Diversity in Religious Practice: Implications of Islamic Values in the Public Workplace

Abstract

Muslims are a growing segment of the American workforce, both in the public and private sectors. With the World Trade Center disaster, public employers are now more aware of the presence of Muslims and, perhaps, concerned about how they will be integrated into their workforce. This article provides a description of Islamic religious practices. It then reviews the role of the First Amendment, state religious freedom acts and civil rights laws as protections afforded to religious persons in the public sector. Through a review of court cases from 1994 to 2001, it describes the status of court protections for Muslim religious practice in the public workforce.