Posted on 12/07/2006 5:31:38 AM PST by SJackson
A Muslim woman in Dearborn, Mich., lodged a complaint Tuesday against Fitness USA for an alleged civil rights violation involving a fellow gym patron. According to Jodi Berry, executive director of Fitness USA, Wardeh Sultan was praying in front of another member’s locker when the member wanted access to her belongings inside the locker. The inconvenienced patron tried to interrupt Ms. Sultan, but she remained prostrate in front of the locker and an altercation ensued. A manager was called into the locker room to intervene.
Ms. Sultan later complained that the Fitness USA management was unconcerned about the humiliation she suffered when her prayers were interrupted. She stated that the gym personnel were insensitive, rejected her complaints and did not satisfactorily intervene on her behalf. Ms. Sultan further reported that the manager told her, “You have to respect her (the other patron), but she does not have to respect your god.”
The incident is yet another example of special treatment Muslims are increasingly demanding nationwide. Last April, at the Lincoln Park, Mich. Fitness USA location, 200 Muslim women signed a petition demanding separate workout times for men and women, or, at minimum, installation of a divider between the men’s and women’s gym sections. A screen was eventually erected to obstruct the view of the women’s facilities. Another Fitness USA facility recently revised a dress code to allow Muslim women to wear more modest dress while exercising.
Other examples abound. Last week, six imams demonstrated against U.S. Airways for alleged discrimination against Muslims and their religious practices after they were detained and questioned because they had been praying in the Minneapolis airport, loudly invoking Allah’s name and uttering anti-American statements. Recently, Muslim cabdrivers refused to carry passengers possessing alcoholic beverages or accompanied by seeing-eye dogs. Last year, city public swimming pools in Seattle, responding to pressure from Muslims, instituted regularly scheduled hours for exclusive use by Muslims, including a “Muslim Sister Swim.” In June in a Chicago suburb, a Muslim girls basketball team, whose players compete wearing long, blue gowns and hijabs, requested that in competitions with non-Muslims schools, no men or boys be allowed to watch the games.
What is behind this rash of demands for tolerance and accompanying allegations of discrimination by Muslims? Could this be part of an agenda contrived to intimidate non-Muslims into enacting special concessions and privileges for Muslims that subtlety alter American society step by step? Is this the beginning of a militant movement or a cultural jihad toward incremental demands with the ultimate goal of Islamicizing the U.S. and imposing Sharia law?
At the same time, Muslims are alleging with greater frequency and vitriol that a growing intolerance of Islam exists and that the rights of Muslims to speak and worship freely are under attack by Americans. Muslim leaders such as Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, insist that Muslims have a right to petition for special accommodation based on their religious beliefs as mandated by the First Amendment. In truth, no requirement exists, either in state or federal statutes, requiring that such petitions be addressed or behavior adjusted accordingly. Further, the locations in question are publicly owned businesses providing services to the general public under behavioral and societal norms accepted by the majority of Americans. These are not private clubs exclusive to Muslim patrons and nothing prevents Muslims from creating their own private clubs to accommodate their needs. If a religion prohibits males and females from swimming together, its practitioners shouldn’t swim in public pools. If devout Muslim girls must play basketball in burkas away from the gaze of boys and men, competitions may be arranged exclusively with Muslims schools.
In the case of gym patrons, how far will the requests go before non-Muslim women are subservient to the whims and demands of Muslims? If a Muslim woman decides to spontaneously pray between the bench press and the treadmill are non-Muslims expected to alter their circuit in order not to disturb her? What if Muslims decide that they are uncomfortable with the immodest attire of non-Muslims exercising around them? Will they eventually demand that all gym participants dress according to a standard that they establish as appropriate? Once a Muslim-approved standard of dress is observed in the gym, would it be extended to cover shopping malls, post offices, other community locations and eventually an entire region?
As for praying in public places, such as fitness centers and airport terminals, to what extent should this be accommodated by American society? Do Muslims really believe that a gym locker room is a desirable and appropriate place for prayer? Can’t they schedule their day to attend the gym between calls to prayer or pray silently or in their cars? Most airports have non-denominational chapels for all religions. Aren’t these spaces more appropriate for vocal and physical attitudes of prayer than a busy terminal filled with passengers? In a post 9-11 world, it is unrealistic to expect that loud proclamations of Islamic faithfulness mixed with condemnations of U.S. policy will not raise suspicion and cause alarm. The tragedy of 9-11 has forever changed the air travel experience and certain behaviors are already constrained in the interest of American security. Is vocal and extreme religious behavior exempt?
