If Christian pharmacists can deny birth control for religious reasons, can Muslim cab drivers kick out...?

Question

blind people with seeing eye dogs?

(Dogs are against their religion. No, I'm not making this up.)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=408912&in_page_id=1770&in_page_id=1770

I believe it's also come up here in the States.

Xander: Actually, they don't.

Answer 1

Well they have the right to refuse cab service to people carrying alcohol (that is also against the Muslim religion)

Answer 2

I think that if people are unhappy about it they should write to the cab company and ask if the cab company allows their drivers to refuse service to people for any reason. If said cab company does there is nothing they can do. However if the company is imposing penalties on the drivers, then yes the drivers should comply and provide the service to people regardless of whatever circumstance. It is not about them after all, but the customer. If they don't like it they should get a different job where they don't have to deal with alcohol-drinking people or people who use service dogs. But the company's policies need to be consulted first. Some cab companys do allow their employees the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason. And if that's the case with the employers of these cab drivers, well the officials at the airport are out of luck. And if the cab drivers are free agents...that applies as well. There isn't much you can do. It sucks and it does seem to be in bad taste not to mention a healthy does of intolerance to some, but it is their right if they are private free agent cabbies or if their employers allow them to do it.

Answer 3

I suppose they can. But since Muslims are not a majority in the US, at least, the next taxi in line will have to take it. I suspect they can also refuse someone carrying a cat if they are allergic to them. Or perhaps a Jewish cab driver will not accept someone carrying home a pound of bacon? Would a fundamentalist object to transporting someone with a copy of "Origin of the Species"? How about if it's in a plain brown wrapper?

Don't they have the right to refuse service to anyone? Generally I think they do.

Answer 4

I think people are using their professions to force their beliefs on others. That is wrong no matter who is doing it. The Muslim taxi drivers are breaking laws by discriminating against the blind. I don't care what allah says. I care about what our Constitution says. Even Jesus told us to follow the laws of the land. Restaurants, stores, everywhere has to allow seeing eye dogs in and Muslims that don't comply should be fined, arrested and have their cabs taken away. If they don't like dogs, they should find another job. They don't allow any alcohol in their cabs, even unopened bottles. There is no law against having unopened bottles in a car. Again, they are changing the laws. I think the Christian pharmacist should also get a different job if it's interfering with his beliefs. I don't know if not giving out birth control is breaking any laws though. That's the difference. Muslims want to change our laws and put Sharia Law in place and we're letting them get away with it. We cannot allow that to happen, not if we value freedom.

God Bless.

Answer 5

It's illegal in Australia.

We respect religious and cultural beliefs, but you can't use them to discriminate against disabled people.

Actually, dogs are not always regarded as unclean in Islam. There are no specific verses in the Koran, and the traditions about "unclean" dogs come from various Haddiths, which have been the subject of vigorous debate amongst Islamic scholars in pre modern and modern times.

This article provides a good summary of the history of such debates:

http://www.scholarofthehouse.org/dinistrandna.html

Answer 6

Muslims are not against dogs or any animals, that's pure nonsense. It just that for most Sunni's the dog's saliva and other wet parts of the body like the paws, makes us ritually unclean to go into prayers and we need to wash ourselves in a certain manner.

There are Muslims who keep dogs outside of heir houses in certain Muslim countries in common. Heck, you'll also find dogs in the streets of Mecca outside the Holy Mosque I was told.

There is a famous strory that Muhammad related how a Jew who gave a dog dying of thirst, was admitted to paradise!

Numerous Sufi saints also taught that dogs have good qualities like obedience and steadfastness, that Muslims should emulate.

Answer 7

Yes, apparently they can. I'm often amused when I here people in America talk criticize "religious extremists." It's like the pot criticizing the kettle. America probably has more religious extremists than any other country on earth and does more to encourage them than anyone else. Personally, I think they should loose their pharmaceutical license to practice if their superstitions prevent them from doing their job.

Answer 8

Yes they can kick up unless u bring ur mum who would then need no dog

Answer 9

we are aloid ot have dogs for protection. maybe a cab driver wouldn't want the dog in the car becuase they are dirty

Answer 10

maybe muslims should do something else for a living....or go home.....

american pharmacists would have to provide an alternative provider for the patient.......muslims taxi drivers don't do this...they are discriminating against innocent handicapped people.