<DIV> <A href="http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001" target=_blank><IMG alt=Pig src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_3_152.gif" border=0></A> <A href="http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001" target=_blank><IMG alt="Pig 2" src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_10_2.gif" border=0></A> <A href="http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001" target=_blank><IMG alt=Pig src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_3_152.gif" border=0></A> <A href="http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001" target=_blank><IMG alt="Pig 2" src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_10_2.gif" border=0></A> <A href="http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001" target=_blank><IMG alt=Pig src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_3_152.gif" border=0></A> <A href="http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001" target=_blank><IMG alt="Pig 2"
src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_10_2.gif" border=0></A> <A href="http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001" target=_blank><IMG alt=Pig src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_3_152.gif" border=0></A> <A href="http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001" target=_blank><IMG alt="Pig 2" src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_10_2.gif" border=0></A> <A href="http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001" target=_blank><IMG alt=Pig src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_3_152.gif" border=0></A> <A href="http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001" target=_blank><IMG alt="Pig 2" src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_10_2.gif" border=0></A> <A href="http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001" target=_blank><IMG alt=Pig src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_3_152.gif" border=0></A> <A href="http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001"
target=_blank><IMG alt="Pig 2" src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_10_2.gif" border=0></A> <A href="http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001" target=_blank><IMG alt=Pig src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_3_152.gif" border=0></A> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Please read this before calling Domino's or bringing that Subway stuff back to work!</DIV>
<DIV> TL </DIV>
<DIV> <A href="http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001" target=_blank><IMG alt="You're Fired" src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/3/3_7_2.gif" border=0></A> </DIV>
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<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid"><BR><A href="http://www.local6.com/money/3614199/detail.html" eudora="autourl">http://www.local6.com/money/3614199/detail.html<BR><BR><BR><BR></A>
<H1><FONT face=arial size=4><B>Woman Fired For Eating 'Unclean' Meat<BR><BR></B></FONT></H1>
<H2><FONT face=verdana size=5><B>Attorney: 'It's A Classic Case Of Religious Discrimination'</B></FONT></H2><FONT face=verdana color=#666666 size=1>POSTED: 5:46 am EDT August 4, 2004<BR>UPDATED: 2:53 pm EDT August 4, 2004<BR></FONT><FONT face=verdana size=2><B>ORLANDO, Fla. -- </B>A Central Florida woman was fired from her job after eating "unclean" meat and violating a reported company policy that pork and pork products are not permissible on company premises, according to Local 6 News.<BR><BR>Lina Morales was hired as an administrative assistant at Rising Star -- a Central Florida telecommunications company with strong Muslim ties, Local 6 News reported. <BR><BR>However, 10 months after being hired by Rising Star, religious differences led to her termination. <BR><BR>Morales, who is Catholic, was warned about eating pizza with meat the Muslim faith considered "unclean," Local 6 News reported. She was then fired for eating a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, according to !
the
report. <BR><BR>"Are you telling me they fired you because you had something with ham on it?" Local 6 News reporter Mike Holfeld asked.<BR><BR>"Yes," Morales said. <BR><BR> </FONT><FONT face=verdana color=#ffffff size=2><B>Video<BR></B></FONT><FONT face=verdana size=1><A href="http://www.local6.com/money/3614199/detail.html#">Woman Fired After Eating Pork <BR><BR></A></FONT><FONT face=verdana size=2>Holfeld asked, "A pizza and a BLT sandwich?"<BR><BR>" Yes," Morales said. <BR><BR>Local 6 News obtained the termination letter that states she was fired for refusing to comply with company policy that pork and pork products are not permissible on company premises. <BR><BR>However, by the company's own admission to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, that policy is not written, Local 6 News reported. <BR><BR>"Did you ever sign to or agree to anything that said I will not eat pork?" Holfeld asked Morales. <BR><BR>"Never," Morales said. "When I got hired there, they s!
aid we
don't care what religion you are." <BR><BR>Attorney Travis Hollifield is representing Morales in a lawsuit against the company.<BR><BR>"It's just un-American," Hollifield said. "It's not in compliance with the laws of this country."<BR><BR>Local 6 News reported that the case has precedent-setting issues because it addresses employee rights and religion in the workplace.<BR><BR>"It's a classic case of religious discrimination," Hollifield said. "They have not articulated a single reason other than religious reason behind the policy." <BR><BR>The CEO of Rising Star, Kujaatele Kweli, told Local 6 News that they have tried to create an office that accommodates anybody's religion -- not just Islam.<BR><BR>"Clearly you're accommodating," Holfeld said. <BR><BR>"Yes." Kweli replied. <BR><BR>"And you have an ecumenical philosophy," Holfeld said. <BR><BR>" Yes," Kweli replied.<BR><BR>"(Then) shouldn't you be able to accommodate all faiths in the same lunch room?" Holfeld asked.<BR><B!
R>"We do,
we can," Kweli said.<BR><BR>"But you've dismissed one of your employees for eating pork in the lunch room," Holfeld said.<BR><BR>"Yes, pork is considered unclean," Kweli said.<BR><BR>The Koran forbids Muslims from eating pork. And according to Kweli, Morales and every employee at the company is advised of the no pork policy. <BR><BR>"Our point of view is to respect the laws of the land and the laws of the land as I understand it is to the accommodate people's right to practice their religions if you can," Kweli said. <BR><BR>"Even if it impacts other people?" Holfeld asked. <BR><BR>"Well, it always impacts other people," Kweli replied. <BR><BR>Orlando attorney Mark Nejame is close to the Muslim community, Local 6 News reported. He said Kweli's intentions may cross constitutional parameters, according to the report. <BR><BR>"They're making it seem that if you don't follow a certain set of religious practices and beliefs then you're going to be terminated and that's wrong," N!
ejame
said. "If this case prevails, what it will mean -- the implications of this case -- is it will eliminate accommodations of religion." <BR><BR>Both sides are steadfast in their belief that they are right. Morales is taking the company to court charging discrimination, Local 6 News reported.</FONT> <BR><!-- |**|begin egp html banner|**| -->
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