Ramadan - We've been asked not to eat at our desks...

4T5 · 14 Sep 2007 at 13:34

Next thing they will stop us eating bacon sarnys in public Generally.
Tell them to Kiss your Skinny White Christian **** in a way that won't get you immedietly sacked.
When my Muslim mate comes round i don't do my bacon but that is because he is a mate & out of respect. Work colleagues are Not friends in most cases so **** 'em.
Ramadam is a test for Muslims & a lesson in how it is to feel hungry, if there is No temptation there is No test

Anyone would think they don't eat at all for 30 days the way people go on about it. For ***** sake they can eat when the Sun is down so what's the big deal.

gumbald · 14 Sep 2007 at 13:38

Reply to the person who sent the e-mail asking if you can swap your desk for their office for the time concerned.

Heofz · 14 Sep 2007 at 13:48

manoz said:
Why would you eat at your desk anyway, I think companies should discourage it tbh.

Umm, maybe I'm hungry, but want to use the internet at the same time? If I were to go eat my lunch elsewhere, then come back to my computer to continue with what I'm doing, I have less time to use the internet during my lunchbreak. Like for example today, I ran out of time to chase a parcel I had on the way this morning and I had to end the call early, and that probably means I won't get my parcel till Monday now. This stupid decision has consequences, however small, on people's lives and they should acknowledge it.

Also, if my muslim colleagues actually *asked* for this, I would be fine with it. But this was decided by people above who don't know any better, they made assumptions on how they should treat the situation and that is wrong. Did they stop to think that maybe my muslim colleagues didn't want this?

Oh and please stop with the "islam is a stupid religion" comments. Some of my friends are muslim and I find those comments inappropriate and offensive. It is people's right to believe in what they want, and the issue we're discussing is more the principle of what's happened, more than the specifics of one particular religion :rolleyes:

demon8991 · 14 Sep 2007 at 14:35

Yer they are doing this at my work too, but only with hot foods!

But i do work for an islamic investment bank so i did expect it.

Supercow · 14 Sep 2007 at 14:39

demon8991 said:
Yer they are doing this at my work too, but only with hot foods!

But i do work for an islamic investment bank so i did expect it.

Now that's much more understandable.
If it's a islamic company, then you should respect their traditions.

wordy · 14 Sep 2007 at 14:42

Brownpants said:
I'm working in a Islamic country, under Sharia law, working in an office full of muslims. They have absolutely no problem with me eating food at my desk etc. They wouldn't want to force their religious beliefs to affect someone else.

Just as long as i don't do the 'i have food' dance and rub it in their faces of course

I've just had a mental image on you dressed up like a morris dancer, doing a stupid dance chanting " I have food" and occaisonlly rubbing a cornish pasty in each your colleagues face while they are sat there trying to work

Deadly Ferret · 14 Sep 2007 at 14:45

AcidHell2 said:
Yet another policy made up by a middle aged white person. Who haven't even consulted the minority party.

I'll be a middle-aged white person one day, and I resent the increasingly fashionable trend of blaming stupid ideas re: political correctness on white people without actually having any primary information. For all you know it was a callow Indian immigrant who arrived last month...

Heofz · 14 Sep 2007 at 14:47

The funny thing is that the "rest area" is only about 10 metres away, so all the strong smells still waft into our office, which completely voids the argument of food smells here.

Just had a quiet word with my boss just now, he said he admires that I was the only one with the balls to say something to him about it

Apparently my muslim co-workers were told that this arrangement has always been the case for the last 4 years, and they were quite happy for this to happen so that's good in that they aren't offended by this.

Apparently at our work we were never meant to eat at our desks but this was never enforced except for the month of ramadan. So I suppose this is more fair than what I initially believed.

Combat squirrel · 14 Sep 2007 at 15:07

basmic said:
I'd tell them to drop dead, and that I won't be changing my daily habits for the sake of religion - in particular somebody elses.

furnace · 14 Sep 2007 at 15:12

Why don't they go somewhere else.

You should email him back.

