The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today said a new Trump administration outlining how federal workers can talk about religion at work “could lead to the type of discrimination it purports to oppose.”
“In a memo to the heads of federal agencies, the Office of Personnel Management — the government’s human resources arm — said public employees have the right to religious expression in the workplace, citing civil rights law and the First Amendment. That includes the right to discuss religion, engage in ‘communal religious expressions’ and display items such as bibles, crucifixes and mezuzahs on their desks, the memo states. ‘During a break, an employee may engage another in polite discussion of why his faith is correct and why the non-adherent should re-think his religious beliefs,’ it states. ‘However, if the non-adherent requests such attempts to stop, the employee should honor the request.’”
In a statement, Washington, D.C., based CAIR said:
“Although we support efforts to ensure that federal employees can openly practice their faith in the workplace, certain aspects of this policy could lead to the type of discrimination it purports to oppose—especially if the government selectively upholds this policy for the benefit of only favored religious groups.
“Permitting employees to pray together, discuss religion with each other, and wear visible signs of their faith are positive steps if all employees–including American Muslims–receive the benefits and protections of these accommodations on equal terms. It is concerning that the policy mentions numerous examples of permissible activity, discussion and dress related to the Christian and Jewish faiths, but never mentions a single example related to Muslims.
“Other aspects of the policy, such as explicitly allowing security to place religious objects on display to the public at entrances to federal buildings and permitting supervisors to proselytize to their employees, could obviously lead to an appearance of religious bias and a hostile workplace.
“The Trump administration must ensure that all federal employees can practice their faith on equal terms, that no staffers–especially supervisors–create a hostile work environment for their colleagues, and that government agencies do not use these policies to create the appearance of bias and exclusivity.”
CAIR offers a booklet, called “An Employer’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices,” to help employers gain a better understanding of Islam and Muslims in the workplace.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com