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| Target is transferring cashiers who refuse to ring up pork |
| 2007-03-17 |
| In the wake of community criticism, Target Corp. is reassigning its Muslim cashiers who refuse to ring up pork products for religious reasons to other jobs at the stores. Target received a wave of criticism earlier this week after the Star Tribune reported in a front-page article that some Muslim cashiers at Target declined to scan bacon and other pork products. Some customers called and wrote Target to complain about the practice; a few called for a general boycott of Target on the Star Tribune's community blog, buzz.mn. After the story appeared, Target asked Muslim cashiers who refuse to handle pork to wear gloves or transfer to other areas of the stores. In some cases, Muslim cashiers will be given the option of transferring to other stores. "We are confident that this is a reasonable solution for our guests and team members," Target spokeswoman Paula Thornton-Greear said in a statement. It remains unclear whether wages would be affected by any job transfers; cashiers are generally entry-level positions at Target. Target's new policy is similar to ones at other grocery stores in the area. Spokespeople for the chains that operate Cub and Rainbow food stores said Muslims who share concerns about pork during the interview process are told of opportunities in departments such as dairy, floral or customer service that don't involve handling pork. Each Target store appears to have some leeway in implementing the new policy. At the downtown Minneapolis Target, employees were called into one-on-one meetings Thursday and asked whether they were opposed to handling pork for religious reasons. Those who said yes were told they could no longer work as cashiers during the store's busiest hours, 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., according to an employee at the store who requested anonymity. At the SuperTarget off Hwy. 7 in St. Louis Park, which has a full grocery section, Muslim cashiers who said they refuse to handle pork were transferred Thursday to the sales floor to stock shelves or fold clothes. It remained unclear whether that change is permanent. Suhara Robla, a 20-year-old employee at the store, said more than a dozen Muslim cashiers were asked Thursday to do other jobs. "They told all of us who don't touch pork to go to the sales floor," she said. "They really didn't say why. They just said it was a new policy." At Target stores, some Muslim cashiers opposed to selling pork had grown accustomed to waving over other employees whenever they came across bacon, ham or other pork products, even pepperoni pizza. In many cases, they simply switched on a little light above their registers and another cashier would rush to their side and swipe the product for them. The practice seemed to work well for Robla. She said she needed help scanning pork products only "about two or three times a day." In other cases, customers would volunteer to swipe the items themselves. Occasionally, however, Robla said, people would get annoyed when she told them it was because of her religion. "Some people would say, 'If you won't scan it, then I don't want this thing,' " she said. "I don't understand it. Some people don't even want to wait a few seconds." No, no, Robla dear. It's called customer service -- not Muslim cashier service. Mohamed Muse, who also works at the St. Louis Park store but not as a cashier, has no problems with the new policy. "If someone is trying to buy pork, you can't just say, 'Wait here,' " he said. "You can't put a hold on the work system." Muse, speaking to a reporter Friday afternoon at the Somali mall just off Lake Street, said when he applied for his job six months ago, a human-resources worker asked him whether he could handle pork. Muse, who arrived in the country eight months ago after immigrating with his family from Nairobi, Kenya, said no. "They said OK. So I work mostly with fruits and vegetables overnight," he said. "It was really no problem."Some people get it. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #20 Transfer them back to whatever Muslim rathole they came from. As someone said, the pork prohibition is enforced with more severity than the alcohol prohibition. In fact, many Egyptian Muslims believe they may drink spirits except during war. Egypt is full of bars. Mohammed the pedophile-fraud banned drinking of intoxicants because drunkenness got in the way of his plunder and revenge scheme. Surprise: a pre-prohibition mosque named after wine, stands to this day in Medina. Wahabis use it for propaganda purposes. They believe that jihad is constant, until only "allah" is worshipped worldwide. |
| Posted by: Sneaze 2007-03-17 22:23 |
| #19 To work in their Kosher delicatessen? |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2007-03-17 21:43 |
| #18 I still think the best fix is to hit the checkout lines with a load of pork products and when they refuse, just leave. rinse and repeat. Would it be insensitive and swinish to make oinking noises while waiting in the checkout line with all that porky goodness? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2007-03-17 20:35 |
