(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 12/13/2017) — The Columbus, Ohio, chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Columbus) announced today that it has reached a settlement with a local company for wrongfully terminating a Muslim man.
The Muslim man was wrongfully terminated in May 2015 for asking for a prayer accommodation. He worked for the company for close to a decade. He was an excellent employee with no work performance issues. Every evening he would take a short break to perform his evening prayers. However, after a change in management, he was told that he could not take the short break to perform his prayers anymore. The taking of this break has not caused any problems for the company. When he insisted on his right to get a religious accommodation, he was terminated by the company.
“Our client is pleased that this matter was successfully resolved and that he has received a monetary compensation for the wrongful termination,” said CAIR-Columbus Legal Director Romin Iqbal. “The law on religious accommodation is very clear. You don’t have to choose between your religion and your job. As long as the accommodation requested does not place an undue burden on the company, your employer has an obligation to accommodate your request,” he added. “The request for accommodation can be for wearing hijab at work, or for keeping a beard, or for taking a break to perform your prayers or to break your fast.”
CAIR-Columbus is currently representing more than 50 Muslims who have been wrongfully terminated from the workplace.
Ohio Muslims who are facing similar delays are being urged to contact CAIR-Columbus for assistance by filing an incident report online at: https://www.cair-ohio.com/
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. The CAIR-Ohio Affiliate has three chapters – Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati.