Religious Rights

[Ellie]

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2010 ... idiculous/

A Darlaston swimming baths has had it's windows blacked out and a "modesty barrier" erected on request of some islamic swimmers.

When it opened it was pretty amazing - beautiful views while swimming etc. It was a big feature of the town. Well, not it's not.

What do you think? Should a minority of people be able to request an amenity be changed to suit them when the majority of the people who use it are unaffected?

I understand there are religious customs, and that is fair enough, but personally when it is something such as decency or modesty I think minorities do not have a right to go against the majority. It is only "fair". I know it is a horrible thing to say because yes it infringes on their beliefs, but they are themselves infringing on the beliefs of more people.

 

[LaDestitute]

This is bullshit. I don't care if people see me half nekkid.

 

[Cryranos]

that is stupid.

If there was an amenity or convenience that did something contrary to my beliefs, I would not ask them to change for me, I would find another facility.

 

[bashful crobat]

lol mussies

 

[mawk]

I'm so tired of people getting all uptight about things like this without thinking of maybe making concessions on their own part. whatever their own faith dictates (and this is fairly conservative as islam goes; I guarantee that this was not a consensus among the entire islamic community), they have to respect other people's way of life too -- you really have to meet people halfway about these things. especially when your holy book advises against smothering an unwilling person with your own beliefs.

I don't care much about the pool per se, but I've been hearing a lot of this sort of thing lately between emerging minorities and the local government. fact is, not all these swimmers are muslims, and measures shouldn't need to be taken just because some very conservative families don't like to see people's midriffs. it's culture shock, going both ways; these traditional islamic families are having trouble adjusting to a new culture, and some of them have decided that the culture needs to change before they do. the pool's administration, meanwhile, is too afraid of seeming insensitive to recognize that they've probably made a choice which will upset even more people. it's kind of a loaded situation no matter what they'd decided, though.

 

[Ellie]

Wow I

Have been taken in by the media too much.

 

[Ellie]

The story would actually go, had it not been written by the tabloids,

"Council replace damaged cloth barriers with tinted ground floor windows after complaints by people".


The barriers had always been there, but got damaged, and someone asked they be replaced :x

As someone on the radio put it:

Complaints were from some muslim folk, but also from non-muslim folk. Or, in other words, from people.

 

[mawk]

wow I posted two paragraphs for nothing

oh well

that sort of thing does happen sometimes, albeit rarely, and I think it's pretty silly when it does

it's even sillier when a sensationalist news source tries to turn a legitimate complaint into one coloured by over-conservative religious views

 

[Ellie]

Well, in my defense, it was main headline news across the country after that one tabloid article, and was pretty much copied word for word.

 

[Ellie]

It's the only time Walsall will ever have headline news that isn't moider

 

[mawk]

you should be sorry

making me use periods and everything

jeez

 

[kyonides]

What if your religion tells you there's a need to kill certain kind of people? Would you be able to defend your rights then in the Western World?

 

[Glitchfinder]

What if your religion tells you there's a need to kill certain kind of people? Would you be able to defend your rights then in the Western World?

The thing is that no major world religion says that. While any holy book (any book whatsoever, actually) can be interpreted however you see fit, the teachings of the major world religions are predominantly about morals and such. Generally speaking, any kind of extremely active/vocal/damaging religious group is in the minority, and you only hear about them because they do stuff/talk loudly until someone pays attention/destroy stuff. Whereas the majority will actually tend to keep to themselves and be rather mellow when compared to the ones you hear about.