Countless others have immigrated to the United States without demanding that we change our society to meet their religious requirements. It’s unfathomable that an orthodox Jewish taxi driver would deny passage to a person eating a ham sandwich or a Jehovah’s Witness would deny service to a passenger carrying a bottle of wine. We have already re-engineered assembly lines (Tyson Foods and Dell Computer) and overturned a city noise ordinance to allow for Muslim calls to prayer. Squiggle graphics on Burger King ice cream cones were discontinued as they allegedly resembled the Arabic spelling of Allah. Under threat of a lawsuit, Nike recalled a sneaker with a heel design that was also similar to the Arabic configuration for Allah and built three playgrounds in U.S. Islamic communities designated by the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Where will this intimidation and shakedown of Americans and American institutions end? Will racism and bigotry accusations shame us into capitulating and abandoning our vigilance and security precautions? Will we be lured into curtailing our surveillance procedures, weakening the Patriot Act and enacting religious intolerance legislation focusing on Muslims? Muslim charges of victimization and discrimination have already paved the way for a variety of special treatment and dispensations. How many changes must we see on the American landscape and how far must Americans be pushed for concessions before we collectively say, “Enough?”
"John Kerry prepares to compete in the freestyle"
FYI~!
Dearborn needs affirmative action.
testing...testing...all your culture is belong to us.
We should use the laws that keep Christians from wearing those "offensive" crosses to outlaw any public expression of that offensive headchopping religion. In Texas, we have laws that allow us to protect our property. There is nothing I would like more for Christmas than to find a muslime prostrate between me and one of my possesions. My gift to them will be my foot in their ass, and my Spyderco in their neck.
They often play it in a god cop/bad cop manner.
i.e. "if you don't give in to our modest demands, some of our less moderate brothers and sister might just turn to violence and terror"
An employee told me of similar goings-on at an auto auction near Buffalo: several Islamists who were also dealers started bringing prayer rugs and laying them out in the car lanes! Of course, this brought the auction to a grinding halt. But somehow, these shenanigans suddenly stopped- I was told the other car dealers were not amused and made their feelings known!!! (I'd love to know the details.)
"Recently, Muslim cabdrivers refused to carry passengers possessing alcoholic beverages or accompanied by seeing-eye dogs."
Muzzies don't like dogs. That should be warning enough. Seriously, a creature bred for thousands of years to serve and love man unconditionally and make our lives easier: And Muzzies despise dogs! Every one of those cab drivers that weren't owner-operators should have had their hacks revoked immediately. And no I don't want someone blocking my locker with a prayer rug, and no I don't want a congressman swearing in on the Koran. Let's become PIC about this and get something accomplished.
During the latest Muslims-On-A-Plane provocation, somebody here said that quietly singing "Onward Christian Soldiers" just loud enough that the troublemaker can hear it would be a good tactic.
With Islam's strict legalism, basic to the faith, it doesn't matter what is appropriate or not...they are bound to do it...
Can’t they schedule their day to attend the gym between calls to prayer
Can't...at least 3 of the 5 calls to prayer are during working hours....
or pray silently or in their cars?
Praying silently is not an option...they are told they MUST bow down facing Mecca, and recite the memorized chants out loud (even if they don't know Arabic--it's an approach like magic words).
Most airports have non-denominational chapels for all religions.
Actually many do not.
Aren’t these spaces more appropriate for vocal and physical attitudes of prayer than a busy terminal filled with passengers?
Do we really want silent places of prayer and contemplation filled with Moslems facing an odd direction chanting loudly bowing up and down... when you are trying to silently pray? And do you think the Moslems would stand for a cross or...even "worse" bibles being present in such a place? Do you imagine they would be courteous to Christians or Jews in such a private area?
There has been no explanation as to why the seat belt extenders, that I have heard. Either by swinging it, wrapping the strap around your hands with the buckle forward (like brass knuckles) or using it to strangle, it seems to me it would make a weapon as effective as box cutters....
The whole thing was a shakedown from the get go. Their intention was to create a disruption and then prance to the courthouse. Their accomplice in this extortion scam is Sheila Jackson Lee.
As a general rule, I don't trust people who don't like animals. There seems to be a correlation with having a cold heart.
Juxtapositioned with a creature bred for thousands of years to maim and kill.
I'll take the dog.
several Islamists who were also dealers started bringing prayer rugs and laying them out in the car lanes!
OMG - this is just a blatant "eff u" - I've not been to the Buffalo auction but have been to many others...there are "wasted space" interior places all over the buildings that they could have gone to.
Funny, right after 9/11, the Moslem dealers at Manheim *stopped* wearing all the turbans and sheets - showed up in nice Polos & Dockers since they *knew* they were, by association, on the American Poop List.
...and come to think of it - while many Moslems attend these auctions, not once - throughout the whole, long, auction day - have I seen them break out prayer rugs in the past. I would assume that sometime between 7am and 5pm there's at least ONE call to prayer, don't'cha think?
This public prayer stuff is just another way to infiltrate and I am so hoping for the opportunity to run across a group of them doing this somewhere so I can break out into a few Christian hymns and prayers with a loud Sanskrit chant chaser :)
She was lucky the other lady just didn't stomp on her neck and kill her. Stupid muslims.
IOW the new PC MEME
Islam has a right to be rude and obnoxious.
I have no sympathy for islam any more.
Laura Ingram better get off her butt kissing hunt for these useful idiot moderate moslems.
I just change the channel when she has one of those on.
Pharasee and the Tax collector?
Here the prayer moment is being used as a terror weapon.
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