Posted on 11/04/2009 10:15:39 AM PST by La Lydia
A few years ago when the Muslim cabdrivers at the Minneapolis airport were refusing to carry passengers who had alcohol, several people pointed out that it would set a dangerous precedent to allow cabbies to select passengers according to Sharia rules. If a cabdriver could reject a passenger who was holding a bottle of whiskey, he could reject a passenger who was eating a ham sandwich, or an unmarried couple, or, as here, a gay couple. And the American principle of equality of access would be overthrown in favor of a religious discrimination that would enshrine Islamic law as a higher law than the law of the land.
And that's why Medhat Mohamed needs to lose his job. As long as the law of the U.S. disallows religious discrimination, his action ought to be seen as such and authorities should act accordingly.
"Crabby cabby boots same-sex lovebirds," in the New York Post, November 4:
An overzealous cabby allegedly booted a gay couple when he spotted the duo sharing a warm embrace in the back of his cold car. Paul Bruno and his partner hailed the yellow cab Monday night at 13th Street and First Avenue and sat close...But the driver, identified by Bruno and city records as Medhat Mohamed, was apparently appalled by their shows of affection -- and pulled the cab over two blocks into the trip.
"You guys have to get out of the taxi! Hugging is not allowed in here!" the driver said, according to Bruno.
"I was shocked," said Bruno, 27, who called the act "discrimination against homosexuals."
"He needs to exercise the rules in which he was employed a little more closely."
Both men said they hoped other cabbies didn't share the same views on an innocent act.
"I don't know if it was a personal or religious thing. But it's never OK to deny anyone a ride, especially when it's such blatant and direct discrimination," added Bruno, a lifelong city resident....
Morality-based Law? Surely you jest.
Would that be the way they treat their women? The way they behead Americans? The way they justify killing “all” non-believers? Boy, that’s some morality.
Indeed. Two of America’s enemies are facing off to duke it out. I encourage them to destroy one another.
i doubt it. if anything, they’ll use it as an excuse to exclude others from their own, protected class. there are plenty of stories about what the afghanis did to homosexuals in that country, and all of it involved painful and public death.
i went around and around with a bunch of gays on message boards when we invaded afghanistan. i linked news stories to show them that the taliban would bury them up to their necks and knock stone walls over to crush their heads. this seems to be the ‘proper’ way to execute a homo according to the imams.
the only answer i ever got back was, “george bush blah blah blah.”
Despite my feeling that all Muslims should be thrown out of the country, I’m with the cabbie on this. The main reason is that I believe that people should be free to do business or not do business with whomever they want. Forcing someone to provide a service to someone else is slavery. If the cab company doesn’t like it, they can fire the muzzie. If the cabbie is independent, he should have the right to refuse service to anyone. And it damn sure is a guarantee that I don’t want to see homos or anyone else claiming some Constitutional right to make out in other people’s cars or places of business.
Cabbies in New York City have a government-granted monopoly-- only licensed yellow cabs with a New York City Taxi Commission medallion may cruise the streets and pick up fares. (There are private limo sevices, but you have to call them-- they can't cruise the streets for passengers.) As a beneficiary of a government-granted monopoly, a taxi driver has to follow the laws, including the laws against discrimination.
“Maybe he didnt let heterosexuals hug in his cab either.”
NO ‘public displays of affection’ should be posted inside his cab. I suspect Medhat could post such a message and throw out anyone who violates his rule. If he did that then no one could accuse him of discrimination.
Fact is, I agree with him. I’m fed-up with having to tolerate other people’s flagrant sexual behavior in public places. Decorum used to be the norm, but no more.
“You guys have to get out of the taxi! Hugging is not allowed in here!”
Did the cab driver used to run a soup kitchen, by chance?
One side wants a Monarchy/Oligarchy the other wants a Theocracy. I assume you mean you would rather have a Monarchy/Oligarchy?
Not a big fan of the kiss hello.
When the federal government mandates that everyone purchase healthcare insurance, it will be the same thing. We've already established that service providers cannot turn away customers. Now we will see that citizens cannot refuse to be purchasers of health insurance.
Sigh. I would think this is unconstitutional, but so much of our present society fits into that bucket.
I was unaware that the homosexual agenda includes advocacy of Monarchy/Oligarchy. The things they get up to!
In this case, I’ll side with the Muslims who want the religious freedom not to have homosexuality forced upon them.
“... The American principle of equality of access ...”
I must have missed that one. Which constitutional article or amendment expounds such a principle?
I am acquainted with the one that guarantees the free exercise of one’s religion.
Now who didn’t see this coming? Wonder how long until one decides he doesn’t like what the two in the backseat are doing and beheads them both?
I love a good witch fight!
The cabbie should have the right to refuse service to anyone he chooses. If that means gays, blacks, people with funny haircuts or anyone else that is his right.
The people here at FR that want him to be fired are awful. Thirty years ago, most people wouldn’t rent apartments to or do business with homosexuals. Those people where your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. They were good people who rightly viewed homosexuality as a perversion to be shunned.
Gotta side with the cab driver on this one. The gay agenda is a greater threat to civilization than Islam.
Only a faction of Islam is misguided, while the gay agenda is intrinsically wrong.
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