Ghullam Mohammed

Submitted by Romesh Chander (United States), Oct 29, 2006 at 17:26

Ghullam Mohammed.

You are no expert on Sharia and neither am I. So, let us stop talking about what is Haram or Hallal, islamic or unislamic. Rather let us talk about how US society requires people to behave in US; which is based on man made laws, which are based on the Constitution of US. It is that simple. Moreover, you are no expert on US laws -- after all, you are sitting in India (and I am sitting here in US, and have been here for 47 years; so, I know US very well).

In US, Taxi Drivers have a license to do business. And certain rules govern for that license. If he does not like those rules, then the taxi driver can surrender his license and get into other businesses. It is that simple. They will even be required to pick up a prostitute, if one so identifies herself -- that is the law.

In US, Laws require a pharmacist to dispense drugs, duly prescribed by a doctor, even though, it may be against a pharamacist's religion or conscious to dispense them; if he does not like it, he can surrender his license and get into other businesses.

Sorry. In US, laws are made by men, not based on religion; US is a multi-religious society and cannot make laws consistent with various religious restrictions. If somebody does not like laws made by men, then they are incompatible with the freedoms in the US; either they can grin and bear it or go elsewhere.

By the way, would muslim taxi driver refuse to accept a passenger who was carrying groceries with pig's meat in them or books containing derogatory remarks on Islam (and even muslims) or carrying with him statutes of various gods (hindu or others)? This is just a sampling of the problems one can face in a free country like US, where disrespect of any and all religions (including Judaism, Christianity or even Hindusism) is normal and freely exercised.

Like it or not, in US, nobody can prosecute me for burning a copy of Koran (or Bible), saying nasty things about Muhammed (or Jesus Christ) or showing a statute of Mohammed or other cartoons, etc. If muslims don't like this kind of society, then US is not the country for them; they should move to ShariaLand (if there is one).

Maybe tomorrow, Muslims will declare that it is unislamic to pick up Jewish (and even Hindu) passengers for their taxi cabs?

Romesh Chander

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