American-Islamic Call On Ariens To Allow Muslim Pray Using Previous Policy

'If someone tells you, "You pray on your break," and the break time is not the prayer time? It will be impossible to pray,' said Green Bay Masjid Imam Hasan Abdi (pictured above)

Over dozens of Muslims are outraged after a Wisconsin power plant threatened to fire them if they took two five minute breaks daily in order to pray.

The policy change affects 53 workers. Ten of those employees have indicated they wish to stay in their current positions under the new policy but the rest have either chosen to leave or are planning to.

On Saturday, the Council on American-Islamic Relations called on Ariens to allow Muslim workers to pray at work using the previous policy until the dispute is resolved.

A spokesperson for the Brillion-based equipment manufacturer said the following in a statement: 'We are asking employees to pray during scheduled breaks in designated prayer rooms. Our manufacturing environment does not allow for unscheduled breaks in production.'

The Brillion-based company changed the rule on Thursday. Until then, Muslim employees were allowed to leave the production line twice a shift to pray.

But Ariens is now asking employees to pray during scheduled breaks. A company representative told WBAY-TV the 'manufacturing environment does not allow for unscheduled breaks in production.'

Many Muslims are now out of a job after Ariens Company changed its prayer policy. Until then, Muslim employees were allowed to leave the production line twice a shift to pray.