Via the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Target Stores is leading the pack, by refusing to fire employees who refuse to serve the needs of their pork-consuming customers. In most occupations, not doing your job is grounds for termination. Apparently Target’s robust business model permits them to effectively pay people to irritate paying customers.

Some stores have reassigned muslim employees to other areas of the store. Others took the following approach, which can only be described as asinine:

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…

…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.

But another muslim employee had this to say: “If someone is trying to buy pork, you can’t just say, ‘Wait here,’ [y]ou can’t put a hold on the work system.”

He gets the gold star. It’s a mutually voluntary transaction - employment is: if you don’t like the terms of the position, don’t apply for it and complain about it later, don’t ask for special treatment, and don’t, under any circumstances, try to unilaterally alter the terms to which you agreed. The Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin reports the same story, and also tells the tale of Muse Dahir, a Sam’s Club employee who quit when he was informed that he couldn’t simply tell customers to go to another cashier. According to the PB article,

Jama Omar, a clerk at Otanga Grocery in Minneapolis… said Muslims shouldn’t expect special treatment. “If it causes a big problem for your employer, they have to make thm decision that’s best for them,” Omar said. “It’s not something to go on strike or file a civil suit. Go somewhere else that will accept your beliefs. There’s millions of jobs.“

And he’s right. Would an event moderately religious muslim dare to apply for a job as a server or a cook at an Applebee’s restaurant, and then refuse to prepare or serve babyback ribs or porkchops? Would a restaurant tolerate that sort of behavior from their employees? Would a devout buddhist accept a job at a slaughterhouse? As a meat-grinder? Would a vegan accept a job as a seal-clubber? You should be getting the point by now.

From now on, one of the interview questions - you know, right after: “Do you have a problem standing on your feet all day? Can you occasionally lift items weighing up to fifty pounds? Etc.,” should be: “Do you have a problem handling pork or products containing pork?” And it’s not discrimination. The question is religion-neutral, and you would not be refused the opportunity because of your religion, rather you’d be refused because you’ve identified yourself as someone unable or unwilling to do the job. Your excuses are beside the point.

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