Islamophobia in action

Submitted by Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai (India), Oct 16, 2006 at 11:39

Dear Dr. Daniel Pipes,

RE: No Islamic Law in Minnesota, for Now

...

Don't you feel that you have some oversensitivity about Shariah, even if the moves are compatible with common sense? You feel it is alright that the liquor was not allowed on the plane for reasons of security. But no such ban should have been allowed to confirm to some private religious code of a certain group of people, even if they are American citizen. In strict secular terms you are right. However, I am not sure, how this principle works in real life in the USA. I am sure any collective lobbying by any group whosoever, with genuine demands would be accommodated in any democratic set up.

I understand, Amish people have there own ‘peculiar' traditions, and state is quite accommodative to them. In the case of taxi-drivers, the carrying of liquor is condemned in Islam, as such the choice for them is open for them either to attend to their customers as per general custom, or quit. Since they are compelled to carry on, on pain of grave loss of livelihood, I think Islamic Sharia would grant them some leeway on this count. So it is for them to find a common ground between law of the land and their Islamic Sharia. If there is no recourse, they have to find other alternatives, if and if there is some resistance from the state or people. ...

You wrote: "Free Muslims Coalition correctly argues that this does not suffice. Cab drivers who discriminate against passengers with bottles of alcohol, it holds, "should be banned altogether from picking up passengers at the airport" and their hack permits should be cancelled."

Any action in the matter should be left to the authorities and not to the trouble makers, out to make a mountain out of a molehill. The locals had full grasp of the matter and would have amicably solved the problem through give and take. The intervention from interested people either from out of state or from other states in the US or even from other countries is sure sign of a desperate attempt to internationalize and sensationalize the issue. ...

GHULAM MUHAMMED, MUMBAI

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