NZ Herald: Employers find it okay to employ Buddhists and Hindus but are wary of hiring Muslims, an AUT study has found.
The research for a book entitled Work and Worship by AUT Professor of Diversity Edwina Pio investigated the impact of minority religions in the New Zealand workplace.
It found tension among local employers from hiring Muslims and “acceptance of Muslims and their way of living still needs improvement”.
“Women with veils and/or burqas are viewed with general curiosity and avoidance … it is also difficult for men with beards,” said the report.
“Employers seem okay with employing Hindus and Buddhists, but they have many question marks if the individual is a Muslim.”
More than 200 people were interviewed for the research. Some Muslim employees said they faced racial comments or queries linking them to terror attacks and many said they experienced discrimination because of their faith.
“‘We like their food, but we don’t like them taking our jobs’, is often the prevailing sentiment,” she said.
“Contradictions and tensions are exacerbated by ideological discourse, radical aspects of some religion, and a narrow understanding of socio-historical antecedents.”
Categories: Belief, Europe and Australia, New Zealand