Source: The Muslim News

Wire Service: AP

http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=10110

On October 23, 2005 the Associated Press reported, "The owner of a chain of stores has agreed to pay $16,000 to a Muslim former employee who complained that she was fired shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks because of her religious beliefs.

As part of the settlement, which followed an investigation by the State of Maryland Commission on Human Relations, the owner of the education supplies store called 'Learning How' also sent an apology to the fired worker, Shabana Ahmed. The owner also agreed to send his managers to cultural and religious awareness training.

Ahmed, 27, worked as a saleswoman at the company's Columbia store for several weeks in October 2001. She wore traditional Muslim attire to work and prayed several times a day in the back of the store. According to the commission's investigation, company President John Faw Jr. pulled aside the store manager. The manager told members of the commission that Faw said, 'Are you crazy? ... I can't have her working here.' Ahmed was fired the next day, said Lee Hoshall, assistant general counsel at the commission. A 'Learning How' official denied wrongdoing."