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Muslim U.S. flight attendant says she was wrongly suspended for not serving alcohol

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47 Comments
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I'm sure the GOP will come out and support her.

-2 ( +11 / -13 )

I think you are mistaken SuperLib. Isn't it the liberals who embrace labor unions? That's the problem, unions otherwise she would be asked to leave.

-5 ( +8 / -13 )

I can see how this can annoy her co-workers, in a tiny, restricted, shaking and often high-stress environment inside an aircraft cabin, with about 100 or more customers expecting to be quickly fed and refreshed.

In my younger days, doing hectic and physically demanding work, the attitude is: "here's your job. Do it. If you don't like it, then get the hell out of here." That's kinda universal.

13 ( +18 / -5 )

Anyone who supported the lady who wouldn't issue marriage licenses to homosexuals due to religious beliefs, but doesn't support this lady, is a hypocrite.

2 ( +13 / -11 )

Anyone who would arrest the woman who refused to issue homosexual marriage is a moron. When your job is to do A,BC and you don't do it......Next!

Jeff Lee hits the nail on the head. She can relax while other attendants serve! No, pull your weight or your gone.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

Anyone who supported the lady who wouldn't issue marriage licenses to homosexuals due to religious beliefs, but doesn't support this lady, is a hypocrite.

No one should support either of them. If they can't perform their job, they should get a new job - one where they don't have to do what they don't want.

If the Airline told her it would be OK and then changed their mind it wasn't professional of them. They shouldn't have hired her in the first place if she couldn't perform all the duties required. There's plenty of jobs out there where contact with alcohol isn't needed. I hope she can find one she likes.

17 ( +18 / -1 )

Fire her.

18 ( +22 / -4 )

Regarding the airline, if it's in writing she need not serve, she has a case and other flight attendants can omit duties from their job description. If it's not, she has no case.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

I am strongly opposed to alcohol on a purely philosophical stand point and I feel utterly unclean if I come in contact with anything related to alcohol. The bottles (full or empty) and anything related to it. If there were an added sense of religious duty to not engage with alcohol I can only imagine how much stronger that would be for a person.

The issue is that the company provisioned for her to not serve alcohol and appear to be going back on that agreement. I agree with kiwiboy that they either should not have hired her or have to stick to their guns. Likely the 'agreement' was not in her contract and they will be clear of any legal responsibility.

If she were getting a job as a bartender then this would be ridiculous but a flight attendants duties are not explicitly related to serving alcohol. She was perfectly without rational grounds to request that she not have to serve alcohol and this situation is going to blow up in the company's face I hope.

-18 ( +2 / -20 )

Exactly Speed. Fire her. Is not serving beverages (even alcohol) within the scope of her duties as an employee in that sort of industry? Fire her and fire her quickly. My gosh, the nerve this muslim has. Unbelievable.

10 ( +14 / -4 )

She has every right to practice her religion. But if it includes not being able to carry out the functions and duties of a flight attendant ONE why was she hired in the first place? And TWO why would she even apply for the job? There are people who can not get a job because of actual physical impairments over which they have no control. And then there are people like this.

10 ( +13 / -3 )

The same people who think Kim Davis is some kind of hero line up to vilify a Muslim who does pretty much exactly the same thing, but in a different context. Both should be fired. Religion has no place in any workplace except a church.

Moderator: Please repost without the reference to Kim Davis, which is not relevant to this thread.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Heh, looks like no one bothered to read this story, but instead is only commenting on the misleading headline. According to the article, Stanley was not suspended for refusing to serve alcohol, but rather the airline put her on a 12-month unpaid leave after another attendant filed a complaint that referenced she carried a book with "foreign writings" and wore a head scarf in the workplace.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

Heh, looks like no one bothered to read this story, but instead is only commenting on the misleading headline. According to the article, Stanley was not suspended for refusing to serve alcohol, but rather the airline put her on a 12-month unpaid leave after another attendant filed a complaint that referenced she carried a book with "foreign writings" and wore a head scarf in the workplace.

Yes, the headline is wrong!

Also was she warned first or the company or was she suspended automatically because of rule 235 in the Express Jet workers manual of not wearing headscarfs and books with foreign writing?

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

By refusing to serve drinkers, the woman is denying them their right under the US Constitution to be allowed to pickle their livers. Isn't that a form of discrimination too?

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Give her the Gate,Pronto! She Knew full well the job at hand=Sayonara!

4 ( +7 / -3 )

The article is as clear as mud.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Likely the main point of the complaint was the refusal to serve alcohol, resulting in extra work for her coworkers.

How could the coworker be dumb enough to submit, and the airline dumb enough to entertain, a complaint that included mutterings about headscarves and "foreign writings"?

Maybe the coworker's in for a piece of the action? A successful equal-opportunity complaint could be very lucrative.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

ONE why was she hired in the first place? And TWO why would she even apply for the job?

The article says she converted to Islam after she was hired. No need to yell the numbers.

