Only one in 5 UK Muslims in work. The view of a Indian Hindu business owner.
I refer to Just one in five Muslims are in work as report finds they are held back by racism (1.)
I speak as a business owner and a UK born and raised 2nd generation Indian Hindu. There is no doubt some truth to that. When I was a final year medical student I applied for some medical jobs with two identical CVs one had an English name one had an Indian name. Apart from the name they were both identical. David Smith got twice as many interviews as the Indian candidate. (2.)
I have a 3rd generation Muslim contractor working for our company and to be polite he is brilliant. I don’t know what we’d do without him. He is worth at least 10 times what we pay him!
In my own experience they do not make it easier for themselves.
I interviewed one Islamic candidate who demanded that we give him 5 x 10 minute paid breaks for his prayers. I refuse to pay someone 50 minutes a day for prayers. I told him of my other contractor who just does what the Quran tells you to do at work- simply put your thumb and forefinger together for 10 seconds every two hours. This guy stormed off and called the other guy a non Muslim and called me a neo-nazi.
We interviewed another Islamic lady. I told her that at our self defence classes we have a large number of gay men and women who have suffered assaults due to their sexual orientation. This woman said that before seeing them on reception she’d need to know their sexual orientation and would have to be excused reception duties. Clearly I could not take her on. She expected me to ask every person who came in if they were straight or gay or whatever! Clearly that is unacceptable. Again my excellent Muslim contractor had no problem with that.
We get lunch in for all our contractors and these two demanded halal. I said that I am a 2nd generation Indian Hindu and it is strictly forbidden for us to consume any halal certified product. Again my 3rd generation Muslim just does what the Quran asks- he just says Bismillah before each meal. Like me he is a vegetarian.
In conclusion I do accept that there is some truth to that report but they don’t make life easier for themselves.
Bibliography
(1) LOCKED OUT Just one in five Muslims are in work as report finds they are held back by racism https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4411913/just-one-in-five-muslims-are-in-work-as-report-finds-they-are-held-back-by-racism/
(2) Free Speech Row goes on. Times Higher Education Supplement 3 August 2001 https://www.dropbox.com/s/v1yav8vgottcncz/thes3august2001.pdf?dl=0
