1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: Am iv a hole for signing off a professional email 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: with asalama likum after my Christian coworker said, God bless you. Okop, 3 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:12,479 Speaker 1: this is Okayop. I'm Samuel Daughter and I'm John Fry 4 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: and we tell the funniest stories on the Internet. And John, 5 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: I have something that involves religion and emails. Not the 6 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,640 Speaker 1: Prince of Nigeria, not the Prince of my just asking 7 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: for ten million gold dot gosh, am Iv a hole 8 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: for signing off a professional email with asalama likum after 9 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: my Christian coworker said, God bless you. 10 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,599 Speaker 2: That's kind of awesome. Let's let's get it. 11 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 1: I have worked at my current job for almost three years. 12 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: It's a smaller company with less than one hundred employees 13 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:48,639 Speaker 1: scattered across a handful of regional offices. Because I work 14 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:50,599 Speaker 1: with people in different offices quite a bit, a lot 15 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: of the communication is via email. There's one person in 16 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: particular who I work with who has a habit of 17 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: signing off on emails with God bless you. He will 18 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: also find ways to put Bible quotes and scripture into 19 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: his emails, which I think is rather inappropriate work. 20 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 3: God has anointed this electronic mail message for your inbox 21 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 3: in peace. 22 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 1: Separation of work in state, right, they said, or urchin Wait, No, 23 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: it should. 24 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 3: Be church work and church work. Separation church and work 25 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 3: church work. 26 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: I've never been a religious person, but I was raised 27 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: by Muslim parents and have nothing against it and believe 28 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 1: that people should have every right to practice their religion 29 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: as they see fit. But I also believe that religion 30 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:37,960 Speaker 1: shouldn't be forced down anyone's throat, especially in the workplace, 31 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 1: which I agree with too, Like I like, I know 32 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: there's a lot of evangelization that you gotta do if 33 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: you're if you're religious, but like, you know, keep it. 34 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 2: There's a way to be respectful. 35 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's a way to be like you don't say 36 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: I a work email with like hey, uh, Jimmy, you 37 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 1: got those that that that memo recently? And also like 38 00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: have you gotten the Word of Jesus Christ record and say. 39 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 3: There, yeah, did you did you get my memo on 40 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 3: that project and the Word of Jesus Christ. 41 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 2: It's a good word, the gospel, the Gospel. 42 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:09,960 Speaker 1: After about six months at my job, I brought it 43 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: up to my boss about my coworker's email habit. He 44 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: said he's aware of it. And doesn't agree with it either, 45 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: but it's a different office and the manager of that 46 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 1: office thinks it's okay, and I should just try to 47 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: ignore it. So that's what I did. I bit my 48 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: tongue and tried to ignore it for almost two years. 49 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:30,519 Speaker 1: I ignored it until one day, let me guess, I snapped, 50 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: we know you read it. Until one day this particular 51 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: coworker added some scripture to an email he sent me 52 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: after I told him I was having a rough. 53 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 2: Day, and then I snap, there it is. 54 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: I understand he was just trying to be helpful in 55 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: his own way, but it just rubbed me the wrong 56 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: way and I didn't have patience for it anymore. So 57 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: I wrote him an email and copied my boss and 58 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: his office manager on it, explaining that well, I appreciate 59 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: the sentiment, I would prefer if he refrained from including 60 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: any religious material in any and all future correspondence. It 61 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 1: was very professional, succinct, and to the point, but also 62 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: very clear on what I was trying to communicate. I 63 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:19,520 Speaker 1: then signed off on the email with asal a salam, 64 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: assalama lakemaa assalama, lakam bang. 65 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 2: How's that for a God bless you? The gospil hyah yah. 66 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 1: Not even ten minutes later, I was called into my 67 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: boss's office. 68 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 2: He asked me what the hell I was doing mocking 69 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 2: someone else's religion like that. 70 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: I told him I wasn't mocking anything. I was simply 71 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: conveying to a coworker in writing that I would prefer 72 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: to keep religion out of future correspondence. He said that 73 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: it sure as hell seemed like I was mocking my 74 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 1: coworkers Christianity by using a Muslim saying in an email. 