Should you offer pork to a woman who is wearing a hijab and reading a Koran?

[Boojatta]

Poll question: Should you offer pork to a woman who is wearing a hijab and reading a Koran?

Assume that it's your job to tell customers what meals are available and to serve what they request.

[Orrex]

1. Whoa. I totally misread the subject line and was about to criticize you for it

Good thing I took a second look.

I vote for option 1.

[YDogg]

3. I'm guessing you read it same way I did.

:shrug:

[Orrex]

6. Whew--I was afraid that it was just me!

:blush:

[rayofreason]

26. Nope -me to.

I read it carefully then decided that as a server it was not up to me to presume anyone's choice.

[Dorian Gray]

32. I thought it said

"Should you offer TO Pork a woman........."

Thank God I read it a second time before answering. LOL.


My answer: I don't think it's offensive, though if you are aware of dietary restrictions, asking "Would you like Pork? I don't know if you eat it or not, but if you do, we have a great Rib Special" is not offensive. Or it shouldn't be.

[msongs]

2. the saying is "you can't judge a book by it's cover" nt

[Vanje]

4. The question is HIGHLY OFFENSIVE......

.......to Porcine Americans (pigs).

[Cirque du So-What]

5. I'd make no sales effort beyond acknowledging her with a nod & a smile

Among some adherents to Islam, it would be considered an affront to speak to her at all. I'd also go on the assumption that she had no interest in whatever pork-like products I was purveying.

[Speck Tater]

7. Should you offer sex to a woman who comes to your door with "The Watchtower"? NT

[izquierdista]

8. It's a trick question!

I had to read it three times, then I caught it. Why would a WOMAN be reading the Koran? Isn't that something that only men are allowed to do?

It's like, "if a plane crashes on the border of India and Pakistan, where would the survivors be buried?"

[hlthe2b]

10. You are intensly misinformed about women & Islam

I'll leave it at that, but I'll hope you might be curious enough to read on the issue to inform yourself.

[izquierdista]

12. I'll just say no

Religion is the opium of the masses and a tool that men use to control women. I don't want any tokes on your pipe.

[hlthe2b]

14. To proudly boast that you have no desire to inform yourself about

others, their cultures and beliefs is not a progressive value. TO relish in such ignorance is definitely a RW and Freeper value, however. It is a hateful, intolerant value and one that has led to our abuse of others throughout the world.

[izquierdista]

19. Superstition is not information

Culture, yes; cuisine, sure, I'll try it; language and customs, worthy of a look see; but ignorant fables about imaginary friends who live in the sky, no. It is not hateful to roll your eyes and keep your mouth shut when people go off on a rant about what they believe without a shred of physical evidence. And it is not intolerant to decline to participate in their quirky rituals, whether it be banging one's head on a stone wall, pointing one's ass away from Mecca, or playing make-believe cannibal with some crackers and juice. Not to mention most of the abuse of others that occurs in the world is due to one group becoming violent that another group does not want to play their same brand of superstitious nonsense.

No, there is enough of substance to learn about in this world than to bother with religion, other than to give it and its adherents a wide berth.

[moggie]

22. Agreed

A good place to start would be The Trouble With Islam Today: A Wake-up Call for Honesty and Change, by Irshad Manji, a liberal Muslim woman who has a hell of a lot of criticism of modern Islam (and lives in a house with bullet-proof windows).

[hlthe2b]

9. Are we all really that culturally illiterate, culturally disdainful?

Would you likewise offer a Hasidic Jew a haircut or a Hindu, a steak? No wonder we are held with such "esteem" by the rest of the world....

[Boojatta]

15. By reading the Vedas, is one purporting to be a Hindu?

Also, do all Muslims refuse to eat pork? If all Muslims refuse to eat pork, then are there also no Muslim lesbians?

[hlthe2b]

16. If one locates a deli or other shop that sells meat in an area

with large populations of Muslims or Hindus, one would simply ask what they would like, rather than interrogate them about whether they desire pork or other meat. Simple, good manners with a tad of sensitivity thrown in....

Good God, where did our common sense (and consideration for others) go to? :shrug:

[Boojatta]

17. This thread deals with a question much more general than

the subtopic that you are proposing: "locates a deli or other shop that sells meat in an area with large populations of Muslims or Hindus."

