Didn't I say enough already?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1031784/Schoolboys-punished-detention-refusing-kneel-pray-Allah.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1032449/Police-sniffer-dogs-wear-bootees-house-searches-avoid-offending-Muslims.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1029887/Muslims-searched-sniffer-dogs-despite-religious-objections-say-police.html

Why is it so impossible for people to expect the same treatment as everyone else? When you choose to live in a country, you abide by its laws. Simple. You, of course, have every right to retain your religion and culture. That's a given and I'd argue to the death with anyone who wanted to force Muslims (or anyone else) to give up their faith or their culture just so they could live overseas. Asking someone to do that is just plain silly.

I live in the Middle East. I send my son (and soon 2 sons and 1 daughter) to school there. They do not participate in religious instruction classes. Why? Because we're not Muslim. I have no problem with them learning what Muslims believe, I find it rather interesting myself, even if outright wrong. But I'm not raising them to practice that religion so I don't want them in the classes. However, the Boss does have friends who are Muslim. He also has a couple who are Hindu. I don't tell my son he can't play with kids who are of another religion. Just because someone claims to be Christian doesn't mean s/he is or that, even if a believer, will have the same principals we do. I much prefer he play with someone I know he's safe with. He has a very good friend who's Muslim. His parents are like mirror images of my husband and myself. They don't permit their children to run loose on the streets. They supervise who their friends are. They even use seatbelts! (If you've ever been in the Middle East you know how unusual that notion is over here.) I absolutely trust these people with my child. Not only is he physically safe with them (in their home, their car, etc.) but while they are devout Muslims, they don't try to teach him things that they know I wouldn't want them to. They also trust us to do the same. That's not to say that I wouldn't want them to answer the Boss's questions honestly about their faith if he asked them. I would do the same for their son. Not with the intention of trying to convert him, but with giving him honest answers to honest questions.

I live in the Middle East. It's a completely different government, culture, etc. from my own. Would I ever dream of trying to impose my values or mores on them? Of course not! Granted I'm a school teacher. I do try to teach my students the basics of right and wrong in how to treat others. That isn't difficult to do since they're Muslim and I'm Christian. Islam has a lot to say in how you treat people that Christians would agree with (or at least not disagree with). But aside from that, I'm not out there trying to get everyone to think the way I do (although life would be so much easier if people just would!)

So why is it that in order to spread cultural and religious awareness in other countries that aren't Muslim, where there's a large Muslim population, it's necessary to force students to practice the religion? (If you're forcing someone to pray to Allah (or any other god), you're forcing him/her to practice the religion. Don't try to call it something else.)Why is it necessary to try to prevent law enforcement officials from doing their job properly? Put booties on police dogs? Don't you have a vacuum? Wouldn't that be more sensible? Besides, how do booties prevent the saliva from getting into the house? And if it's against Islam for Muslims to have dogs, why do so many have them? If the police are there to search your home, there's a reason. You (or someone in your home) has done something illegal. Or at least has been suspected of doing something illegal. If that's the case, you know how to prevent someone from bringing police dogs to your home. Don't do it! If they're there to harass you because just because of you religion or race, protest the right thing. You know, discrimination?

At least after those first two articles there's someone who's willing to say what needs to be said. Dogs will do their jobs no matter who objects. So there are those who want to avoid stations with sniffer dogs. Good for them. That's called choice. It's what each of us has a right to make. If I don't want to give up consuming alcohol because I live in Muslim country that forbids it, I can just live somewhere else. (Bahrain isn't too far away and alcohol is legal, as well as pork.) I can also choose to make my own or smuggle some in. If I do, and I get caught, I have nothing to complain about. I've made a choice and it's up to me to accept the consequences. If you don't want the dogs sniffing you too closely, don't wear or carry anything that will attract them to you. If you have drugs (which are also forbidden by Islam and I believe the penalty is greater than for owning a pet), then you deserve the consequences that you asked for. If you are searched or sniffed for what you believe are the wrong reasons, protest the search and the reason behind it. Don't pitch a fit over a pooch!

Now, if you're a Muslim who's stumbled across this rant, please don't feel discriminated against. I'm just as easily infuriated by Christians who want to force everyone else to live by their values. Some Christians are much more liberal than I care for. Some are much more conservative than I care for. I'm not middle of the road so much as a practitioner of common sense. I'm not trying to hold you to any different standard than I am my fellow believers. ;)