| #17 I'll accept your premise - I live in San Diego, and can only comment on my local store - we had every weirdo and petition-signature soliciter under the sun every weekend at the local Target entrance/exit. I have always dropped $ at the SA kettles, and still do at the grocery store locations that have them. If Target chose to ban all solicitors, yet contribute to SA, I have no problems with that. I do have issues if they let employees enforce their personal issues on customers...what next? They won't help me find an R-rated DVD? A BBQ I might use to smoke pork ribs? bottomline: I can understand if they had to do a blanket-ban to stop other soliciters, fine. If they don't use "Christmas" in the manner you prefer, don't patronize them and send emails why.. their bottomline will suffer (as theirs and others have at Christmas due to similar boycotts), and hopefully the multi-culti execs will be out on the streets, looking for HR jobs with other cos. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-03-17 20:30 |
| #16 Sorry Frank that isn't what happened. I was tracking the Target BS because I knew Carolyn and have other Christian friends that work at the main office. They used the "ban all solicitors" as an excuse to give in to a gay cruise line business owner who was part of the Minneapolis business council. I watched the whole thing go down from the headquarters in Minneapolis. The fact was that there were no other groups wanting to do anything like what the Salvation Army was doing. It was purely a case of gay activist going after a Christan Group. Been there, saw that. Wal-Mart continues to support the Salvation Army and to this day they haven't had a single problem with other groups. Not one. Target's PR line was and is pure bullshit from the get go. Contact Target at 1 (800) 440-0680. Let Target know you will stop shopping there unless they stop giving in to the Islam. Debbie Schlussel has the inside scoop on these Minneapolis Dhimmis. Other Target BS. Forbids employees from saying, "Merry Christmas"; Bans mention of Christmas in "holiday" ads and promotions. * Bans Salvation Army bell-ringers; and * Sells clothing made in terrorist-host state Syria and anti-American United Arab Emirates (and refuses to respond to inquiries regarding that) This picture illustrates what Target sees as "the community" and how to "give back" to it. We noted not a single Christian or Jewish group in the four full-page ad spread. Why? We don't object to Target treating all religions equally, but this ad--and Target's outrageous "holiday" season behavior--suggests otherwise, that Target prefers one religion over the others. Why is it Target's official policy to de-Christmas-ize ads, but no problem making Islam front and central? Keep in mind that part of your Target purchase funds this, whatever it is. |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2007-03-17 20:17 |
| #15 I like the part about not cashiering during the busy part of the day....what does that say about customerservice during the remainder of the day? I still think the best fix is to hit the checkout lines with a load of pork products and when they refuse, just leave. rinse and repeat. |
| Posted by: USN, ret. 2007-03-17 20:04 |
| #14 If I ever encounter any of this kind of behavior, I promise I will insist that the manager come over, and I will make a big stink. I'll make 'em wish they never hired any sort of whacko muzzie idiot. This is the real solution. It is Target's legal right to transfer these miserable little whiners rather than fire them outright like they so richly deserve. It is OUR RIGHT to loudly and pointedly complain when some Islamic facist is attempting to regulate our shopping habits by whingeing about our legitimate activities within a public store. Be sure to elevate your voice and make special note of how this Muslim (be sure to identify their religion), is showing lack of concern for prompt, polite customer service then pointedly observe that they are attempting to foist their religion upon you in an inappropriate fashion. Rinse and repeat as needed. Whenever possible, record the employee's name and file a written complaint so that their personnel file becomes littered with such negative comments. No human resources wonk can promote anyone with lots of complaints. We need to thwart these subtle erosions of our right to live our lives as we see fit. I can only hope that the jobs Target transfers these wankers to involve the most heavy lifting. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-03-17 17:48 |
| #13 We should see this trend as a great tactical opportunity in the War against Islam. A few people with a little time on their hands can drive any annoying Muslim in retailing out of a job, if not out of their mind. |
| Posted by: Grunter 2007-03-17 16:09 |
| #12 IIRC - Target banned ALL solicitors (to eliminate the whackjobs) from their storefronts, but promised to give a significant donation each year to Salvation Army. If they keep that bargain, and continue to contribute corporately (try to say that or type it three times...yeeesh), then I understand their policy and am OK with it. In regards to checkout clerks who won't do their jobs if the product offends them? Behead them in the parking lot! But that's just me...and I am a known softy |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-03-17 16:03 |