75 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: I asked him if he even knew what that phrase meant, 76 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 1: and he say he didn't, so I told him it 77 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: means peace be unto you. I told him, if he 78 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: thinks it's okay for someone to say God bless you 79 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: in every email, it should be okay for me to 80 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: say a malacam, it should be okay for me to 81 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:18,839 Speaker 1: say as it should be okay for me to say 82 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 1: a malakum as well. He told me to leave his 83 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: office and get back to work. A couple of days later, 84 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 1: there was a company wide email put out by the 85 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: CEO outlining new email policies regarding religion, politics, and other 86 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: personal views. It very clearly laid out that none of 87 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 1: that kind of personal viewpoints should be included in any 88 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: company email, no exceptions. 89 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 2: Shortly after that email was sent out. 90 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: My Christian coworker sent me a text to my personal 91 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: phone that simply said, I hope you're happy a hole. 92 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:55,360 Speaker 2: Which is not a very Christian thing with Jesus. With 93 00:04:55,600 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 2: Jesus text, No, Jesus wouldn't. Jesus would say. 94 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 3: Yes. 95 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 2: But gosh darn. 96 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 1: That is uh, you know, that's quite the story. I 97 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 1: don't think religion should ever be in in a work email. 98 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 1: But John, what do you think I have? 99 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 3: So I have consulted someone who is a not a 100 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:22,160 Speaker 3: white cisle. 101 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 2: My partner is Muslim. 102 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 3: So I I saw the headline of the story and 103 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 3: I messaged her and basically, okay, there's a few things here, 104 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 3: but here's what I'll start off with. I like comedy, 105 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:39,720 Speaker 3: and that ship is hilarious. 106 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 2: I'm sorry, bro. 107 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 3: Like, this is the problem with like when you get 108 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 3: to a company that's like that large, because it's like 109 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:48,720 Speaker 3: they have to have these bureaucracies and like whatever else. 110 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:51,280 Speaker 3: And to me, like, if someone showed me that, I'd 111 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 3: be like, man, he he clearly communicated this thing. He 112 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,599 Speaker 3: made a joke like maybe it was you know, I 113 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 3: don't know. To me, it's funny, it's definitely funny. But 114 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,360 Speaker 3: I think people are really touchy around religion. In get 115 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:05,599 Speaker 3: they're touchy around religion. 116 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: And and also you can see the different treatment of 117 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:13,280 Speaker 1: Christianity and is Muslims or Islam. You can see the 118 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: different you can see the different treatment of Christianity and 119 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:19,479 Speaker 1: Islam and how the company responds right actly, Like you 120 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 1: can be a Christian touting God Bless you for years 121 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:24,839 Speaker 1: and then assume. 122 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:28,720 Speaker 2: One mention of Alakam, the whole company is like no 123 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 2: more religion. 124 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:34,839 Speaker 3: Also, so additional context from from my girlfriend. So whereas 125 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 3: like you know, God Bless you is pretty like tied 126 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:44,919 Speaker 3: to God and Religionamlakam is not necessarily tied to Islam. 127 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 2: It's it's a language. It's Arabic. 128 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 3: So now it is generally speaking used in the context 129 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 3: of like with with Islam very often, but there are 130 00:06:56,160 --> 00:07:00,360 Speaker 3: non Muslim Arab countries that still say that as a 131 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:03,600 Speaker 3: or even like the shorting of there's like a shortened 132 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 3: version of Salam, which is kind of like like what's 133 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 3: good bro, Like Salam's bro. So it's not only is 134 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 3: you know, First, I'm like, it's a funny joke, like, 135 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 3: let's let it fly. 136 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 2: I'm here for funny jokes. 137 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 3: Second of all, it's not and to your point, like 138 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 3: this guy is Christian all the time. This guy's it's 139 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 3: a saloon, like once he gets slapped on the wrist. 140 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 3: But it's not necessarily always tied to the religion. So 141 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 3: there's like multiple layers here that all point to. 142 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: Like let it, let it ride, baby, Yeah, like agreed, agreed, 143 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: but you know what you should always let ride? 144 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 2: Ooh slappin'. 145 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 1: Slappin' that follow and subscribe it, slap it join the community. 146 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 1: We want to see your ears and your face watching 147 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 1: and listening every week, every day. 148 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 2: So come over here. That's right. Let's give you a 149 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 2: snuggle and we'll see you next time. You'll be nice 150 00:07:57,640 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 2: and warm.