USA Today has publicized the refusal of many Muslim cab drivers at Minneapolis—St. Paul International Airport to transport riders who have closed liquor bottles, often gotten at duty—free shops or in trips to California wine country. Muslims make up about half the cab drivers at the airport. Airport officials are making these drivers go to the end of the long cab queue if they refuse all riders.

Even this article states that many Muslim gas station owners sell beer and ham sandwiches. And they mention a Muslim scholar who states the transport of liquor is not a violation of sharia law, just drinking it. And gas stations are open on Friday, the Muslim sabbath, as well.

And then there is this article from techie news service ZDNet. It seems that Muslims are offended by the tall glass architectural cube in front of/atop the Apple Computer flagship store on 5th Avenue in New York because its shape somehow allegedly mocks the Ka'ba, Islam's most holy shrine in Mecca. It appears that some Muslims believe the store's "iPod bar" serves liquor (it does not) within this "Ka'aba—like cube." Has anyone ever been in a computer store that serves liquor anywhere in America or the rest of the world? I would think it quite rare or nonexistent. Although no Islamic protests are called for the NY Apple Store, the article on Islamic websites reinforces the perception that the West disrespects Islam and the Muslims are victims of religious prejudice.

It seems a number of people are not waiting for Iran to get a nuclear bomb to declare a World Caliphate. They are looking to impose Sharia and stamp the whole world with an Islamic cultural style today, because they believe the West's culture is corrupt and inferior. And the multiculturalists in places like ultraliberal Hennepin County (Minneapolis and the main airport location) are afraid to be perceived as offending anyone.

It would seem that if Wiccans started a protest against having to drive cabs to the airport on Halloween or the soltices, a committee would be formed to see if Hennepin County was being fair to them as well. Come to think of it, what would happen if Muslim cab drivers refused to drive people to "idolatrous" Halloween parties? Or to the Hormel (huge pork producer) offices or factory in Minnesota?
 
The Sixties are over. Singing Kumbaya and saying "Why can't we all just get along?" are dead. Multiculturalism has just met Zero Religious Tolerance.

I experienced this sense of foreigner entitlement one night at the cab stand in New York's La Guardia Airport. I say "foreigner" because I cannot assume this cab driver had any desire to become an immigrant to the United States, just make some money here. But I also cannot claim I knew his country of origin or religion because I spent so little time with him. After getting into his cab after a long flight, I told him my address. He then said, in a demanding tone, "I don't know how to go. You have to show me." To this, I replied I was not in show business and immediately got out of his cab. Since New York cab drivers are legally required to know the area and carry maps, the dispatcher could not come to his defense and got me into another cab.
 
Jack Kemp  10 12 06

Update:

It seems like the good ole Twin Cities airport authority, the Metropolitan Airports Commission, in an act of political cowar...er..correctness, has caved in to the Muslim cabbies on the alcohol transport issue.

Some may ask how the drivers know what is in your luggage, but the carrying of glass bottles necessitates a discussion of why a suitcase can't go in the trunk or an obvious bottle case carried on the back seat of the cab.

But even the Muslims admit that people will be looking for other means of transportation, alternative services to get home. I can see a new cab company coming into being. Instead of being named St. Paul Cab, it would be named St. Bernard Cab, after the brandy carrying rescue dogs. The jihad (struggle) continues.

Perhaps they should bring in Madeleine Albright or John Kerry to negotiate. Or maybe even Kofi Annan For those of you from Minnesota, I wonder what the cabbies would do they started selling raw, unfinished lutefisk (Swedish—style whitefish soaked in lye before cooking) in the Twin Cities airport. THAT would be something to take into a cab.
 
Jack Kemp