CALIBRE CREATORS BLOG

How to Approach Islam in the Workplace

Kellye Whitney, 12-28-2009

The 9/11 tragedy gave new meaning to profiling for Muslims in the United States, and though the event happened years ago, sentiments still linger.

Dr. Donald E. Wagner, a professor at North Park University in Chicago, said some of those bad feelings have diminished, but it only takes one incident to bring about a resurgence of that negative energy.

“Any time an event happens like at Ford Hood," where gunman Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan allegedly killed 12 and injured 31 in November," there is greater awareness of Muslims, and there could be more profiling and some abuse. It’s always best to be alert when something like that happens.”

However, Wagner said diversity executives can use those incidents as teachable moments to increase diversity awareness. For instance, bring in a Muslim speaker to offer — on a voluntary basis — interested employees rudimentary knowledge of the Islamic religion, which Wagner said is the fastest-growing religion in the United States in major cities and can be substantively different from one place to the other.

“The positive thing is there are a lot more organizations working on this as well as greater sensitivity in business, in the police and [in] universities across the board, “ he said. “There’s a lot more dialogue going on between Muslim-Christian, Muslim-Jewish.”

Still, he said diversity executives may want to dedicate some training to increasing the awareness of Islamic practice to promote acceptance should, for example, Muslim women in the workplace chose to wear the hijab head scarf.

“Education is always a good thing, and there might be some subtle ways that can be done without making it look patronizing,” Wagner said.

Have informative brochures or pamphlets available, or ensure certain holidays make it onto the company calendar. For instance, Wagner said, during the month of Ramadan, executives should be sensitive to the fact that Muslims are probably fasting. Therefore, it might be best not to eat in front of them.

“Some businesses make a time and place for prayers, particularly the noon prayers, and occasionally there may be a Muslim employee who will make the Hajj, which is the once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca. That’s a great honor to complete that,” Wagner said. “It would be thoughtful for congratulations to be sent and for folks to be aware of what that is.”

Some Arab Christians may have slightly different traditions, such as fasting during Easter and Lent, and their Easter may be at a different time than the traditional calendar holiday. Therefore, employees may request to take off on a Good Friday different from what is scheduled.

Wagner said efforts to increase awareness and to educate employees increases respect and levels of equality so Muslims are not viewed as “mysterious, shadowy figures” but as people who aren’t that different from everyone else.

“There’s more that Christians and Jews and Muslims agree on than we disagree on in terms of belief and practice,” he said. “There’s a great book out titled Who Speaks for Islam? I use it in class, and it’s a Gallup poll survey done throughout the Muslim world on attitudes about women and men in the workplace [and] what Muslims really want.

“It shows they really want democracy, but they don’t want the West to come in and interfere. Most are against suicide bombings and terrorist attacks. There’s also a polling on attitudes toward Muslims in the United States, and some of that data could be extrapolated and be useful for training in the workplace.”

For instance, Wagner said that according to the poll, Muslim women increasingly want to be independent and be respected in their professions, yet their religion is central to who they are, and mores and values tend to be conservative.

“[Women] are increasingly in the workplace across the Islamic world in the Middle East and here,” Wagner explained. “Free them up so there aren’t impediments and unnecessary conflicts and tensions in the workplace. That could certainly lead to efficiency.”

Source: http://www.diversity-executive.com/article.php?in=804

Note: The same concept should apply to the understanding of all religions and faiths for a United, Peaceful World.