And seriously, what better that to have that point of reference that you snidely refer to?
A point of reference I offer is from a multi-cultural country where one has seen firsthand the conflicts that arise from Islam's interrelation with other religions and cultures.
I don't see it as a stretch to predict that many of the problems that have already happened here might eventually resurface in the United States.
Two years ago if I told you that schools in the future might be banning certain children's stories for fear of offending Muslims you might think I was crazy and yet that is happening now.
Pig books banned in deference to Muslims
With regards to fast food restaurants in the United States and Europe, I do believe the day is coming when these restaurants will be serving only "halal" beef and chicken products. This neither alarmist nor is it fallacious reasoning but rather, what I believe will be become an informed business decision.
Companies will need to decide whether to include Muslims or exclude them and with one billion muslims worldwide, the decision seems only logical, and that is to include them.
Do you expect companies such as Tyson, KFC and McDonald's to continue to produce both "halal" and "non halal" products considering the huge costs involved by carrying two types of meat and the fact that there is little to no difference in taste?
A "halal" chicken nugget and a "non halal" chicken nugget look identical and taste almost the same. Im betting that McDonald's thinks you won't notice the difference.
Chances are that you might be eating "halal" food right now and not even know it.
"...Muslim Students Get Foods Meeting 'Halal' Guidelines For years, Muslim children in Dearborn, Mich., public schools have eaten their lunchtime veggies and thrown away most meats, which are not halal (lawful) under Islamic dietary laws. But that is starting to change. School officials, heeding parents' requests, are finally working on a plan to add more halal items to menus.
Foods that meet halal guidelines include all fish as well as poultry, beef, mutton and rabbit (but only if they are butchered in accord with halal procedures). Forbidden foods include anything with pork, animal gelatin, and animal fats. As in kosher cooking, halal utensils must be kept separately. The first halal offerings-chicken nuggets and hot dogs-will supplement rather than reform the menu.
"We're trying to provide food that our customers can eat," says Bob Cipriano, business manager for the school district. Dearborn, a Detroit suburb, has one of the highest concentrations of ethnic Arabs in the country, according to the Arab-American Institute in Washington, D.C. About 50% of Dearborn's 17,200 student enrollment is Muslim. At some schools, as many as 95% are Arab-American..."
Dearborn Public Schools to introduce 'Halal' food
Explain the logic to me how a public school district bows to this kind of pressure. Is it merely a financial decision? From what I read, it seems a bit more. It seems like a minority group (while close, but still >50%) is imposing their religious restrictions on everyone else.
The primary reason to purge elements from our society seems to be based recently on whether or not it can be deemed offensive to anyone. California school districts have purged over 500 words from textbooks in a move to be more tolerant and sensitive to those who might be offended. Is it such a stretch of the imagination to think that elements offensive to Islam will be purged as well?
As such, these are issues to ponder and discuss, they might become problems and issues and then again they might not. What I don't find is that this type of reasoning is fallacious.