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As many of you are aware CarMax laid off some 600 employees in 2008. What you didn't hear is CarMax executed this layoff during an Islamic Holiday after they were warned. A week before the layoff the entire company participated in a nationwide conference call to review the company's decision and go over the details. I was an Operations Manager that spoke up on the call in front of the entire company and said, "All the Muslims around the world are getting ready to celebrate Eid". Eid is the holiday Muslims celebrate after the month of fasting (Ramadan). After the phone call I asked my supervisor if the company would have done this during Christmas or Hanukah, she said, " Probably Not". I was then told special accommodations were made for me because I was Muslim. I was very upset that the company was executing the layoff during an Islamic holiday that is celebrated by over a billion people around the world. I expressed my opinion with the Regional Vice-President. I later received a follow up call from the Regional Vice-President saying the company instructed the other Vice-Presidents to layoff Muslims after the Muslim Holiday. I thought to myself, "How in the world are they going to achieve this without profiling"?

CarMax claims to be a diverse company that promotes diversity and treats everyone fairly. So I ask all the readers.

1. Did CarMax know that they rescheduled the company layoff to happen during one of the most important Islamic holidays?

2. Would CarMax have executed the layoff during Christmas or Hanukah?

3. How did they make special accommodations for me and other Muslim employees without profiling?

4. Does CarMax respect and cherish their Muslim associates?

5. Do you think the Muslims around the world look at CarMax as a company that respects Islam and all of its followers?

These are all good questions for all to answer. Let me know what you think, I look forward to hearing from all of you. Please pass this link to all you know, I want to get different points of view.

Sincerely,

Meza'n

(Balance)

Location: Greenville, South Carolina

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Guest

hey nothing personal but real american is real dumb.

Guest

No offense but have you even considered that it's a coincidence and that the reason it wouldn't have happened during Christmas is because it's a US national holiday!!! Keep that in mind when comparing the two and secondly the person who emailed you back was only trying to be mindful to you concerns not "profile" muslims!!! The world doesn't revolve around you so dont waste your valuable time over thinking *** stuff like this.

Guest

First, how many holidays for all races and creeds are there in the world? Second, what day do they fall on?

Third, do you believe that companies should only lay off people on non-holidays? Fourth, tell me some days that are not holidays and I will give you a cookie.

They can treat everyone equally by laying them off without regard to holidays. Problem solved.

Guest

JUST GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY AND LEAVE US ALONE!!!!!!!!!! IF YOU HAVE IT SO BAD THEN CATCH THE NEXT PLANE AND HEAD FOR YOUR *** HOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guest

Still waiting......

Guest

Still waiting.....

Guest

Mr. Good God and "Real American"

you are missing the point. Of course it was a business decision. The point that is being made is,,, CarMax would not have executed this decision on a "real american christian holiday" but did decide to execute it during a muslim holiday. SO.... why would a large company recognize one religon over another?

prejudice is born out of ignorance.

Guest

Did Carmax know they hired so many Muslims, Christians and Jews in the first place. Or did they profile before hiring so that they'd have to put up with all this complaining.

Didn't they realize after hiring all these people that every decision hence would have to be based on everyones beliefs? Perhaps, they acted as a Business and made a decision that would benefit the company and the remaining employees and stockholders without regard for employees religious holidays! Oh my god!

The nerve of them. You sucked me into this ridiculous conversation and now I'm an *** too!

Guest

This is America and this was a business decision. Not personal you fool.

Not everyone is out to get you. And hey, you're people attacked us!

Guest

Since the 9/11 and because of the Muslims, America is going through the tough time,

Job crises, the oil is gone up, so don't star thinks up, so find a different excuse. I never hated any

one before, but since than I do not like Muslims, I lean that Muslims live for terror.

Guest

I don't believed that the company lay people off because of the Muslim Holidays, as many companies are struggling with business they have to do a budget cut, so may be it happen to be the Muslim holidays, but doesn’t mean that was the reason, For example my spouse has been laid off for Christmas.

Guest

wow.. amazing! Is there any one out there with a rational mind that can comprehend Meza'n arguments and answer his direct questions? i'll wait......

Let me first respond to "Professor".

Professor states: "move back across the pond and see if you can complain like this without losing your head"

wow the ignorace of the professor, makes me hope the he or she is not an actual professor. Let's for a moment take Professor's prejudice filled statement as truth. If Meza'n were to "go across the pond" make such statements and get his head chopped off. Well that would be a tradgedy. Professor is trying to say that across the pond is a land full of narrow-minded people who only accept one thought, religion or philosophy, well that is exactly what Meza'n is trying to protect from happening on this side of the pond! and how do we respond to Meza'n? Well with the same type of prejudice he might find across the pond.

secondly, Meza'n is giving a first hand eyewitness of the account as it happened to him. The burden of proof therefore is on behalf of CarMax to say that it did not happen. Also, if you read the comments from CarMax Sales Manager J, they seem to corroberate what Meza'n stated.

