Namaz dispute: US Company fired 200 Muslim employees

Washington: More than 200 Muslim employees were fired from a meat-packing and distribution plant in the US following a disagreement over praying at workplace.

Most of the victims were Somalian immigrants, had complained about inadequate prayer time at Cargill Meat Solutions in Fort Morgan, Colorado.

According to The Telegraph, the company provided a “reflection room” for Muslim employees to pray since 2009, the workers claim the policy has been changed.

“All of these employees are good employees and don’t have any other issues. They feel missing their prayer is worse than losing their job. It’s like losing a blessing from God,” a media report quoted Jaylani Hussein, a council spokesperson, as saying.

Jaylani Hussein, a spokesman and executive director of CAIR claimed that the workers had been treated with prejudice.

Previously, they have been allowed to pray at “different times of the day, typically in about five-to-10 minute blocks” and now told, “If you want to pray, go home”.

“Cargill makes every reasonable attempt to provide religious accommodations to all employees based on our ability to do so without disruption to our beef-processing business,” the spokesperson added.