Thread: Muslim Cab Drivers Refuse to Transport Alcohol, and Dogs

http://abcnews.go.com/International/sto ... 800&page=1

Muslim Cab Drivers Refuse to Transport Alcohol, and Dogs
Minnesota Officials Ponder Suspensions, cab Drivers say it Goes Against Their Belliefs
By BARBARA PINTO
Jan. 26, 2007— - Commissioners at one of the country's biggest airports are considering punishing Muslim cab drivers who refuse service to passengers possessing alcohol or guide dogs.

The cabbies claim transporting those items violates Islamic law.


"It is against our faith and the airport is discriminating against Muslim drivers," says a cab driver who would only give his first name, Hashim.


Three-quarters of the 900 cabbies licensed to operate at the airport are Muslim, most from Somalia. It is unclear how many are adhering to this letter of Islamic law which considers the purchase, drinking and transport of alcoholic beverages a sin.

Islam also regards the saliva from dogs to be unclean.


Nearly 40 million people travel through Minneapolis-St Paul airport annually.

Over the past 5 years, airport officials say 5,400 passengers have been turned away.

Some had guide dogs or pets, others were carrying cases of wine from California, or liquor from duty-free shops.


"There are times where cab after cab will refuse service, and passengers can be waiting for 20 minutes," says Patrick Hogan, spokesman for the Metropolitan Airports Commission. "We've had complaints of people being asked if they had any alcoholic beverages in their luggage."


Hogan admits the instances have declined in recent months with the Department of Homeland Security's restrictions on transporting liquids.


"We were seeing an average of 77 refusals a month," he says, "Now we're seeing between 8 and 20."


The state agency that licenses cab drivers prohibits discrimination against passengers unless the driver feels his life is in danger.


"This is a public access issue," says Chuck Samuelson, of the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, "Bottom line is we are a secular society, and that's the way it is."


Minnesota's Muslim American Society had offered a compromise measure last year to color code cabs that would not transport alcohol, but the airport commission turned the proposal down.


Currently, cabs that refuse a fare must simply go to the back of the line.

But, under the new proposal, drivers who decline to provide service would face a 30-day suspension of their license. Second offenders would have their licenses revoked.


"This type of job helps immigrants move to the next level," says Hassan Mouhamud, Imam of the AlTaqwa Mosque in St. Paul, and a scholar of Islamic Law.

"Blocking that," he says, "can cost jobs, it can also cost immigrants and their families the American dream."


Mouhamud says there are schools of Islamic thought that allow for compromise.


He says under the Hanafi School of Islamic law, if Muslims live in a country that does not enforce their religious law, they can defer to the written laws of that country.


"American society has a rule of respecting religions," says Mouhamed. " We hope there is room to accommodate all faiths."


"It's not a case of good guys versus bad guys," says airport commission spokesman Patrick Hogan," It's simply individuals who want to do right by their religion, and an airport that wants to do right by its customers."

Sharia Law is not compatible with modern Western society. If these folks are so religious that they insist on following aspects of Sharia Law which are in conflict with our secular laws, then they need to relocate to a Muslim country where they will be able to do so.

Rather than the cabbies being discriminated against, I rather think the cabbies are discriminating against folks travelling with dogs or carrying unopened bottles of liquor. What's next--refusing to transport gay couples?

We'd better take a cue from Australia and save ourselves a lot of future problems.

If it is against their religion to transport items, then the drivers are in the wrong business. They are providing a service and should provide that service to anyone who is trying to harm them. Pull their licenses.

"This type of job helps immigrants move to the next level," says Hassan Mouhamud, Imam of the AlTaqwa Mosque in St. Paul, and a scholar of Islamic Law.

"Blocking that," he says, "can cost jobs, it can also cost immigrants and their families the American dream."

They don't DESERVE the American Dream!

Sue the pants off of them for discrimination.

And, while we're at it, drop a hundred thousand pigs & dogs into Iraq & the Stan. War would end in a matter of 76 hours when the enemy hightails it like bunny rabbits.

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Don't you find it interesting that for years, there were no problems, now everyone is taking a stand on something? It must be the current trend.

It is against the law for anyone to deny a service animal to accompany it's owner anywhere, it is also against the law to ask the owner the nature of their disablity.
Anyone denying these animals in their cab can and should be sued along with the company they work for! In many cases this is discrimination against the disabled!
Please note a "service animal" is often more than a seeing eye dog and does include SAR dogs as well, these animals are not concidered pets and so do not fall under the no pets allowed laws.
I had to learn some of these laws when I was in a K9 SAR team and often took my dog places where no pets were allowed including a trip on AmTrac.

I read somewhere that the Dutch were making prospective immigrants view a film highlighting those areas of Dutch society that immigrants might find shocking, reminding them that to immigrate means to put up with these things. Maybe we should consider something similar? What's next - a Muslim bus driver disallowing dogs? How about unveiled women in miniskirts? Or even just unacompanied women? What about taxi services that are geared to helping people get home if they've overindulged at a party? Yes, it is against the law to bar service animals, and on that basis alone they should be disciplined and/or fired. Another question: how come such a high percentage of foreign cab drivers?

Originally Posted by BetsyRoss

I read somewhere that the Dutch were making prospective immigrants view a film highlighting those areas of Dutch society that immigrants might find shocking, reminding them that to immigrate means to put up with these things. Maybe we should consider something similar? What's next - a Muslim bus driver disallowing dogs? How about unveiled women in miniskirts? Or even just unacompanied women? What about taxi services that are geared to helping people get home if they've overindulged at a party? Yes, it is against the law to bar service animals, and on that basis alone they should be disciplined and/or fired. Another question: how come such a high percentage of foreign cab drivers?

Just drop them off at the topless beach on Long Island and that should do the trick.

Originally Posted by Neese

Don't you find it interesting that for years, there were no problems, now everyone is taking a stand on something? It must be the current trend.

Its what they are calling diversity, the problem is they need to inform these people they are suppose to assimilate into our culture not us assimilate into theirs,
I think the solution is to make them read and sign a contract that has rules for them when they come here.
I will learn the English Languague
I willl assimilate into the American culture
I will not try to push my religon or beliefs off on the American people
I will respect the diversity of their religons ( xmas trees, crosses, nativity scenes ect.
I will not try to change their constitution,or bill of rights
I will abide and respect the laws of their country
I will not expect them to change their laws to accomidate my religion or beliefs.
I will not form an ethnic group to expect special rights for said group
I will not threaten to kill or wipe out the American culture, (which seems to be quite a common thing these days) and our government tolorates it.
I will support myself and not expect free aid from the American tax payer.
I think you get the point, they need to sign this contract and if they can't respect us and our culture they need to find a better place to go and remove them self post haste, in other words if you don't understand that
as quik as possible.
They also need to deposit $$$$ into a fund we will save for them incase their life here is not as they expected, they will have the money put aside for a one way ticket out of The United States of America and our lives. Thank you very much!!!

But we are a melting pot and a nation of immigrants...blah, blah, blah...

Couldn't agree with you more SOSADFORUS. We need to do something, and quick!