I don't beleive it - says Victor Meldrew.

[Cassius Marcellus]

A muslim said he is suing Tesco for religious discrimination because he was asked to handle crates of alcohol in a warehouse.

Mohammed Ahmed, 32, was employed at the supermarket giant's Lichfield depot in September last year for a job that included transporting various goods on fork-lift trucks.

The Saudi Arabia national told a tribunal he had not been told when he started the job that he would be handling alcoholic drinks - a task he said was against his Islamic beliefs.

The situation came to a head in the run-up to Christmas last year, when more alcohol was ferried to the warehouse in preparation for the festive season.

Mr Ahmed, who moved to Derby in 2006, complained to Tesco in February, but claims he was treated unfairly as a result. After eight months working for the company, he left in protest.

The decision on his legal action, after a three-day employment tribunal held in Birmingham, is expected next week.

He said: "It's in our religion that we are not allowed to handle alcohol. In the UK there's equal opportunities that should protect me and my beliefs.
"I was asking for my rights. I am not saying I am a perfect person but there was a conflict with my beliefs."

Tesco claimed Mr Ahmed was made aware at his induction that he would be handling alcohol, and that every effort was made to find him an alternative role in the warehouse.

But the claimant, of Upper Dale Road, Normanton, claims he was victimised by managers because of his stance.

A Tesco spokesman said: "Cases like this are very rare as managers are trained to be culturally sensitive and have an 'open door policy' to staff for issues like this as everyone is welcome to work at Tesco."

[AJ]

and your point is ?

[Complyordie]

never worked in a warehouse but how hard would it have been for tesco to have enabled the lad to continue working but just avoided him handling the alcohol. I know it seems odd but if i was his manager (and this was genuinely going against his religion, and he appeared to be a decent, reliable worker) i'd have tried to find a way to keep him from it.

Surely with Tesco moving all sorts of produce through there warehouses this could be done? Correct me if I am wrong, but my point is if he's reliable this is shambolic management to allow it to reach this embarrassing stage.

[SteveO]

When are people going to stop believing in imaginary beings. I bet if the guy had said "I'm not handling Pasta because of my beliefs in the Spaghetti Monster"he'd have been straight out the door.

[Mr Intensity]

Originally Posted by Complyordie

never worked in a warehouse but how hard would it have been for tesco to have enabled the lad to continue working but just avoided him handling the alcohol. I know it seems odd but if i was his manager (and this was genuinely going against his religion, and he appeared to be a decent, reliable worker) i'd have tried to find a way to keep him from it.

Surely with Tesco moving all sorts of produce through there warehouses this could be done? Correct me if I am wrong, but my point is if he's reliable this is shambolic management to allow it to reach this embarrassing stage.

Nice one

[slapdash]

OK, reading the first few paragraphs, one's first instinct is to think "Ridiculous!" But even if you buy the story that he's taking Tesco to the tribunal because he was asked to handle alcohol, why is this remotely newsworthy? "Man takes employer to industrial tribunal with ridiculous case. Tribunal hasn't yet given its decision."

Yes ...? And ...?

But also, can I hazard a guess that this story comes from the Mail or Express or similar? It bears all the hallmarks:

First few paragraphs: "Something ridiculous has happened. What the hell is the country coming to?"

But then, in the second half of the story, when most people with high blood pressure have stopped reading:

Mr Ahmed, who moved to Derby in 2006, complained to Tesco in February, but claims he was treated unfairly as a result.

But the claimant, of Upper Dale Road, Normanton, claims he was victimised by managers because of his stance.

Hmm. So what is his complaint to the industrial tribunal actually about? Being asked to handle alcohol? Or being victimised after the event?

[Cassius Marcellus]

Originally Posted by AJ

and your point is ?

How come it's okay to WORK for the evil place that sells alcohol as long as you don't touch it. If muslims can't touch it, how come there are so many off licenses and supermarkets managed by them?

And what was yout point in posting on the thread below, then when I supplied the proof you asked for, you never answered. Or did you conveniently forget when it was clear that I hadn't made the story up?

