A conversation overheard at work today:

Sana, our production manager, was talking with Linda, our office manager, regarding one of the people on the production floor who was upset that she was denied time off to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Sana told Linda it was because this person hadn't been observing Ramadan in the first place--she was not fasting--and therefore, as she wasn't observing the holiday she saw no reason to grant her the day off on religious grounds. (This is traditionally our busiest time of the year, and personal time off is granted on an extremely limited basis.)

At first I was rather surprised to hear Sana's reasoning. Denying someone time-off to practice their faith is a rather dicey stance to make, all things considered. But her logic certainly held: if the person isn't actually practicing their faith, why use it as an excuse to be granted time off from work? It's exactly why I don't take off for the High Holy Days in September, and only take half-days for the first night of Passover: I don't practice the religion, so to take time off for them seems rather hypocritical.

The problem, however, is that it's all a matter of degrees, and faith is a matter of perspective. Ramadan ends, apparently, in a nice big feast to break the fast. The woman who requested time off is having a large family dinner. I think it's safe to presume that perhaps some of them have been fasting. Even if they haven't, you still have the social and cultural significance of the holiday to content with. To deny someone the chance to celebrate or pay respect to their faith, even if it doesn't coincide with your own view of it, seems far to presumptive an attitude to have.

Could this stand up in a court of law? Religious discrimination is illegal, last I checked. Sana is certainly being discriminatory based on religious grounds. The question becomes whether or not Sana is denying this person from practicing her faith--however she chooses to practice it--or if she's denying the person the chance to use a faith as an excuse for time off. I suppose, in a courtroom, you could legally challenge a person's degree of faith. Again, it's a matter of perspective, but at least the different perspectives get a chance to present their point of view for a jury to decide on. But, again, if the woman was to celebrate the braking of the fast with her family, could you even attempt to argue whether her whole family was properly practicing?

I keep thinking about last year's Seder at my parent's house, and what an embarrassing evening that was. You know there's something wrong when the atheist is the one getting upset that no one is even bothering to pretend to pay attention. I suppose it's because I get pissed enough when people chastise me for my refusal to consider myself Jewish; when people who claim to be Jews show less respect than the one who openly admits his lack of respect, I tend to get annoyed at the hypocrisy. I'm seriously wondering how to handle next year's Seder. It certainly wouldn't be the smart thing to tell my parents that if it's going to be as ridiculous as last year's Seder that I won't bother going, but for God's sake--it's one thing when one person doesn't care, but when the entire group doesn't care, why the hell are you bothering with the pretense in the first place? But then you bring in the whole "respect to your parents"angle and the whole argument gets twisted on top of itself.

I think Sana's got a bit of elitist streak to her. And, as I mentioned above, her decision to deny her employee the day off certainly smacks of it, even if her reason is valid. But does she have the right to pass judgment--and punishment--on someone because she doesn't agree with how that person practices their faith? And is my brutal "honesty" towards my parents and their practicing only just a variation on that theme?