| #11 Personally I'll just take the opportunity to evangelize on the benefits to the soul of a good BLT on white toast with mayo. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2007-03-17 15:59 |
| #10 If I ever encounter any of this kind of behavior, I promise I will insist that the manager come over, and I will make a big stink. I'll make 'em wish they never hired any sort of whacko muzzie idiot. |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2007-03-17 15:13 |
| #9 Spot on Frank! And make sure they sniff the packages to make sure they aren't leaking! I have fricking had it with the Minneapolis Muzzies and their Pedophile for Profit myth death cult. Keith Ellison is their Kaaba marching lap dog funded by the terrorist in CAIR and something has got to be done. The question is what? Hennepin County is overflowing with America hating moonbats that refuse to check into the backgrounds of non-citizen welfare suckers. That's why Minneapolis has so many. Personally I stopped going to Target two years ago when they bent over and took it up the poop pipe and removed the Salvation Army Kettles. A local Minneapolis fudge packer (gays only cruise line promoter) demanded that this Christian group be removed from all of the Target Stores. Sickening. I wrote to a KSTP report and then Target spokes women Carolyn Brookter and told her how ashamed we were of her company. She must have felt the same because right about hen Greear popped up as the mouthpiece. Target's decision to oust the bell ringers was made in January, just weeks after the homosexual activists' campaign was made public. Customer: Heh you in the burka where are you're qurans? Target burka: We don't have a book section. Customer: Never mind I just remembered where you keep the toilet paper. Enough is enough! |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2007-03-17 15:09 |
| #8 Has this been a problem at Wal*Mart? Guess I know where to shop. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2007-03-17 15:04 |
| #7 Ima got some fine countrymade hot sausage Frank. Hotter than 3 round of bullet. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2007-03-17 14:55 |
| #6 To Mooslimbs: Fuck off and die, you 7th century moon cult. I have had it with your backwards lifestyle and your trying to force it on me and my country. You don't like what we do, fuck off and go home. We will even escort you to the border before we dropkick your ass across it. If you agree to live and let live, you are welcome to stay. Otherwise, fuck off and go home. If you stay and keep trying to impose your cult on me, prepare to reap the wirlwind. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-03-17 14:55 |
| #5 Don't transfer them, FIRE THEM !!!! For christ sake we will all be praying to Allah pretty soon in an effort not to upset the Damn Muzzies!!! |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2007-03-17 14:52 |
| #4 Conservative Christians don't get jobs working at strip clubs or adult bookstores, because they don't want to deal with that kind of activity. They don't get jobs there and then insist that the establishment change its business operations to suit their religious beliefs. I don't know why Muslims in Minnesota should be any different. |
| Posted by: WhiteCollarRedneck 2007-03-17 14:32 |
| #3 Many Muslims believe the pig is an unclean animal and consider it a sin to eat pork. The Qur'an has multiple passages in which Allah instructs believers to avoid eating pig flesh. It is so core to their beliefs that some consider it sinful to sell the meat, because that encourages others to participate in a sinful act. In the Muslim world, there is even a stronger taboo against pork than alcohol, said Owais Bayunus, an imam at the Abu Khudra Mosque in Columbia Heights. Wearing gloves will not solve the issue, he said. "There is a school of thought within the Muslim community that if you sell pork or alcohol to someone, then you are contributing to the propagation of a sinful activity," he said. "Many Muslims do not want to see non-Muslims involved in a sinful product." excuse me? I'll decide what I want to purchase, and I won't be limited by the twisted interpretations of a 7th century moon cult. In fact, I'd go back for an extra rack of baby back ribs and some Jimmy Dean's, beeeotch! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-03-17 14:23 |
| #2 if you are refusing to perform the job functions, you should find another job after you are terminated. not coddled and transferred. if i claimed a hangup as a bank teller and refused to cash welfare checks because i believe that money should be earned rather than transferred/extorted by the government i am sure i would be canned rather than transferred to another department or to a different branch. you think handling pork is wrong, find a job where there is no pork to handle |
| Posted by: abu do you love 2007-03-17 13:58 |
| #1 hat tip to Powerline? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-03-17 13:37 |
