Footbasins for Muslims in KC Airport
WND started with...
The Kansas City International Airport has added several foot-washing basins in restrooms to accommodate a growing number of Muslim taxicab drivers who requested the facilities to prepare for daily Islamic prayer, WND has learned.
The move concerns airport police who worry about Middle Eastern men loitering inside the building. After 9/11, the airport beefed up its police force to help prevent terrorist attacks.
"Why are we constructing places of worship for them inside our airports?" said an airport official who requested anonymity. "Why are we catering to their rituals? We don't do it for any other religion."
Your basic dhimmitude story, right? But KMBC TV countered with this;
The story from WorldNetDaily.com claims that Kansas City International Airport built foot-washing basins for Islamic taxi drivers. The article alleges that airport police are afraid of Middle Eastern men who congregate near the wash areas.KCI spokesman Joe McBride said the story isn't true.
"It's a case of mistaken information on the Internet and we're trying to clear it up," McBride said.
Taxi drivers said they comprise people from all over the world -- not just the Mideast."All (kinds of) cab drivers we have here -- Somalis, Christians, Jews, Orthodox. Everybody we have here, every nationality," taxi driver Abdul Sharif said.
McBride said the wash stations were installed about a year ago when the airport expanded the taxi facility and added another bathroom. He said the wash stations weren't made for the exclusive use of anyone or any group in particular."The guys making a big issue out of it -- it's not just for Muslims," taxi driver Shareif El-Mahdi said."I think the Internet article blew it out of proportion. (It) had the wrong info about the facilities, gave the wrong impression. I think once people learn the facts, they'll see it's not a big deal at all," McBride said.
Unfortunately, the ever inquizative reporters at KMBC allowed the airport spokesmen to to totally avoid the point and go unquestioned. First of all, Christians, Jews and people of other faiths don't require footbasins, nor would they ever demand them. Muslims do.
Secondly, ""The Council on American-Islamic Relations has pressed government
agencies and businesses to install the foot basins in restrooms."" CAIR doesn't act on behalf of "every group of people. CAIR acts on behalf of Muslims in an effort to establish Sharia Law in the United States.
The controversial Muslim lobby group advises employers to allow Muslim workers time to perform both the washing ritual and prayer, which "is usually about 15 minutes," according to a pamphlet CAIR publishes called, "An Employer's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices."
If you need more proof, a public college in Minnesota has installed foot basins in an effort to please Muslims.
Sher Zieve comments;
With regards to Minneapolis Airport's Muslim cab drivers, in 2006 the Muslim American Society of Minneapolis (MAS) issued a "fatwa" (religious edict) to the Minneapolis Airport Commission (MAC). The fatwa advised MAC that Islamic law prohibits Muslims from being around the sin of alcohol and Muslim cabbies refused to transport any passenger fares who had packed sealed alcoholic products in their luggage. Other Muslim taxi drivers at the airport also refused to transport passengers with dogs — including guide dogs. Muslims consider not only pork to be unclean but, dogs also. After a great deal of foot-dragging and stalling, MAC finally voted on the Muslim cabbies' demands, in April. With a unanimous 11-0 vote, Minneapolis Airport commissioners agreed to suspend airport taxi drivers who refuse fares. The first offense will carry a 30-day suspension and repeat offenses will result in 2-year taxi license revocations. Note: This is highly unusual, as lately all too many Muslim demands have been met with submission to them.
(...)
Does anyone see a developed pattern of capitulation to Islam in the state of Minnesota?
Airport Spokesman McBride is either lying through his teeth or is stupifyingly ignorant. But covering the airport's behind is his job, the reporters at KMBC aren't doing their job at all.
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Way to get to the bottom of this foot basin thing! I'm adding you to my "Oxen" blogroll! Don't know why I hadn't sooner. You've always got good stuff. Good of you to send trackbacks too.
All the best,
D. Ox
Posted by:D. Ox | May 01, 2007 at 09:19 PM