . . depending on the circumstances involved.

[UncleSepp]

16. The article says he claims he had an approved leave of absence.

n/t

[sgsmith]

4. Policy

IBM has been, for at least the last ten or so years, having every employee annually review the Business Conduct Guidelines as a required action. The BCG discuss, among many other things, that employees may not be discriminated against because of religion. Discrimination includes, but is certainly not limited to, actions in the workplace such as harrasement. The BCG also describe at least 4 methods of escalating an employee's concerns, including but not limited to discussions with a manager, HR, an Open Door email address, and anonymous methods.

IBM takes this seriously. I too smell a rat.

[2Design]

5. sounds like bs - what else did this guy do or not do n/t

[VegasWolf]

6. When I was at IBM I knew many Muslims. I call bullshit. nt

[The Stranger]

7. Nearly all of the posts doubt the claim,

yet all we see in the media is anti-Muslim bigotry, from Glen Beck every night beating it into people's brains that they must hate and war with Muslim "other," to the wink and a nod "War Against Terror," which everyone (especially the Christian Fundamentalists) know is all about Muslims.

[MADem]

17. It's mainly because of his employer, I suspect

As I said above, the guy isn't working for Bumfuck Tool and Die, he's working for IBM. Heck, they invented a lot of the Human Resources hoopla that we see imitated at other companies. They KNOW how to run a HR shop.

[deadmessengers]

8. IBM has a zero-tolerance policy against this stuff

As others have pointed out, the Business Conduct Guidelines that have to be reviewed each year by EVERY IBM employee (and perhaps even contractors, not sure here) are extremely explicit in that discrimination of this kind will not be tolerated. It also points out the process to make complaints - and there are several different avenues to complain.

This guy *may* have had a legitimate beef (because all the rules in the world can't prevent a manager from being an asshole - they only provide ways to get it fixed), but didn't go through the correct process to get it taken care of. IBM simply doesn't play around with this - they have WAY too much at stake to do otherwise.

[AlCzervik]

9. my sister works for IBM and has ever since they bought Lotus and from what she

has told me this story surprises me as well.

[OutNow]

18. IBM - Not So Nice Anymore

In my 25 years at IBM I saw the company go from the best in HR practices to a place where the only thing that matters is the quarterly numbers. IBM was always in the top 25 companies to work for, now it doesn't even make the list. Lots of overtime is required at no increase in pay. The company has screwed us out of our defined benefit pension and many other benefits.

IBM does not even have a local HR department anymore. They outsourced it to Fidelity. While the formal HR appeal process still exists on paper, the staffers from Fidelity are just people who answer the phone and lack the background and experience of the real IBM HR people we once had.

So, do I believe that Mr. Mousa has a good reason for his lawsuit. Probably. Here is another example of IBM's recent HR actions. An IBMer fired for getting too many Army Reserve callups.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/289626p-247960c.html

[VegasWolf]

19. Yes, I saw that transformation too! Hey, I was in Austin for awhile! Longhorn. nt

[tonekat]

20. Ah, I remember the time I applied for work at IBM...

In the early 70s...one of their now non-existant mainframe dinosaur plants in the Hudson Valley. I was between semester of college, and some friends whose fathers worked for IBM (white shirts, black pants) had assembly line type jobs.

I was too naive then to realize that not being related to an existing employee and the fact that my hair was, like, one whole inch over my ears at the time would, of course, disqualify me. Never mind that I knew someone who was extremely slovenly, and an addict to boot who had no problem working there.

The prick who interviewed me did me the favor of showing me "the quick way to the parking lot" so I wouldn't embarrass them by going out through their lobby.

I enjoyed it when they bulldozed that plant to the ground. Itty Bitty Morons indeed.