Postby Steeler [Crawler2] » Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:52 am
Salahudin
Maybe so. But when someone says to me "I don't shake hands because I am a Muslim" that says to me:
a. Either they are saying "Fock your society and it's norms".
b. I am a fundamentalist type who will make no effort to blend.
Now, in a short process, like a job interview, you only have a few minutes to make an impression. Good or bad. If I went to a Muslim-owned firm in Egypt and it was during Ramadan and I was munching on a snack mid-day and the interviewer came out, he might accept that I am a kufr and therefore not subject to fasting. But he still probably wouldn't like that I was eating in public. I might be the most qualified candidate for the job, but he would still expect me to fit into social norms of the society. That's not unreasonable. Personally, most Muslims I know don't have a problem shaking hands with the opposite sex. Therefore, when you make an issue of it, you communicating something negative to the person you want something positive from. Even if the boss doesn't much care, he (or she) is probably saying "This guy is trouble. Next thing you know we hire him and he's going to start making demands on account of his religion and create conflict in the office."
Assimilation is key to success wherever you go. I am moving to Thailand. I can do an excellent immitation of a Bhudist when it suits my purposes. I have learned to wai properly. You know, social dos and don'ts. Muslims aren't going to get a free pass anymore than the rest of us. So when in Rome, do as the Romans.