should our US company create a room so muslim employees can pray to mecca 5 times a day on a mat?

Answer 1

I think so, if you want to fully accomodate your employees of Islamic faith, and do other things if you want to accomodate employees of other faiths.

You hire your employees on their merit, not their religion. For those Muslims that pray five times a day, that's a spiritual requirement. If you have an employee with severe asthma, you should provide equipment to assist them, because that's a medical requirement. It's just to be ethical.

However, with the costs and restructuring incurred, actually building a room could be unfeasible. Try discussing this with your Muslim employees and see what they want. Perhaps all they need is a break room with the table pushed across. Luckily, Muslim prayer isn't always through the working day, there's early morning and night too.

Answer 2

I think that perhaps the questioner put in the info about 5 times a day because so many people have no idea about Islam. Stopping to pray for a few minutes (and probably it will be only once or twice because the prayers are spaced out according to the position of the sun, so they pray around noon and in the late afternoon or early evening in the summer) is ESSENTIAL to a Muslim's way of life. The person who referred to "praying crap" and productivity isn't thinking about all of the time people WASTE going out to smoke or surfing the net, etc. For a Muslim, to stop and pray is to take time out of your day to focus on what is most important to them, their faith in God.

I like the idea of a room that anyone can go to for prayer or even meditation. How about a "time-out"? If an employee is stressed and unhappy with his job and thinks his employer doesn't care about him as an individual, how productive are they going to be anyway?

Answer 3

Yes, if your company feels their manpower is worth it, otherwise they'll find other jobs. I'm not islamic, but you were culturally insensitive. All you had to do was ask whether your company should create the prayer room or not. The reference to "a mat" and praying "5 times a day" wasn't necessary.

Answer 4

Do u control every US company in US? Each company can have its own policies . However, if it benefits the company by increasing productivity, morale and profits, then YAH. A company would be stupid to not allow it if such action that pleases the employees and at moderate costs. And if all it takes is a couple extra rooms, I think it is feasible. Too bad many companies are too stupid to realize this fact. Ahh screw them.

Answer 5

Its only far to if they are doing the same to accomodate the other religions. The best thing they could do is just make a plain room that can be used by any employee of any religion to do prayer if they are seeking to accomodate religions.

Answer 6

respect other religions, if u want other religions to respect your religion in return. As how u worship god, they have their right to do so even if they have to pray 5 times on the mat. its called R-E-S-P-E-C-T... live with it.. the US company should at least creAte fo dem a room, or do u wAn dem praying near ur desk?.. go figure!

Answer 7

NO! No more than they should have a room for prayer meetings or prayer in schools. Religious people are like Gays, I don't care what they do behind closed doors, just don't try forcing it on me. To be honest, I've never had a Gay person try to force their views on me, but the religious right is trying to do it all the time.

Answer 8

Don't think so and then the Hindus will demand a pooja room to pray before work and it will open up a whole can of worms.

Answer 9

Yes..please...

That will be cool....and shows that your US company is ethnic-friendly and that's good for those Muslim employee morale..

And don't forget a special place in restroom for them to do ablution...

Answer 10

Only if they want to create that room and do so in a way that won't alienate those of other religions.