What's Next, Christians wanting Sunday Off?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Thirty Muslims, most of them from Somalia, walked off the job at the Dell Inc. because they say the company refused to let them take a break for prayer at sunset.
The Muslim workers, who were packaging computers at Dell through a temporary labor agency, are taking the dispute to mediation, both sides said Friday.

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Hassan said there are about 5,000 Somali immigrants living in the Nashville area, and he said three local companies employ a lot of Muslims: Dell, Tyson Foods Inc. and Whirlpool Corp.
"Dell is one of the best at accommodating religious practices," Hassan said.

Last year, Whirlpool won a federal lawsuit in Nashville over the issue of breaking for prayer. A jury agreed with the company that allowing all Muslim employees to take a break would be too disruptive at its La Vergne assembly plant.

There have been similar disputes in Minnesota, which has an estimated 20,000 Somalis - the largest concentration in the United States.

Electrolux Home Products settled a federal complaint in 2003 and now allows Muslims workers at its St. Cloud, Minn., freezer factory to break for sunset prayers. Last year, Somalis walked off the job at a Minnesota cell phone company to protest prayer accommodation and other matters.