IHOP Allegedly Told Muslim Workers To 'Lay Low' Every September 11

IHOP is in some hot syrup over allegations that some Muslims employees were told to "lay low" every September 11.

Four former IHOP employees are claiming that they were fired from their jobs simply because they are Muslim, according to ABC News. The men, who all worked at restaurants in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for several years, filed a lawsuit against IHOP and Anthraper Investments -- the company that owns the franchises where the men worked -- alleging that company officials harassed the men and made derogatory comments against them.

"How do you explain that you’re going to allow comments about their religion, how Arabic men treat women, how they get an email every Sept. 11 saying lay low from their managers. What does that mean?" the former employees' attorney said at a demonstration against IHOP outside a Dallas courthouse, according to a Dallas Ft. Worth Fox affiliate.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled recently there is reasonable cause to suspect that Anthraper harassed at least two workers and fired them based on their nationality, according to the Fox affiliate. An IHOP attorney has said that he disputes the EEOC's findings.

The incident isn't IHOP's first brush with worker discrimination allegations. A former employee sued a Columbia, Missouri IHOP and three of its employees in January, alleging he was wrongfully terminated after he confronted an employee who had repeatedly used racial slurs against him, the Columbia Daily Tribune reports.

In addition, IHOP isn't the only company in recent months to come under fire for its treatment of Muslim employees. The Council of American-Islamic relations alleged that Whole Foods wrongfully terminated a Muslim employee last year, after he was repeatedly harassed about his religious practices.

Hertz also fired 25 Muslim employees last year, who reportedly refused to clock out when they took breaks to pray, the Seattle Times reports. The company alleged that the workers were taking longer paid breaks than the two 10-minute period they were allotted.

Comments

[Sheldon archer]

07:56 PM on 04/21/2012

Sounds like good advice when they live in a country with so much hatred.

[Patient Zero]

10:05 AM on 04/21/2012

I had a Muslim doctor a few years ago. He was kind, considerate, caring and a good man trying to do good work for all kinds of people.

Yes, many of them are not good people, but there are large populations of Muslims who live in backward countries who have a violent climate to them. As with any group who comits violence, they use their religion as an excuse to do so. I think they'd be violent if they weren't Muslims as well.

Religion takes on the beliefs or attitudes of those who practice it. It does not change anyone at alll. It only gives them a simple reason to do what they were going to do in the first place, for good or for bad..

[Patient Zero]

09:49 AM on 04/21/2012

I think the Ihop people involved were really trying to do the right thing for their employees, but missed the mark. People in this country are extremely angry at a group of people who are a particular religion, for good and bad reasons.

It's a bit hamfisted, but I think they had good intentions, otherwise, why hire them at all in the first place?

[tokyomk]

05:56 AM on 04/21/2012

The headline makes it appear as if this was from IHOP HQ, when in fact it was allegedly from Anthraper Investments. Another misleading headline from the fine folks at HP.

[askskia]

04:50 AM on 04/21/2012

If the people spouting their extremist belief's on here are truly speaking from their hearts then its no wonder IHOP felt compelled to say what it said. Perhaps it was simply trying to protect its employees from having to listen to the same abusive rhetoric I just scrolled through.

And as far as praying at work goes, a typical Muslim prayer takes no more time than a smoke break.

[Grant Morrison]

10:57 PM on 04/20/2012

..

Just fire anyone who believes a Magic Fairy Tale.

It's a symptom of mental instability.
.

[Doug Sandlin]

09:38 PM on 04/20/2012

Why do so many usually-rational Americans think that Muslims represent some kind of a threat?

Here's why:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx4M0xFjRKA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unX_4iHT1HI

[Grant Morrison]

10:58 PM on 04/20/2012

..

Want an example of peace-loving Muslims?

Dearborn, Michigan.

It's in America.
.

[Doug Sandlin]

02:39 PM on 04/21/2012

Hey, you're right -- what do you know?

http://dearborn.patch.com/articles/hundreds-stand-together-for-peace-at-dearborns-islamic-center#photo-5744864

Apparently, there's been some misunderstanding about the peaceful Muslims in Dearborn, though -- here's Dearborn's mayor (John O'Reilly) on CNN, clearing it up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3V57aLHfes

[Doug Sandlin]

09:32 PM on 04/20/2012

A lot of people are commenting about how they think that Muslims think and behave.

Here are some real statements from some real Muslims.

Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9bPskkCvnc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU5W-iUv8fg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V4ePb3aOT0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL-T33JPGkU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2gmk8zzS7I

[Mr Muckle]

08:08 PM on 04/20/2012

If you eat there, that's about all you can do afterwards. Lay low.

[askskia]

04:34 AM on 04/21/2012

Good one!

[Middle Class Majority]

08:06 PM on 04/20/2012

Just make them sign a contract saying that they will not kill infidels as per commandments in their Koran explicitly order them. Then let them serve the bacon and eggs to customers!

[Doug Sandlin]

09:06 PM on 04/20/2012

Why do you believe things that people who want you to hate Muslims too have made up about Muslims?

