AIBU to eat in front of my muslim coworkers?

[EmmbadTheBad]

So it's Ramadan at the moment. I was at a meeting at work recently and a muslim woman, who I don't work with directly, made a comment about how thoughtless the people she shares an office with are for eating in front of her while she is fasting (at this point everyone glances guiltily towards the biscuits in the middle of the table). There are a couple of muslim women in my office and, I'll be honest, it had not even occurred to me that it might be insensitive to eat in front of them while they are fasting.

We do have a kitchen at work but it's very small and a lot of people, myself included, tend to eat at their desks. Quite apart from anything - as an atheist - I don't want to be observing other people's religious beliefs. I know Ramadan is nearly over but I intend to continue eating at my desk. IABU? Would appreciate opinion from anyone fasting at the mo.

[Deverethemuzzler]

What do you mean he didn't want to sell you ham?
Why was he stocking it then?
How would that make any economic sense at all?
Buying ham and then watching it rot on the shelves

There are loads of organisations up in arms about anything to do with the Christian faith. Any whiff of someone being told to take a cross off and it's all over the media.
There are memes all over the Internet frothing about churches being turned into mosques Christmas is being banned at least 5 times a year according to some.

[MorphineDreams]

devere he just didn't want to handle it it was all rather silly, his wife doesn't mind but he does - that may be why they stock it.

[MorphineDreams]

And no, I see other religions tore to shreds on here but doesn't get reported, it continues. Islam ones have people screaming goady and report.

[MorphineDreams]

I'm atheist so don't really care either way but I have noticed it.

[Owllady]

I've worked in food retail and no one likes handling the meat, whatever their persuasion
Hth

[MorphineDreams]

No actually being obtuse doesn't help me. Slices of ham in a packet is barely handling the meat.

HTH.

[GreedyBitch]

I love handling meat

[MorphineDreams]

FGS ha

[IonaMumsnet]

Well. This is turning into a bit of a bunfight isn't it? No puns intended.
Amongst the fisticuffs there are some interesting comments here that would vanish if this thread were to get deleted, and you know how much we hate deleting whole threads here at MN.
Civil and relevant to the original question, people. Civil and relevant.
Peace, love and Eid Mubarak to you all.

[MyFairyKing]

I don't eat pig or shellfish products in front of my Kosher friends and I wouldn't in front of someone who only ate Halal either. I would eat at my desk but I wouldn't wave about a big fat slice of chocolate cake or announce my intention to eat just out of courtesy.

[Seriouslyffs]

I wish you would delete it. It's bollocks. At best it's twatty trollery, at worse deliberately inflammatory and hate inciting.
And to the posters whining that it's only Muslims who get defended and Christians get torn to shreds, I'm a practising Christian and get upset at some of the militantly atheistic, spaghetti monster threads. I don't report them because I live in A Christian country where quite frankly my rights are extremely well enshrined.

[SolidGoldBrass]

Which question? The one about how people who refrain from drinking any water at all for 12 hours in hot weather (when we are generally told that this is bad for you) manage to do it? Yes, I'd ask someone that question face to face if s/he was banging on about his/her superstitious observances and/or insisting that it wasn't harmful to health to get dehydrated. People who fast for medical reasons are generally advised to take a little bit of water on board at least once within 6 hours or so.

As to the woman the OP mentioned, I have no particular problem beleiving in the existence of an attention-seeking, entitled, tiresome individual demanding that his/her superstitions be prioritized over everyone else's need/desire to go about their daily business. It doesn't mean that everyone else who follows the same ritual, however silly, insists on annoying and inconveniencing other people over it. Most people are perfectly reasonable about sharing the world with others. Some are not.

[BuzzardBird]

I think it is shameful that these threads are allowed to stand. There are so many. To me,the purpose is obvious.

[SolidGoldBrass]

It's the whole shared-space/public space thing, really. You can do what you like in your own home, and you can demand that anyone who comes into your home observes your superstitions and taboos, however ridiculous, because it's your home. In public spaces, you have the right to do what you want as long as it's reasonable behaviour that doesn't directly impinge on other people, but other people have the same right. A might want other people to refrain from eating because of A's superstitious avoidance of food/certain foods, but if B, sharing the public space, is diabetic and needs to eat regularly, B's right to eat definitely trumps A's obedience to an imaginary friend.
However, if C objects to D's superstition-related fasting, C does not have the right to order D to eat...

[CoteDAzur]

"I don't eat pig or shellfish products in front of my Kosher friends "

Why on earth not?

Do you also cover your hair with your hijabi friends?

[MorphineDreams]

Oh so I'm whining not simply asking a question seriously? Thanks for that.

[Player67]

Agree with buzzardbird

Wish the superstitious swinging threads would also get deleted

[MorphineDreams]

Player why on earth do you keep going back to SGB's past posts? it's just weird.

If you can't debate on this topic without dredging up people's past posts to insult then there's a problem.

[CoteDAzur]

Player - Why are you so interested in SGB's sexual activities and preferences?

[Player67]

She can speak for herself if she wants to

[MorphineDreams]

As you can see this is a forum and we can all jump in when we like Player.

[Player67]

Yes go ahead

Doesn't mean I will answer your questions though

[CoteDAzur]

There is nothing for SGB to "speak for herself" about.

Nobody needs to justify their sexual practices to you or anybody else here.

[MorphineDreams]

Very mature :) :) :)

[Player67]