Personally if I found myself in a job my principles wouldn't allow me to perform as required, I would find another job. But in this case it sounds like she discussed the matter with her superior, a work-around was found, and it was a fellow worker objecting to headscarves and foreign writings, not the desire not to serve alcohol, who upset the cart.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

She was probably an alcoholic, thus the conversion to Islam.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Sorry, but if you suddenly decide to change your religion and the changes you make cause trouble in your job, that's your problem.

Ossan, when she took the job she was not a Muslim. She converted. That's the problem. Having converted, she thinks she has the right to refuse parts of the job her new religion is at odds with. You and I don't agree with her on that, but at the time of her hiring, she was able and willing.

She should quit working in an environment that serves alcohol if she takes her faith that seriously. If she won't fulfill the role she is employed to do because she changed her religion, I don't see why she can't be relieved of her duties.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Generally, I'm tolerant of making space for people's moral beliefs, but a line I most definitely draw is flight attendants withholding alcohol. A man can only tolerate so much.

17 ( +17 / -0 )

cleo: The article's not completely clear, but I assumed the complaint involved both the alcohol thing and the discriminatory comments re: 'foreign writings' and headscarves.

I'm guessing the co-worker objected to having to take on extra work due to Stanley's conversion to Islam but let her general prejudices show in her complaint.

I think (hope) it must be something like that as I can't imagine the airline suspending Stanley for just the writings/scarf.

As for me, I think that Stanley should have resigned or requested a ground position the second she realised she was 'forbidden' from serving alcohol. I commend the airline for initially trying to accommodate her, but I think it was ridiculously selfish of her to expect it in the first place.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

She had an arrangement with her coworker.

But how could that last? She was flying a route that only needed 1-2 attendants per plane, but sooner or later she was going to be on a flight with a coworker she DIDN'T have an agreement with, and that's what happened.

It was a third flight attendant who filed the complaint.

And she probably could have found a way to not have any coworker complain, like offering to do the scut work in exchange for not serving alcohol, who would have turned that down? Like, "I'll clean that bathrooms and wash the dishes, as long as you serve the alcohol." But probably she didn't want to go that far.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3223926/Muslim-flight-attendant-files-discrimination-complaint-against-employer-claiming-suspended-refusing-serve-alcohol.html

... Another Twitter user, identifying herself only as M but who is also a flight attendant, pointed out flaws with Stanley's arrangement with other stewards.

She wrote: 'Why be a [Flight Attendant]? That's our job. Finding another attendant to serve alcohol isn't that simple. She needs to find a new job, simple as that.

'Expressjet has 1-2 flight attendants on board. There's about 70 passengers on board those planes and those flights are pretty quick.

'So there's going to be times when her other attendant literally has no time to help because they have to serve first class.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Are they even forbidden to serve(touch?) alcohol to others ? Thought it was just a drinking thing ....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/06/19/do-emirates-etihad-and-qatar-serve-alcohol-during-ramadan/

Do Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Serve Alcohol During Ramadan?

... Alcohol service onboard during Ramadan Onboard Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar flights you can expect it to be “business as usual” during Ramadan. Which is to say that alcohol should be served to all destinations except Saudi Arabia, which is the case year-round. ...

Maybe she joined a more restrictive sect than the one the owners of these airlines belong to.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

While Ms Stanley's position sounds a bit like a Catholic in an abortion clinic, let's look at the evidence:

The airline had agreed to give Stanley a religious accommodation

As for:

employee noting Stanley carried a book with “foreign writings” and wore a head scarf

it's shocking that an airline could entertain (if it did) such xenophobic nonsense.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

At this stage, management will tolerate her for not serving alcohol to customers. In the future, she will demand that she can not serve pork to customers due to her religious belief. Management will exempt her for not serving pork again.

Later on she will complain that she can not serve non Hala food to customers because it was forbidden by her religion. Will Air line management change the all of the food serving on the plane as Hala food? Another option is she will sit on the plane while other staff are serving the food. She is someone special due to her religion.

United States has gradually transformed as United Arab Emirates which will restrict food and drinks serving on the planes according the Koran!

0 ( +4 / -4 )

SenseNotSoCommon: While Ms Stanley's position sounds a bit like a Catholic in an abortion clinic, let's look at the evidence:

JT: The airline had agreed to give Stanley a religious accommodation

SNSC: As for:

JT: employee noting Stanley carried a book with “foreign writings” and wore a head scarf

SNCS: it's shocking that an airline could entertain (if it did) such xenophobic nonsense.

The agreement required coworkers to take on extra worker, and when her coworkers changed, the new coworker protested.

The person reporting the "foreign writings" and "head scarf" is the woman's lawyer. We don't know to what degree it was taken out of context, from the original complaint.

The airline could see the validity in the 'work pushed off on coworkers' offense without admitting the other complaints. She'd be forever wanting her coworkers to serve the alcohol, and management would have the possibility of repeating this brouhaha every time she changed coworkers.

