Wednesday, October 11, 2006
LIGHTS OUT
Daniel Pipes on the decision of Minneapolis officials to equip taxis with booze-refusal lights:
The two-light plan takes Muslims’ religious views into consideration for mundane commercial transactions in Minnesota. A government authority thus sanctions a signal as to who does or does not follow Islamic law. What of taxi drivers beyond those at MSP? Other Muslims in Minneapolis-St. Paul and across the country could well ask for the same religious consideration. Bus conductors might follow suit. The whole transport system could be divided between those who are observant of Islamic law and those who are not ...
It is precisely the innocuous nature of the two-light taxi solution that makes it so insidious — and why the Metropolitan Airports Commission should reconsider its wrong-headed decision.
Consider it done:
Two weeks ago, Twin Cities airport officials were firming up plans to allow many Muslim taxi drivers — staunchly opposed to transporting passengers carrying alcohol of any sort — to alert potential fares of their beliefs with a different-colored light atop their cabs.
After a barrage of negative feedback, they’ve decided to scrap the idea.
“Since then, we’ve heard from Australia and England. It’s really touched a nerve among a lot of people. The backlash, frankly, has been overwhelming,” said Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport spokesman Patrick Hogan. “People are overwhelmingly against any kind of cultural accommodation.”
Excellent. Although taxi drivers aren’t impressed:
“It’s going to be tough, it’s going to be really tough, I don’t know what’s going to be next,” said Ali Abdi of St. Paul. “We have the right (to refuse to transport alcohol). We are still human being(s).”