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posh
Joined: 22 Oct 2010
Posts: 430
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 Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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Bahrain hotels have Christmas trees in the lobby.
Last year, with a straight face, I asked my boss to have the 25th off. He laughed.
I went to Sinai in December. It was great and you can easily get there from Tabuk without flying. There is a ferry from Saudi that Ive heard of but never found any online evidence of. Better is go to Aqaba in Jordan and catch one to Nuweiba. I stayed in very laid back Dahab as Sharm is full-on tourism with sharks on land as well as in the water. Beautiful hotel for 50 bucks a night. |
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BadBeagleBad
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Posts: 1186
Location: 24.18105,-103.25185
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| Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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| veiledsentiments wrote: |
Christmas, Easter, and Sundays are all regular workdays in the Gulf. Keep in mind that in the US, we completely ignore the Muslim holidays and they rarely, if ever, get any time off for their holidays in the vast majority of the country.
Outside of Saudi they are more tolerant of decorations in that they sell them and the stores that cater to Christian expats do decorate. But it is very low key there too.
VS |
While it might be true that Muslim holidays are ignored it is NOT at all true that people are rarely given time off to celebrate them. This right is protected by law and muat bs respected. When I lived in the US I worked with people who practiced various religions and they were WITHOUT EXCEPTION given days off for religious observance. |
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2buckets
Joined: 14 Dec 2010
Posts: 515
Location: Middle East
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| Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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[i]Christmas, Easter, and Sundays are all regular workdays in the Gulf. Keep in mind that in the US, we completely ignore the Muslim holidays and they rarely, if ever, get any time off for their holidays in the vast majority of the country.
Outside of Saudi they are more tolerant of decorations in that they sell them and the stores that cater to Christian expats do decorate. But it is very low key there too.[/i]
VS
On the PC east coast of the USA, Eid holidays are part of the annual schedule and schools are closed. NYC and parts of New Jersey are examples. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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Dear rtm,
"If there are an estimated 1.5 million Christians out of an estimated 28 million citizens, that'd be 1.5/28 = .0537."
But wouldn't you have to count the Christians as part of the population (although not of the citizenry?) I'm sure the Muslims in the US are included in the "total population figure." That's why I gave the figure 1/29.5.
Regards
John |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 1:58 am Post subject: |
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| 2buckets wrote: |
| On the PC east coast of the USA, Eid holidays are part of the annual schedule and schools are closed. NYC and parts of New Jersey are examples. |
I would expect that it is also true in Michigan too, perhaps even Houston... but we are talking about a small percentage of the US where the Muslim population is high enough to get noticed and listened to. America is a great big place, and in the vast majority of it... I'd say lots of luck getting 4-7 days off at the Eids and time off every Friday for prayers. And one would certainly get cut no slack for the fact that one is fasting for a month.
VS |
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It's Scary!
Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 823
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| Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 2:07 am Post subject: |
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The U.S. military respects the fasting period and reminds people to consider those who fast. But, no accommodation is made otherwise.
There is a rumour that at least one day is given to them for al-Eid. Personally, for me, I let all know that they have Saturday and Sunday off.
But, that's only because I'm such a softie!
It gets them every time! |
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Kornan DeKobb
Joined: 24 Jan 2010
Posts: 242
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| Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 5:16 am Post subject: |
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| 2buckets wrote: |
| On the PC east coast of the USA, Eid holidays are part of the annual schedule and schools are closed. NYC and parts of New Jersey are examples. |
What is really incredible is that NYC alternate-side-of-the-street parking regulations are suspended during the Eids!  |
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mashkif
Joined: 17 Aug 2010
Posts: 178
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| Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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| veiledsentiments wrote: |
| 2buckets wrote: |
| On the PC east coast of the USA, Eid holidays are part of the annual schedule and schools are closed. NYC and parts of New Jersey are examples. |
I would expect that it is also true in Michigan too, perhaps even Houston... but we are talking about a small percentage of the US where the Muslim population is high enough to get noticed and listened to. America is a great big place, and in the vast majority of it... I'd say lots of luck getting 4-7 days off at the Eids and time off every Friday for prayers. And one would certainly get cut no slack for the fact that one is fasting for a month.
VS |
"but we are talking about a small percentage of the US where the Muslim population is high enough to get noticed and listened to."
Some might say they get noticed all right and they get listened to too much as it is, for such a tiny demographic group.
BTW< Do you have any evidence that there is a systematic discrimination going on against Muslims in the States, particularly discrimination that is somehow fundamentally worse than discrimination against any other minority?
"I'd say lots of luck getting 4-7 days off at the Eids and time off every Friday for prayers. And one would certainly get cut no slack for the fact that one is fasting for a month."
As others have pointed out, employers DO make substantial accommodations for Muslims, their holidays and practices. Getting up to two weeks off for a religious holiday in the space of three months is absurd, whatever your religion. I guess they'd want their regular vacation entitlement on top of that. We don't need such employees.
You know what? They came to this country knowing fully well what foundations it was built upon. They make a minuscule minority of the population yet, unlike say Buddhists or Hindus who constitute about the same number of people in the U.S., tend to be known very widely and for all the wrong reasons.
Bottom line? Muslims in America are a hell of a lot freer than Christians in Saudi Arabia or Christians in most Muslim countries or even Muslims in many Muslim countries. So kindly don't try to make us feel as if we're doing something wrong because WE ARE NOT. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 1:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Kornan DeKobb wrote: |
| What is really incredible is that NYC alternate-side-of-the-street parking regulations are suspended during the Eids! |
Interesting and helpful for their many guests. Do they do this for Christian and Jewish holidays that also involve family get togethers? (Thanksgiving too?)
VS |
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