Muslim woman sues Virginia company and says she did not hire her during prayer breaks

A Muslim woman sues a northern Virginia company, claiming that she was about to hire her, but she abruptly showed the door after she asked for breaks for prayer during the work day.

Shahin Indorewala, in a lawsuit filed by the federal government in Alexandria, said he applied for a junior executive position at Fast Track Management Inc., a marketing company, in September of last year. She was brought back for a second interview by a deputy director who went on to explain benefits and schedules – which include a two-hour break for lunch each day.

"I said:" It's a bit of a long lunch break, but is it possible for me to take a shorter lunch break and take five minutes throughout the day to praying, "Indorewala told reporters outside the Fast Track offices in Falls Church on Wednesday.

A few minutes later, Indorewala said that she had been brought before the CEO Ramses Gavilondo.

"He pointed my scarf over his head and he made all kinds of hand movements and got very strong," said Indorewala, remembering what Gavilondo had told him. "It was just like" Religion, we do not want that here, we do not want these religious schemes here. "

The presumed tirade of Gavilondo took place in front of other employees and candidates for the accelerated procedure.

"I felt very humbled, but I was shocked at first … am I really ridiculed because of my religion in public? I was very hurt and embarrassed enough," he said. Indorewala.

Gavilondo defended her actions and told NBC Washington that the plaintiff "wanted to preach her religion". He also told the network that the Commission for Equal Opportunities in Employment had investigated this complaint and found no wrongdoing.

"We are asking people to keep their religion to themselves," said Gavilondo, head of the Falls Church Society. "I do not see the need for religious preaching in the 21st century."

Indorewala stated that she was not "preaching" at all and that she would have happily accepted two five-minute breaks in an isolated area of ​​the office. Federal labor legislation requires Fast Track to make reasonable accommodations to an employee's religious practices, her lawyers said.

"Two five-minute prayer breaks do not represent any charge for an employer.They can be taken in a private area without disturbing anyone," said Zanah Ghalawanji, one of the plaintiff's attorneys. "Fast Track has absolutely no basis for what they've done."

No dollar amount was cited in the suit.

Indorewala, a graduate in English Literature from George Mason University, now works as a counselor to autistic children, according to the civil lawsuit.