Additionally, it's her and her lawyer's contention she was suspended for refusing to serve alcohol, apparently the airline is refusing to say. A 12-month suspension doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Presumably she'll hold the same beliefs at the end of the year.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I don't think that submission to religious vows or beliefs in this case is worth it,,it only makes ur coworkers feeling unease and can be uncomfortable in ensuring that u'r religious beliefs should be part of everyone's jobs to bow to. Or to always comfort. As if it should be in everyone's jobs description.

It is ridiculous, another extremist form that is not very combatible with today's reality. It can only led to the downfall of everyone u work with.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Does she refuse to serve pork during in-flight meals too? Ridiculous.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

turbotsat: The agreement required coworkers to take on extra worker, and when her coworkers changed, the new coworker protested.

Oops, fixed:

The agreement required coworkers to take on extra work, ...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Do your job to the extent of the law and your contract or quit.

This bowing to "religious exceptions" is a dangerous precedent.

Don't want to issue marriage licence, don't want to serve alcohol etc don't, find a job that suits your particular preferences rather than expecting everyone to accommodate your personal issues. (exception being genuine physical disabilities and medical issues)

Whats next, don't want to serve people of different races or genders, don't want to issue women drivers licences, won't serve someone that is not dress according to your beliefs, want to use your own form of justice and punishment. Sure.. could be a bit of a slippery slope argument but who would have thought some people would prefer jail over simply signing or stamping a form and doing their job..... Its total non-sense.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

If you're religious beliefs prevent you from performing any part of your job then you need to get a new job. This goes for all religions and all jobs. You're free to believe what you want but you're not free to inconvenience others because of your beliefs.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

There is nothing in Islam about not serving alcohol. In fact, the population of Turkey drink the stuff in vast quantities and still consider themselves Muslims.

Why should an airline pander to her eccentric interpretation of her new-found faith? She should get a new job.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I'm all for religious tolerance but this is sheer nonsense.

What if a Jehovas Witness doctor declined to give a blood transfusion because his religion forbids it?

You have a right to believe what you want, but the flip side of that is that you have a duty not to allow those beliefs to pose as limitations of the rights of others. Simply, keep it to your self!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Religion has no place in any workplace except a church.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

If your belief prevents you from doing the job you are employed to do you must resign. Clearly this woman should not work in any job where alcohol might be present.

But I don't believe that serving alcohol to others violates any religious belief. I have just got off a Turkish Airlines flight; the cabin crew all serve alcohol and I assume most of them are muslims.

Bread and fruit also contain alcohol, so logically this woman should also refuse to touch bread and fruit. I think she is just a scoudrel after a large sum of money for doing nothing.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Enlighten me. Is there anything in Islam that forbids serving liquor? I have assumed that the prohibition concerns only drinking it.

It is a problem to be religiously pure onboard an airliner. What about serving pork? (An issue for Jews and Muslims.) Some Christians could also have issues withf serving booze. How about Seventh Day Adventists serving meat? Wearing miniskirts and using unisex toilets could be a problem for some faiths. Airplanes are secular by necessity and most religions have provisions for necessity.

in the case of this flight attendant, I think a talk with an enlightened Iman might put her at ease regarding her flight attendant duties.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

As usual.... this probably is not the whole story. I doubt the company would put her on leave over just one complaint. I'd be willing to bet this woman also had other problems with fellow workers or even passengers. Its the USA... and companies are well aware they could be facing a lawsuit over wrongful dismissal.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Xtians claim special privileges get the ok from right wing bigots. Muslims claim special privileges get scorn.

Seems about right.

Right wing, that is.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Right. These "religious freedom" laws are nothing more than people becoming a law unto themselves.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

A lot of the people commenting seem to have overlooked that the problem was not caused by the company, or by this flight attendant, who was able to find work tradeoffs with other flight attendants, but rather by an (almost certainly) Islamophobic flight attendant who found common markers of Islam (headscarf, and books in Arabic) as unacceptable as the notion of work tradeoffs. It is Islamophobia, not Islam, that is the problem.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

So I can get a job as a bartender in a busy bar, covert to Islam, and my boss will agree that I don't have to serve drinks? Great! I'll be in the back reading a book. Let me know when someone orders a Shirley Temple!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

A lot of the people commenting seem to have overlooked that the problem was not caused by the company, or by this flight attendant, who was able to find work tradeoffs with other flight attendants, but rather by an (almost certainly) Islamophobic flight attendant who found common markers of Islam (headscarf, and books in Arabic) as unacceptable as the notion of work tradeoffs. It is Islamophobia, not Islam, that is the problem.

I'm anti-islamophobia, but I disagree with the premise of your post. She has a job, and part of that job is serving alcohol. She switched to Islam after taking the job, so if her decision to pick up this religion impacts on her ability to do the job, she needs to quit. It's unreasonable to expect the company to change her position due to a unilateral decision on her part to change her circumstance to one in which she cannot perform the duties of her job. This is not Islamophobia, it is a woman who has unreasonable expectations of her company.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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