Moroccan airline bans prayer time

[N.O.R.F]

Moroccan airline bans prayer time

 

Morocco's state airline Royal Air Maroc has banned its staff praying at their offices and headquarters.

 

The company says that in the past its workers have abused the privilege of praying, by taking too much time away from their desks and their customers.

 

But the airline's workers as well as Islamist politicians say it is part of a crackdown on their religious freedom.

 

Praying is one of the five pillars of Islam and regarded as a crucial part of a Muslim's way of life.

 

The state airline, partly owned by the Moroccan royal family, is a great source of pride and prestige in the country.

 

But this latest move threatens to exacerbate divisions in Morocco.

 

Workers say that they have been banned from praying at work and that a number of prayer rooms have been closed and that they are forbidden from going to the mosque during work hours.

 

The company would not give an interview but issued a statement saying that while there is no official ban on praying, they had to do something to stop people taking lengthy breaks away from work.

 

But critics say the issue of praying, like the veil, is part of a more sinister move to rob the country of its Islamic roots.

 

Political

 

"I feel very angry about this decision," says Moustapha Aramid from the Islamic Party for Justice and Development.

 

"Moroccans have had their liberty and their religious freedom taken away from them. It is very damaging. Royal Air Morocco obviously has absolutely no respect for Islam."

 

Analysts say the ban on prayers is really a political move aimed at stamping out radical Islamism.

 

When an alleged terrorist cell - Ansar el-Mehdi - was broken up earlier this year - two of the suspects charged were the wives of two Royal Air Morocco pilots.

 

There is a feeling that the company had to do something to respond.

 

Other complaints from airline staff are that pilots and stewards were not allowed to fast during the month of Ramadan and that female staff are not allowed to wear the veil - although that has been an unwritten rule at many companies for several years.

 

These issues are becoming a focal point for some very hard questions being asked of this moderate Arabic country - something that is causing serious friction between liberals and traditionalists.

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What is going on? Surely 15 mins for salaat in a Muslim country is not too much to ask. Or is it?

[Kashafa]

Speechless !!!!!!! Who the flying buck are you to 'ban' Salaat ?

 

Analysts say the ban on prayers is really a political move aimed at stamping out radical Islamism

It's official. You pray, you'sa a terrorist.

 

Spineless Arab rulers never cease to amaze.

[NGONGE]

North,

 

Recently, you’ve picked up a very bad habit of posting articles without giving the links or sources of those articles, saaxib. Fix up!

 

Kashafa my boy,

 

Patience, son, patience. This bad habit of yours of always jumping the gun blinds you to the good news and the benefits of such a ruling. Take a step back and have a good look at this situation, son. It’s beautiful, is it not?

 

When an overzealous mullah comes to me and says ‘ceeb, ceeb, ceeb’, usually, my initial reaction is to tell him to go away and spare me the lectures. I suspect I’m not alone in this. Subtle types of persuasion are what works on most people. Orders, bans and threats hardly ever work. And that’s why, like someone rejecting the rebukes of an ardent mullah, the reaction of most Moroccans (even the wayward ones amongst them) is likely to be a rejection of this ban.

 

Of course, it all depends on the severity of this rejection. Morocco is a Muslim country and therefore, in a debate about this ban those arguing for the reinstating of prayer privileges will occupy the moral high ground. If they argue their case cleverly and coherently (most of all peacefully) they’re bound to get the entire population on their side and force the government (King) to cancel such a ban. It will also set a future precedent and boundaries that the government will dare not cross. However, if they do the usual hand wringing, chest beating, Kashafa threats they’ll only be accused of being terrorists and allow the propagandist to say “Look! Look at these terrorists demonstrating, burning cars and violating the tranquillity and peace of our land. They are terrorists, troublemakers and enemies of the state, etc, etc”. All of a sudden, the argument about the ban on praying will be forgotten and a new debate about the ‘Islamist menace’ in Morocco will start.

 

Lets hope it’s the former and not the latter.

[N.O.R.F]

NG, i know saxib, i have been lazy lately. It was on bbc.co.uk Africa News. Cant find it today.

 

Tunisia and Morroco are getting very peculiar these days in their stances on Islamic duties.

[Jacaylbaro]

Any link to the story ???

[N.O.R.F]

Found it

 

So much for people trusting one another :rolleyes:

[Jacaylbaro]

Thanks ,,,, is not about trusting though