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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Dealing with Workplace Racism ?! |
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| Anonymous |
| 05/13/02 at 19:39:26 |
| Assalaamu alaikum everybody I have a real problema nd need help asap...... I have been working as a teacher and have worked very hard. I have had to deal with kuffar everyday!!!!....I had compiled my own lesson plans and I only found that they were stolen from my desk and photocopied!!!I don't know what to do, am soooo embaressed and feel soo stupid for not taking good care of them. I feel like I have been taken advantage of and I don't know what to do. help!!!!..can't tun to anybody else, feel like it won't get me anywahere..should I complain? wasalaam |
| Re: Dealing with Workplace Racism ?! |
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| eleanor |
| 05/14/02 at 03:58:13 |
| [slm] If you still have the original lesson plans, or even copies in your computer, then you can go with these to the head teacher/principal and complain. Even if it doesn't get you anywhere on this occasion, you will have asserted yourself and the culprit won't be as quick to steal your work the next time, if he/she knows that you will report it. Why do you see this as racism? Has anyone made racist remarks to you? As a matter of fact, because someone has stolen your work, that's a form of flattery. So they are the ones who have done wrong and not you. Have patience and persevere, Allah will reward you for it. wasalaam eleanor :-* |
| Re: Dealing with Workplace Racism ?! |
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| muqaddar |
| 05/14/02 at 07:50:46 |
| [slm] I've experienced a similar problem myself at my last place of employment. Basically you have to recognise that educated racists have to be dealt with in a different way from your average local thug. Start a diary. Contact the CRE and make them aware of the situation. Keep a copy of all the good work you've done. Note when your asked to do 'monkey' work which can't be time recorded so that they can't later say you didn't do anything at the time. Look for another job if it gets too bad but go ahead and tell everybody what a racist place it is and who the racists are there and then let them attemt to sue you. Be careful who you complain to as they will try to make you out to be paranoid. Therefore make sure to ask somebody else preferably of the same race as you if they've noticed something similar. Eleanor whats your basis for saying it's not racism? |
| Re: Dealing with Workplace Racism ?! |
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| Kathy |
| 05/14/02 at 09:24:17 |
| [slm] I don't see the racism either- not from the details anon gave us. Details please- who photocopied them? For what purpose? Why are you embarrased over lesson plans? |
| Re: Dealing with Workplace Racism ?! |
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| jannah |
| 05/14/02 at 14:59:41 |
| [slm] I don't know how much a part racism plays here, but competitiveness in the workplace is really viscious sometimes. There's an incredible amount of backbiting and fake trying to look good against your colleagues. I think this is encouraged by the model of corporate culture. I would think the academic environment was different, but guess not. I would suggest you go immediately to your supervisor and discuss this with him/her. Take your originals.. if said person has photocopies it will be obvious who has stolen them. And bring any other proof that you can... original work on computer, drafts, notes that you made. And yes in future be careful. Never leave your work out. Keep your computer on password and lock anything of value money or workwise. |
| Re: Dealing with Workplace Racism ?! |
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| Anonymous |
| 05/16/02 at 03:31:38 |
| = Assalaamu alaikum brothers and sisters Jasakalallah khairun, you have all been helpful. Well it is definately racism , but I would never report it, becos racism and prejudice behaviour is extremely difficult to proove and I do not want a reputation as someone who complains. The collegue has made comments to do with the role of women; she has thrown my timetable in the bin; creased an original lesson plan; and generally stamped her authority at any given opportunity. But she has chosen her moments and noone else has been around. When it got to the point when someone else was around I stamped my rights at her!!. I have pointed it out to my mentor, and he has shown little interest, stating that I should just put up with it because the certain collegue is just like that. The problem is that she had taken some of my originals, and she has not given them back. I can prove that they are mine because they are in my handwritng. She has said that she is giving them to my mentor. don't know what to do?????? wasalaam |
| Re: Dealing with Workplace Racism ?! |
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| imaazh |
| 05/16/02 at 06:26:08 |
| [color=Blue]Dear Anon, Assalamu Alaikum. I recently received this in a forward, hope it helps[/color] Surah Al-A'raf 7:199-200 Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the ignorant (i.e. don't punish them). If a suggestion from Satan assails your mind, seek refuge with Allah; for He heareth and knoweth (all things). In these adaiya Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala comforts the Prophet Sall-Allahu alaihi wa sallam and directs his mind to three precepts: 1. to forgive injuries, insults, and persecution; 2. to continue to declare faith that was in him, and not only to declare it, but to act up to it in all his dealings with friends and foes; 3. to pay no attention to ignorant fools, who raised doubts or difficulties, hurled taunts or reproaches, or devised plots to defeat the truth: they were to ignored and passed by, not to be engaged in fights and fruitless controversies, or conciliated by compromises. Even a Prophet of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala is but human. He might think that revenge or retaliation, or a little tactful silence when evil stalks abroad, or compromised with ignorance, might be best for the cause. He is to reject such suggestions and seek refuge with Allah Ta'ala. (Source of commentary reference: the late Ustadt Abdullah Yusuf Ali - may Allah Subhanahu was Ta'ala bless his soul). Of all the things we can give other people in life, forgiveness is one of those that require the most effort. This phrase seems to make the process of forgiving easier for me: "To bear a grudge against someone is like burning down your house to get rid of a rat." People say or do things often inadvertently and mostly out of personal insecurity or ignorance. You may be just the punching bag for the day. Maybe the other person is envious or afraid of you. Most of the time, these people have their own demons to grapple with. Don't let their words and actions wear you down. They can only have a moment's effect on you. Then, depending on how you deal with the situation, they can continue to haunt you, or vanish like ashes in the wind. But only you can make that decision. Discouraging and spiteful words and actions from other people can only have the desired effect if you want them to. Give yourself the pleasure of a free spirit. Forgiveness is something we "give other people", but forgiveness, really, is a gift to ourselves. When we wreak vengeance on people whom we think have done us an injustice, we invariably end up bitter and resentful. Worse still, if our vindictiveness provokes retaliation, we might start a cycle of vengeance. And when you bear hatred within your heart, what you're essentially doing is destroying your own state of mind and potential to be happy. [color=Blue] So maybe when you see this other teacher, act like you're happy, like it doesn't bother you 8). If she takes your lesson plans and actually puts them into use, just think how many more students will have benefited from your work :-[. Inshaallah everything will work out fine. wassalaams :-) imaazh [/color] |
| Re: Dealing with Workplace Racism ?! |
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| muqaddar |
| 05/16/02 at 09:22:01 |
| [slm] good advice ukhti imaazh I think anonymous if your in a situation you can't change be patient and say subhanalla somebody once said to me that an animal in trap will often bite off it's leg but a human must wait and endure the pain and bite off the hunters arm, because allah (swt) has made us all into shepherds and the whole world is our flock. i guess what i'm saying is try to make this person see the error of their and if that dosn't work try to be patient and wait until events occur so that you can prevent this person from tormenting others who come after you. |
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