Muslims are facing growing bias in the work place. Even though Muslim Americans make up about 2% of America’s population, they have accounted for about one quarter of the 3,386 religious discrimination claims filed by workers. Muslim workers have been barred from wearing hijabs (headscarves) and taking prayer breaks by their employers. There have also been complaints of co-workers calling them “terrorist” or “Osama.
The EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) has found enough evidence in some of the filed complaints to file lawsuits on behalf of Muslim workers. In 2005, the commission sued a meat packing company on behalf of 160 Muslim workers. The Muslim workers claimed that they had been cursed for being Muslim; thrown blood, meat, and bones at them; and interrupted their prayer breaks.
Many American Muslim foundations were shut down by the American government. The foundations were claimed to have been affiliated with terrorist organizations. Muslim student organizations on college campuses across the country went under secret surveillance the American government.