That seems a tad unfair to me

[AJ]

lets be clear here, asking for a source for a story doesn't in anyway suggest that I think you made it up, it's to allow me to wrap some context round the story

[Cassius Marcellus]

Originally Posted by AJ

lets be clear here, asking for a source for a story doesn't in anyway suggest that I think you made it up, it's to allow me to wrap some context round the story

Okay then, but in the other place, when I posted similar stuff I had to post links afterwards because I was always disbelieved, solely due to the fact I don't like africans.

Or the common response was 'What about white people who do it'?'.... like that exonerates the blacks.

[Nymrod]

Originally Posted by Cassius Marcellus

How come it's okay to WORK for the evil place that sells alcohol as long as you don't touch it. If muslims can't touch it, how come there are so many off licenses and supermarkets managed by them?

That seems a tad unfair to me

Too frigging right CM, it has always amazed me how muslims take such an anti alcohol stance but don't mind taking the profits from selling the stuff!!

[western skies]

Originally Posted by Cassius Marcellus

Okay then, but in the other place, when I posted similar stuff I had to post links afterwards because I was always disbelieved, solely due to the fact I don't like africans.

Or the common response was 'What about white people who do it'?'.... like that exonerates the blacks.

So, you hunt out news stories about "the blacks" - or in this case most likely an Asian - because you don't like "Africans".

The fact that white people "do it" doesn't exonerate "the blacks" who "do it" as well.

I'm curious - what is "it"?

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Nymrod

Too frigging right CM, it has always amazed me how muslims take such an anti alcohol stance but don't mind taking the profits from selling the stuff!!

Always thought the same thing.

[Cassius Marcellus]

Originally Posted by western skies

So, you hunt out news stories about "the blacks" - or in this case most likely an Asian - because you don't like "Africans".

The fact that white people "do it" doesn't exonerate "the blacks" who "do it" as well.

I'm curious - what is "it"?

Read the thread.

That seems a tad unfair to me

And I don't need to hunt, I know exactly where to look for these stories.

[Cassius Marcellus]

Originally Posted by Nymrod

Too frigging right CM, it has always amazed me how muslims take such an anti alcohol stance but don't mind taking the profits from selling the stuff!!

If he's on a fork lift truck he has probably moved tons of pork products, no report on that yet.

[Dodger]

If he's on a fork lift truck he has probably moved tons of pork products, no report on that yet.

Good point.

[western skies]

Originally Posted by Cassius Marcellus

Read the thread.

That seems a tad unfair to me

I did read it.

Originally Posted by Cassius Marcellus

Other class acts in last nights programme included :-

A family of 5 who all claimed benefit, while running a succesful fish and chip shop.

A bloke who had a bad back and couldn't walk properly, or stand for long, discovered instructing a Jiu Jitsu class, and has done so for over 20 years.

A single bloke in a one-bedroomed flat who claimed for 36, yes that says 36, kids. Which just shows how fcuking dumb some of the S.S. clerks are not to spot it.

A fire-eating stage illusionist who says he can't walk properly...unless it's across a bed of nails, that is.

An EX-mayor in Pembrokeshire whose back was bad, but it didn't stop him from running up and down football picthes as a linesman, where you have to be able to run 2400 metres in 12 minutes as a test for the job.

A boxer who fought 100 professional fights, and won the televised Welsh Welterweight title. while claiming invalidity benefit.

The woman from televisions 'Wife Swap' who never declared her earnings from the programe or the fact the pug ugly slapper got her enormous tits out for the Sun/Star, whichever it was, and pocketed the cash.

An employee of the Dept of Works and Pensions, continually parking her car with a forged Disabled Blue Badge.

And not forgetting the african woman who WORKED for the housing department, she went home to Nigeria and bought a baby on the black market (reckoned to cost £150) came back to the UK and got herself a council house. When asked by the crew what she would do with the baby as it got older, the answer was 'They generally use them as house slaves until they run away.'

Were they all black?

Originally Posted by Cassius Marcellus

And I don't need to hunt, I know exactly where to look for these stories

That would be the Daily Mail I assume?

[Cassius Marcellus]

Originally Posted by western skies

Were they all black?

No, not all black. But what that lot fiddled netween them, compared to the africans, is peanuts.

That would be the Daily Mail I assume?

I don't buy, or read, daily papers, so have no idea what the Daily Mail refers to, but you obviously do, so perhaps you should take it up it with the editor, or carry on reading the Sun.