Next is WhoCares. Well again whocares misses the point and his argument is self-defeating. He does not want anyone to impose their religious beliefs upon him but then goes on to impose his anti-religous message on everyone. The point is that this corperation is treating two religions differently, what religion or non-religion it is, is not the point.

Im guessing that no one is answering the direct questions because their answers would be contradictory?

Guest

Just because it is a religious holiday for Muslims does not mean that the company cannot lay off people. For decades companies have laid off during the end of the year which is a holiday for Christians.

As an atheist I think that you are trying to force your Islamic beliefs on the corporate infrastructure of my country and am OFFENDED that you would try to make me and my country bow down to your cultural beliefs. It's disgusting what people try to do in the name of their god and you are no exception. Get this through your narrow mind....religion has nothing to do with business. When Carmax is going out of business and ALL the Muslims are getting laid off Allah is not going to save their jobs.

So when you complain about when they got laid off just be glad that everyone in the company is not looking for a job.

Not to mention...how many "Islamist" were laid off anyway? Does it count if the people laid off have nothing to do with your faith?

Guest

Hey *** funbar....you are basing your comments on one side of the story. if you are so concerned call Carmax and ask them if it really happened. then you can comment with your big college words.

Guest

:p move back across the pond and see if you can complain like this without losing your head

Guest

Steve writes: "get over yourself and your inflated sense of importance in this world"

I am amazed at the amount of intellectual ignorance displayed first by: Those who may have treated Meza'n and his religious beliefs so poorly, secondly by CarMax Sales Manager J, and thirdly by Morgan and Steve with such comments.

In intellectual circles (philosophy and debate) there is what is known as an ad-homeniem argument. Basically an ad hominem is when you attact the person instead of the argument (basically name calling like children in a school yard).

NO ONE HAS YET TO DEAL WITH THE QUESTIONS RAISED BY MEZA'N.

The best argument one can say is: "get over yourself and your inflated sense of importance in this world"?

First of all, as stated previously I am not arguing for "myself". Rather, I am arguing for the justice of someone I do not know - namely Meza'n.

Secondly, as stated previously I do not share Meza'n personal belief system but I can however recognize that he makes some valid points. (again demonstating that this is not about me or my sense of importance in this world)

Third, when one can not respond to logical resoning and has to resort to name calling or ad homeniem argumentation, it in then renders that persons comments ineffective.

If you cannot answer Meza'n questions, please find someone who can before imploring ad hominem arguments.

humbly, with meekness and no sense of self-aggrandizement.

Menis Funbar

Guest

get over yourself and your inflated sense of importance in this world

Guest

Morgan...

Why did you say "fortunately"? Maybe you do not feel America should be a pluralistic society? Maybe you feel Muslims are not persons and therefore should not be granted equal treatment?

Your statement that "laying off people during Eid is hardly an issue" - is a very subjective statement. It most certainly is an issue for Meza'n and those who share his beliefs.

Like I said previously I am personally not a Muslim, but I do care for my fellow American's. I posted in support of OTHERS, so it is hardly a matter of "getting over myself". Maybe, Morgan, you should take a look beyond those rose colored stained glass windows and attack the arguments presented instead of the people making the arguments. I still have not read any responses to Mezan's questions.

Menis Funbar

FYI - here are some rough statistics on the Muslim population in the US.

Muslim population estimates:

American Religious Identification Survey 1.3 million (2008)

Pew Research Center 2.5 million (2009)

Encyclopædia Britannica 4.7 million (2004)

U.S. News & World Report 5 million+ (2008)

Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) 7 million (2010)

Guest

While there are a billion Muslims around the world, very few of them live in the USA, fortunately. So laying off people during Eid is hardly an issue. Get over yourself and quit whining.

Guest

Wow, I cannot believe the insensitivity of "J" (CarMax Sales Manager) towards those who are unemployed and to those who hold to the Islamic faith - specifically Meza'n. No where in the original complaint by Meza'n did I read that "CarMax laid-off Muslim's just because of Meza’n personal beliefs".

(nor did I read that Meza’n was unemployed or no longer employed with CarMax) CarMax Sales Manager "J" wrongly inserted that into the text, a classic example of eisegesis. I personally do not hold to the Islamic faith however I do recognize that 1 out of every 5 people in the world are Muslim. It seems to me a company which claims to recognize diversity and allows consessions for the Christian faith, maybe ought to do the same for such a wide-spread religion as Islam. I hope J’s competencies of analysis and decision making are not based on faulty reasoning and profiling as a CarMax Manager.

I do not know if the purchase of my next vehicle will be from a company that has managers so limited in thought as J.

CarMax Sales Manager J – Enjoy your employment with CarMax and remember that a job is not guaranteed to us as Americans and “finding another job” in this economy is not as easy as you would think no matter how qualified one is. I guess I can understand your unwavering loyalty to your employer but it would be most interesting to hear you answer the questions directly asked by Meza’n.

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