For example, we could be talking about food service on an airplane. We could be talking about a very small, locally-owned cafe or restaurant that is not part of a chain of cafes or restaurants and that has limited offerings that frequently change.

[hlthe2b]

18. Good manners and cultural sensitivity does not depend on

setting. If you can not offer service in a generic way that will not offend someone, I would have to suspect you'd not be in business long. There is nothing wrong with asking EVERYONE if they would like to hear all the selections. The Muslim woman, then could decline, right? Good heavens, this is not rocket science. It is basic good manners, sensitivity to others and TOLERANCE for our differences.

[Boojatta]

20. Since when does tolerance mean that managers should order...

low-paid employees, who already do work that can be unpleasant, the additional burden of repetitively asking throughout the day whether or not customers would like to hear all the selections?

Is there a general principle that you can put into words? To tell people their options is intolerant because they might not like all the options? I tend to think that those who are enraged by being told their options are the ones who are intolerant.

Suppose someone is on a low-cholesterol diet, but has been guilty of occasionally violating the dietary rules and doesn't want any temptation. If he or she goes into a big chain burger restaurant for a salad and is asked "wants fries with that?", then should the person complain to the manager of that restaurant and also complain to the corporate management of the chain?

Should vegetarians in America complain to the management whenever they are told about a daily special that contains meat? Should they demand to first be asked whether or not they want to hear about the daily specials?

[smoogatz]

23. What about fish?

I'm a little disappointed that we don't ever talk about fish.

[hlthe2b]

25. I'm not suggesting anyone ORDER anyone to do ANYTHING

I'd like to see some basic civility return to our culture, along with individual responsibility. Damanding someone that you have every reason to believe has a major cultural aversion to pork to specifically ANSWER as to whether or not they want pork is insensitive. To ask that individual, "how may I help you" is by contrast simply generic good service and good manners and works WITH EVERYONE. What about this is so complex or controversial?

[rayofreason]

27. That would not only be polite...

...it would also be good business.

A pork chop shop in a Muslim or Jewish city would not fare well for its investors.

One should in general be civil and respectful of others, even if you think that what they believe is horseshit. Somewhere there is someone who has the same opinion of your beliefs, and you would want them to be civil to you.

[smoogatz]

11. Should you offer a dead baby seal to a woman wearing hemp shoes

and reading "Vegan With A Vengeance?" Assume it's your job to offer everyone a dead baby seal, whether they appear to want one or not.

[edhopper]

13. I prefer

spare ribs that are smoked with a dry rub. Anything done in an oven isn't really BBQ.

[smoogatz]

21. I prefer to rub the spareribs on my nipples

before offering them to strange women. I'm not sure why.

[ZombieHorde]

24. Yes, but only if you actually have some pork to give. nt

[uppityperson]

28. Should you do your job or make assumptions and not?

Seems that is your question.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

29. That question reminded me of a story told about Peter Ustinov

He was an official show biz "ambassador" for UNICEF, and he was the featured speaker at a fundraising event to which the children from the United Nations School were invited.

He had just filled his plate at the buffet table when he saw a little girl in a hijab reaching for a ham sandwich.

Quickly he asked, "Do you like pork?"

"I don't know," she answered. "I'm not supposed to eat it."

"Well," he said, "ham is a type of pork."

"Oh," she said. "I didn't know. Thank you for telling me." And she moved on to the next plate.

As for the answer, would you offer a "forbidden" item to anyone who had a dietary restriction?
Meat to a known vegetarian?
Pecan pie to a known diabetic?
Beer to a known alcoholic?

[Boojatta]

30. "would you offer a 'forbidden' item to anyone who had a dietary restriction?"

Two prior questions:

1. What signs are enough to indicate that a person belongs in a particular category?

2. How do you know that everyone in that category considers the item to be forbidden?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

31. I was talking about people for whom you know for sure

It's not my style to force anyone to eat what they don't want. I don't dish up plates for my guests. I either lay things out buffet style or place the serving dishes on the table for the guests to take or not take as they choose.

If I invite people over, I always ask if they have any dietary restrictions. I've met enough vegetarians, diabetics, people with food allergies, and others that I know better than to just assume that everyone can eat everything. If they have restrictions, I make sure that there are things available that they can eat.

It's not that hard.