Muslim Sues NY Police for Job Bias
11/03/2010WASHINGTON – An American Muslim is suing the New York Police Department for barring him from joining the force because of his Arabic origin and Muslim faith, a case rights activists say symbolizes a surge in job discrimination since the 9/11.
“There is a lot of racism and a lot of paranoia about Arabs in the police department,” Mark Taylor, lawyer of Said Hajem, told IslamOnline.
Hajem, a 39-year-old naturalized US citizen originally from Morocco, decided to pursue a career with the NYPD after knowing about the need for Arabic speakers on the force.
He passed the entrance exams with high scores and was cleared to join the Police Academy. He even received a congratulatory letter from the Police Commissioner.
But at the interview with Ricardo Ramkissoon, who was in charge of reviewing the application, the officer refused to take any personal references with Middle Eastern names of Hajem’s friends and neighbors.
“The officer responded very negatively to that, claiming that he could be a terrorist and they would say good things about him to get him on the force,” said Taylor.
“He specifically said that he was against officers from other countries to become members of the police department.”
Ramkissoon later said in his review that there are several reasons not to hire Hajem.
“That was really shocking to us… it is just a clear case of bias,” said Taylor, adding that his client decided to take his case to the court.
Lawyers for the city filed a motion asking that Hajem’s claim be dismissed but the District Court in Manhattan turned it down.
“The case is going to trial as the judge found that there are enough evidences for discrimination here to justify a trial,” said Taylor, adding that the lawsuit will proceed next month.
The NYPD had earlier said they just delayed Hajem’s hiring for years, but he is still eligible for hiring indefinitely.
They did not respond to IOL request for comment.
Surge
Civil rights advocates believe Hajem’s case is not so uncommon in post 9/11 America.
“There are too many cases without having something to support it,” Khadija Athman, Civil Rights Manager at the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), told IOL.
She noted many Muslims have faced job discrimination since 9/11 and filed cases with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the government agency responsible for enforcing laws against employment discrimination.
“After September 11, there were so many of these cases the EEOC received that they had to have a separate department to deal with the cases affecting Muslims and people from Middle Eastern origin.”
Fahed Al-Rawaf, a media and legal adviser at the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), agrees that discrimination at work place against Muslims and Arabs has soared.
“There has been a surge in employment discrimination cases across the country.”
The EEOC estimates confirm that Muslims and Arabs have faced the sharpest increase in workplace discrimination in recent years.
But unfortunately, laments Athman, most people just take it and do not report the discrimination they were subject to or file lawsuit.
“The problem is that with employment, it is not easy to prove you were not approved because of being Muslim or Arab.”
More and more we see Muslims imposing their religion on non-Muslims, plotting terrorist attacks, playing the victim card, or filing lawsuits. Maybe one day they will realize that Islam and the West do not mix. Even if they do most of them will not leave, as their religion commands them to fight on until Islam dominates the world.
People need to realize that these people are going to slaughter us all as soon as they're high numbered enough to pull it off.
I think the PC thing is going right out the window along with Obama and the democrap party. Right now, unemployment, Obama trying to outdo Carter for stupidity and illegal aliens are pissing people off more in the US than the ragheads. I know that the FBI watches them and bugs places they congregate. I know of a few incidents where they got their butts kicked for getting too mouthy too. Tempers are kind of short right now and people are not tolerating a lot of BS from muz…or any arabs.
go back to school
Do you care to add to such an insightful comment?
Thanks.
Doesn't look like it 😉
Amen, Robin!! We are so stupid. PC will be the death of us yet.
Seems the NYPD has more of a clue about arselifters than the arselifter's lawyer.
When you fire someone who belongs to minority or don't wan't to hire him, there is 90% chance that he is going to suit you for discriminiation.The world is going crazy.
"39 year old" joining the police force?
There used to be an age limit of 26, and you could raise it I believe as high as 36, for years of military service. Doesn't this exist anymore. And yes, "39 year old" joining the police force? This is either an attempt at inflitration or more likely, knowing that age and other things would raise red flags, this was done with the purpose of being turned down specifically so this idiotic suit could be filed. Tell me one damn country, just one, where they are that they are not a problem, just one. The world either wakes up and takes off the kids gloves all we all end up sleeping in body gloves.
While not really a country, Antarctica is the only place where arselifters aren't a problem. I imagine there are very few of them down there, especially during the summer months when they coincide with ramadamadingdong.
Who cares if he's an Arab.
What matters is whether or not he's a Moslem.
NYPD should give the killer major hassan's example and say we thought we would be on the safe-side and not hire someone who we think is going to attack policemen. What is wrong with that defense?
The nypd have a right to reject people they think are unsuitable.
I hope nypd wins this suit.
Why Muslim wants to work in the West and in the field of law, knowing full well that his religion is totally contrary to the laws of our country. And his loyalty to his religion and not for the law of the country, unless if he is thinking of something else …please wake up.
Ding Dong Ding Dong . . . . . . . . . Can you hear that . . . Thats the sound of alarm bells ringing in my head. . This guy is a major security risk. . . If he isn't an islamic fundamentalist trying to infiltrate, then at the very least, he will be in a prime position to be "Got at" by muslim nut jobs hell bent on the destruction of the west. It starts with one, then the floodgates open, and before you know it, the muslim officers will be having Five breaks a day to pray. . . The Police Department MUST win this case for common sense to prevail. . .
WOW. RED NICKS. RACISTS. HATTERS.WOW
GO BACK TO SCHOOL PEOPLE. I AM SURE NO ONE EVER LEFT THE COUNTRY.
I am not a red neck, and you throwing labels around does not lower the threat of Islam. What race is Islam and did your schooling teach you about the Islamic scriptures? I have left the country.
When you want to address Islam, get back to me.
Who do you claim has never left the country? I'm Australian and I've travelled most of the world. Some of the worst places I've been to have been third world and arselifter countries.