British Retailer Marks & Spencer In Muslim Staff Row

[icyfroth]

BRITISH retailer Marks & Spencer is facing criticism after it emerged that it allows Muslim staff to refuse to sell customers pork and alcohol.

More than 8000 people have signed up to a Facebook page calling for a boycott of the chain after an "extremely apologetic" Muslim checkout worker told a customer they would have to wait for another employee to sell them a bottle of champagne.

M&S, which is Britain's biggest clothing retailer as well as selling food and homeware, said that when employees have religious beliefs that restrict what foods or drinks they can handle it tries to place them in a "suitable role".

"We regret that in the case highlighted we were not following our own internal policy," a company spokeswoman said on Monday.

"As a secular business we have an inclusive policy that welcomes all religious beliefs whether across our customer or employee base."

But the "Boycott Marks and Spencer" Facebook page said the policy was an affront to "common sense".

The issue emerged after an unnamed customer told the Daily Telegraph newspaper the worker had refused to sell them champagne at a London store and that they would have to wait for another till to become available.

"I was taken aback," the customer told the newspaper. "I was a bit surprised. I've never come across that before."

Drinking alcohol and pork consumption are forbidden in Islam.

The row highlighted differences among British retailers' policies on whether staff should be allowed to refuse to sell certain products on religious grounds.

Like M&S, supermarket chains Asda, Morrisons and Tesco said Muslim staff would not have to work on the tills if they objected to handling specific products.

But the head of high street retailer John Lewis said staff should not have the right to refuse to serve customers.

"This is taking it one stage beyond common sense," managing director Andy Street told BBC radio.

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How ridiculous! Why would you place staff in a situation like that? And why would you as a muslim seek a job where you may be required to handle alcohol and pork?

[izabsmiling]

Is it possible that it's more the case that the staff member didn't wish to touch the pork and alcohol rather than it being an issue for him to be in a place where it is sold and be the staff member at the register ? If so, the customer could have scanned it and been given a bag to put those items in .That way the staff members hands would not have been soiled by them as his religion may consider the case if he physically touched it ?

[izabsmiling]

if that's the case...the solution is simple imo 

and this article and carry on way OTT

[nevillesdaughter]

To me it seems a little hypocritical in respect of the staff member - why work for a firm if you have religious objections to the product they sell?

Marina.

[**meep**]

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@izabsmiling wrote:

Is it possible that it's more the case that the staff member didn't wish to touch the pork and alcohol rather than it being an issue for him to be in a place where it is sold and be the staff member at the register ? If so, the customer could have scanned it and been given a bag to put those items in .That way the staff members hands would not have been soiled by them as his religion may consider the case if he physically touched it ?

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why would someone who is forbidden from being in contact with certain things, apply for a position where they would  be exposed to such things???  

it was my understanding however, that only consumption of pork  or alcohol was Haram   (not touching)

[**meep**]

Something doesn't seem right.

There are many Muslim girls working as shop assistants in supermarkets and chemists in my area.  I have never come across one that refused to handle Haram food or alcohol based products.

[i-need-a-martini]

Perhaps at this time of year given how busy it would be for any retailer, it was all hands on deck. Perhaps the staff member wouldn't normally be working that area but was forced to due to short staffing?

Either way, the story smells a bit fishy. It seems to have changed and grown. From one customer being asked to wait for another staff member to help them to multiples saying they were forced to go to other tills. And the number of FB hits/comments/likes suggests that most of the complaints are fabricated anti-muslim sentiments.

[icyfroth]

I spose if you touched it, pork mainly, you could accidently touch you lips with your hands and be contaminated that way.

But as it says in the article, it's a lack of common sense both of the retailer to roster muslim staff in a position where their religious beliefs would be compromised and on the part of the muslim staff member to consent to even work in a department where they could come into contact with such items.

[izabsmiling]

I guess people of the Muslim faith are individuals and also as able as anyone else to having an off day ?

[izabsmiling]

imo it really is such a trivial thing for so many to make such a huge fuss over.