Millions of our fellow Americans are Muslims, and they're just regular Americans.

[Middle Class Majority]

11:10 PM on 04/20/2012

Who don't condemn their Islamic brothers when they commit some atrocity against their adopted country. They bow down in the streets of New York at prayer time blocking the streets against the law and creating gridlock. They kill their daughters and wives if they wear jeans or makeup and go out. Regular Americans don't do these things. Wake up!

[Grant Morrison]

10:59 PM on 04/20/2012

..

That's UNFAIR.

You can keep your head if you pay the tax.

Geez, read the Magic Fairy Tale book.
.

[Middle Class Majority]

11:07 PM on 04/20/2012

I didn't want to get it too complicated. These are Liberals here on HP you know!

[viciousvirago]

07:11 PM on 04/20/2012

You must adapt to our customs and ways of life when YOU DECIDE to make the United States your home. Why are you allowed to pray on the job, when that practice is denied in nearly every job in the States? Are you special?

As to laying low on Sept. llth, it's a little out there for me, but understandable. Every time I watch as people jump to their deaths, I remember that Saudi Arabia is the motherlode of terror Islam, the wahabbis running the kingdom with the complicity of the Sauds.

If you were my neighbor and a Muslim, I would respect you just as any other neighbor, but you had better understand that beheading our soldiers, journalists and innocent interpreters working for us doesn't exactly endear you to us.

Show me the wisdom of Allah and your willingness to condemn the radicals. Show me you appreciate the ABSOLUTE FREEDOM you have here and are willing to change your ways just a little. If you expect to live here and pretend you're still in Afghanistan or Iraq or Jordan, you ain't.

[Grant Morrison]

11:00 PM on 04/20/2012

..

Then why do I have to be deluged with christian imagery and Law based on a MAgic Fairy Tale Book?

WHY is that again?
..

[viciousvirago]

08:36 AM on 04/21/2012

You definitely should NOT have the bible shoved down your throat, no matter what religion. But given that nearly all terrorism acts and savagery against us and Europeans is committed by radical Muslims, it's a natural to assume that when you arrive her, you assimilate. When foreigners came to this country l00 years ago, they were terribly discriminated against so they assimilated as quickly as they could, including learning our damn language.

If you choose to voluntarily segregate yourself with your beliefs, that's your problem.

I despise the evangelicals for their 'holier than thou' routine and you don't want to know what I've said to them about their ways. As to the bible being a book of mythology, I agree. But you just put it in a more poetic way.

Thank you for your opinion; it's a valid one. But I stand by everything I said.

[Mirabai305]

04:42 PM on 04/21/2012

"You must adapt to our customs and ways of life when YOU DECIDE to make the United States your home."

I'm not seeing a lot of y'all living in teepees and hunting for your own food . . . you know, the way of life of the people that lived here when you decided to make this continent your own.

[Doug Sandlin]

05:36 PM on 04/21/2012

Touche' - Faved.

[viciousvirago]

07:05 PM on 04/21/2012

First, there's no such thing as Native Americans. All peoples originated in Africa; they crossed the landbridge from Russia thousands of years ago. No such thing as indigenous peoples except in Africa.

The strong won; the weak lost. Sad story, but indians refused to adapt to white ways, were slaughtered by the thousands and lost nearly every bit of land that was theirs.

To the victor go the spoils and it was that way for millennia. Still is in most parts of the undeveloped world. I cannot apologize for something that happened hundreds of years before I was born, neither should I.

[takeoffbill]

06:53 PM on 04/20/2012

What is the proper thing for a Muslim to do on 9-1-1, "lay high" and try to bring attention to themselves ? Would that be a big win-win for human rights or civil rights ??
Why can't everyone try to think of doing something besides bringing attention to themselves and getting lots of friends and tweets and bffl's and hearts and starz and free stuff ??
If that is social media (and I think it is) I am going to continue to stay healthy by opting out of this twitterheaded non-sense for thriteen year-olds

[PDBudd]

05:06 PM on 04/20/2012

I think we should ALL get Sept. 11th off.

[Patient Zero]

09:51 AM on 04/21/2012

We don't take December 7 off.

[NeverBendover]

03:07 PM on 04/20/2012

A very sensible advice. If I were a Muslim, I would take it.

[Revver]

04:32 PM on 04/20/2012

OR NOT!

[tyruler]

05:39 PM on 04/20/2012

And Americans should lay low on every day their nation committed more egregious atrocities say 3/17 the day it decided to invade Iraq unprovoked and kill 50 times more people than 9/11?

[Fenrir Lokison]

07:10 PM on 04/20/2012

Good point.

[Grant Morrison]

11:01 PM on 04/20/2012

..

That would be every day of the year.
.

[Numskll]

01:16 PM on 04/20/2012

the bigotry, xenophobia and Christian extremism is strong in this thread

[Fenrir Lokison]

07:14 PM on 04/20/2012

Lets not forget racism, sexists, patriotic zealots of ALL beliefs and non-believers who may have suffered loss.

[OldCowboy]

10:37 PM on 04/20/2012

And one on yours.