Denying job to man makes sense in light of current events
I was shocked to read that a Muslim man couldn’t get hired by World Relief, a Christian relief agency, because of his religion [“Relief organization rejects job applicant over his faith,” NWWedensday, March 10]. What was World Relief thinking?
So what if the Muslim god Allah wants to blow up the world, if necessary, to get it to convert to Islam. So what if — on the same date — it’s reported that six Christian workers for World Vision were murdered by Muslims in Pakistan [“6 World Vision workers killed in attack,” News, March 10]. Give the guy a job!
By the way, I also think it’s ridiculous that farmers won’t hire foxes to guard henhouses.
— Peter Thalhofer, Vashon Island
Discriminatory practices protected legally
Muslims are absolutely opposed to any and all attempts by anyone to tell the people of any faith community how to conduct their affairs. Every religious community of whatever faith, wherever situated, has an absolute right to freely exercise their religion within their religious community. World Relief reaches out to people of all faiths to serve them and within their organization — which is religious work for them and secular work for all of the people they help — they should suffer no criticism or regulation of how they manage their affairs, whether in hiring or anywhere else.
This Christian group is explicitly exempted from the Civil Rights Act’s prohibition of “discriminatory” hiring practices. This is entirely consistent with the U.S. Constitution. It is also consistent with Islamic law and the religions of Islam, Christianity and Judaism — all three of which call upon the faithful to join together in the performance of good works that serve humanity and reject any imposition by others to obstruct or manage their good works.
America is one of the only places in the world where religious liberty is both a social ideal and a social reality. There aren’t many other countries where religious liberty is so firmly established as a foundation principle underlying all liberties, written into a social contract, spread throughout the entire justice system and in the hearts of all Americans.
Making an “issue” out of World Relief’s policy is nothing more than an attempt to interfere in the conduct of Christian affairs — by Christians— and to establish a precedent allowing the public to regulate the free exercise of religion, eroding that very religious liberty that makes America a beacon of light for all humanity. I categorically refuse to participate in the pillorying of World Relief for doing what they believe God wants them to do.
— Dawud Ahmad Al-Amriki, Springdale
Won’t tolerate religious discrimination
Simply by publishing the article about the reason for Saad Mohammad Ali’s being turned down for employment by the World Relief organization, The Seattle Times makes a huge but unspoken point with which I agree.
Faith-based operations like World Relief are to be praised and encouraged for the work they do. However, as suppliers of revenue to the U.S. and subsidiary governments, I and my fellow taxpayers ought not to be forced to support any trace of religious discrimination or any other style of bigotry through it.
It’s way past time to tidy up the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
— Roger Milnes, Seattle