Airport Sinks for Muslim Cabbies

[lizbud]

A few days ago a routine update on changes at the Indy airport included
info about planned building of special foot bathing sinks were being added
in a new Cabbie restroom area, just for Muslims in a cleansing ceremony
that's performed several times a day before prayer.

Well this news was not recieved well by most people who heard about it
and made their feelings known publicly. Today this article appeared and
officials are already backing away from the plans to include them in the
new airport plans.I was a little supprised how vocal those against it were.

Does your airport make this accomodation for Muslim cab drivers?

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...OCAL/709220487

[Edwina's Secretary]

O'Hare has a non-denominational chapel. And prayer services are held there (I hear it announced on the PA system.)

That is on tax supported property.

Is it any different?

[ramanth]

I'm not sure if Detroit does or not. I haven't been there in years.

[columbine]

Cabbies at Boston Logan are lucky if they can get your luggage out of the trunk before they get shooed out to make room for the next cab! I think they do most of their praying between speeding trucks.

Love, Columbine

[Lady's Human]

Sara, the difference between the non-deominational chapel and the sinks is that the sinks are for a specific religion, and the chapel is exactly that. Non-denominational. As in not catering to a specific religion.

[Catty1]

When I first saw the title of this thread, I saw "sinks" as a verb. I thought, "NOW what???"

oops!

[Edwina's Secretary]

Sara, the difference between the non-deominational chapel and the sinks is that the sinks are for a specific religion, and the chapel is exactly that. Non-denominational. As in not catering to a specific religion.

Not true! You can wash your feet in the sink if you like. I don't believe there is any restriction that you must be Muslim to do so.

And...according to my dictionary...a chapel is a place for Christian worship.

[Lady's Human]

The chapels in airports usually hold non-denominational christian services, jewish, services, etc. The chapels on military posts are used for all religions, yet they are still called chapels.

The sinks are being put in SPECIFICALLY for muslims. Anyone can use them, granted, but if it wasn't a religious accommodation they wouldn't be there.

[Edwina's Secretary]

The chapels in airports usually hold non-denominational christian services, jewish, services, etc. The chapels on military posts are used for all religions, yet they are still called chapels.

The sinks are being put in SPECIFICALLY for muslims. Anyone can use them, granted, but if it wasn't a religious accommodation they wouldn't be there.

I know many, many Jewish people...none of whom would worhsip in a chapel.

And the chapels in ariports are not religious accomodations??? For whom were the chapels installed??

[Lady's Human]

They are religious accommodations, but they are not targeted to a particular religion.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Therein lies the problem....you start accomodating one religion...you must accomodate them all.

I suspect the chapels were not installed to accomodate the Atheists!

[Lady's Human]

In which case you know no jewish servicemembers, as jewish services are held at the same building (AKA a chapel) as other religious services on military posts.

[Catty1]

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgur...ctive%26sa%3DG

Kansas City airport has installed these 'sinks' (called washing benches), but now denies they are for any particular group - which is causing the usual brou-ha-ha.



Another view:


Prayer rug rolled up in one corner:

Mark VanLoh, director of the Kansas City Aviation Department. "This was the best solution, and those facilities were added without public money."

He added that cab drivers paid for construction through a one-dollar per-trip fee.

Muslims are required to wash their feet and other body parts before praying to Allah five times a day. They often complain that public restroom sinks do not accommodate their needs. Floor-level basins and benches make it easier for them to perform their foot-washing ritual.

Muslim taxi drivers at KCI Airport pooh-poohed concerns about the wash benches, arguing they are not just for their use.

"The guys [sic] making a big issue out of it – it's not just for Muslims," said taxi driver Shareif El-Mahdi in an interview with KMBC-TV.

[Edwina's Secretary]

In which case you know no jewish servicemembers, as jewish services are held at the same building (AKA a chapel) as other religious services on military posts.

This is not about the military. However, you are wrong. I dated a Jewish marine for 7 years. And the stories he told would disagree with what you are saying.

This is about airports. Take out the chapels and I will have no argument about the foot baths.

Chapels are christian. Look it up in your dictionary.

[Lady's Human]

Sara, I spent 20 years in the military. The same building at West Ft Hood that had the catholic and protestant services also held the jewish services. The same building at Ft Devens that held catholic and protestant services also held jewish services. and FT Drum, and Coleman Barracks, and FT Dix...............

And they were all labeled on the post maps as......(Drum roll, please)....








Chapels.