Wyrdo · 14 Sep 2007 at 15:14

manoz said:
Why would you eat at your desk anyway, I think companies should discourage it tbh.

Eh? I eat at my desk during the day while I'm working and don't take a lunch break. If anything I'm doing the company I work for a favour.

Vita · 14 Sep 2007 at 15:14

I'm fasting and personally I think it would take the mick, if someone was munching at their desk while you was hungry.

Greenlizard0 · 14 Sep 2007 at 15:14

Funny every muslim I have spoken to about this doesn't really mind. I had a GP partner last year who was muslim, and she still sat with me in Macdonalds while she couldn't eat.

Though saying that I think I know some very cool muslims. I swear I've seen them eat sausage rolls while drunk.

Wyrdo · 14 Sep 2007 at 15:15

basmic said:
I'd tell them to drop dead, and that I won't be changing my daily habits for the sake of religion - in particular somebody elses.

This is what I'd be doing. It just sounds like his boss or whoever is an idiot.

Greenlizard0 · 14 Sep 2007 at 15:16

Vita said:
I'm fasting and personally I think it would take the mick, if someone was munching at their desk while you was hungry.

Fair enough if e.g. erm, you forgot your lunch and lunch money to get some. But in this situation they've chosen to fast, other people shouldn't have to change their habits to suit them.

I think it'd be a good test of character as well

bandit · 14 Sep 2007 at 15:18

Cuchulain said:
Respect for who? Muslims? Why would they care if a non muslim eats Bacon, and if they do, tough, they can lump it or bugger off to the land of their ancestors.

come on, please learn abit about what your slagging off before you do. islam has nothing to do with where you come from, a blueblood englishman could be a muslim, so there are no ancestoral land to go back to.
a good example is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmaduke_Pickthall, tracing his roots to a knight of william the conqueror

jumpy said:
I guess that's directed at me. *yawn*
I gave it all the respect it deserves....

Joking aside, when I lived in a middle east country we used to respect the local customs and refrain from eating in public during ramadan, but the last time I checked this is the secular land of the UK, not ayatollah land.

I would say it's a pity that our muhammadan brothers don't take the same attitude, but I rather suspect the instigators of problems like these are white, middle class lefty do gooders who think it's a noble cause to be offended for everybody except the majority.

we are muslims, not muhammadan

, and wheres ayatollah land?

Gigi said:
So, us "Christians/ catholics" etc have to respect their beliefs for forcing themselves not to eat YET we have to be careful at christmas incase we offend them. Sorry but its total crap.

this thread has nothing to do with muslims but as has been so often the case some PC person deciding whats good or not. even if it were a muslim, it would be a minoroty view. please hold off the red mist everytime you see the work muslim and think about whats been written and said by both muslim and not muslim...

wordy said:
I've just had a mental image on you dressed up like a morris dancer, doing a stupid dance chanting " I have food" and occaisonlly rubbing a cornish pasty in each your colleagues face while they are sat there trying to work

actually, have an image of brown pants doing the david brent office dance with a burger in each hand....

Vita · 14 Sep 2007 at 15:18

Greenlizard0 said:
Fair enough if e.g. erm, you forgot your lunch and lunch money to get some. But in this situation they've chosen to fast, other people shouldn't have to change their habits to suit them.

I think it'd be a good test of character as well

Yeah others shouldn't. I agree with that, but I just find it abit pish taking. Put yourself in the positon, how would you feel?

manoz · 14 Sep 2007 at 15:18

wyrdo said:
Eh? I eat at my desk during the day while I'm working and don't take a lunch break. If anything I'm doing the company I work for a favour.

See I don't get it, maybe cos I've only ever worked in retail and have to eat away from the shop floor, why don't you take a lunch break? Do you not get up and go for a walk or sit on your ass all day? Eating at a place of work just silly to me,

PaulB · 14 Sep 2007 at 15:19

Continue to eat at your desk and make sure you surf the Internet for cakes and chocolate during your lunch break.

If you've got access to a colour printer, print off pictures of cakes and stick them on everyones's desk.

Oh and order a pizza for delivery to the office

bandit · 14 Sep 2007 at 15:19