PrintAugust 7, 2007
ACLU and public funding for Muslim foot baths (updated)
The ACLU twists itself into a pretzel shape, trying to justify opposing all state funding for religious purposes, except when it comes to Muslims, who want foot baths in schools and other public facilities for religious reasons. From the New York Times
The American Civil Liberties Union says the footbath issue is complex."Our policy is to object whenever public funds are spent on any brick and mortar component of religion," said Kary Moss, director of the Michigan Civil Liberties Union. "What makes this different, though, is that the footbaths themselves can be used by anyone, don't have any symbolic value and are not stylized in a religious way. They're in a regular restroom, and could be just as useful to a janitor filling up buckets, or someone coming off the basketball court, as to Muslim students."
Then, too, Ms. Moss said, the health and safety component is not normally part of religious accommodation cases.
How about oil wealthy Muslim nations footing the bill? (pun intended) or the increasingly prosperous American Muslim community? Muslims have one of the highest incomes per capita of any group in America).
Update: Robert Heller writes:
I love it.
So next week can expect to see the ACLU supporting the installation of holy water basins in public schools for the Catholics? After all, while the Catholics may only sprinkle themselves with water, others might use it to ward off vampires and goths, still others might just drink it or use it to wash their faces. It is only holy water to the Catholics so it couldn't be construed to be of religious significance to anyone else, and no-one is 'forced' to recognize its religious significance. Right?
I think we should also expect the ACLU then to support the installation of kneeling benches with cushions. Sure, Christians might use these for prayer at certain times, but that's not the intent. The intent is that they are there to provide respite for students that might wish to kneel when chatting or to rest.
Or how about crucifix shaped chin-up bars for the gym ?
Better yet, we should have Star-of-David shaped roundabouts (I dont know what you call them here) and Star-of-David-shaped 'jungle gyms' (don't know what you call those either).
