Civil Rights
Reader comment on item: Muslim Hours at Municpal Swimming Pools in the West
in response to reader comment: Response to Firozali

Submitted by Lori Mansell (United States), Mar 25, 2009 at 18:55

This is about separation of church and state, facilities funded with public monies, and discrimination/segregation. Public facilities and facilities funded with public monies CANNOT practice religious discrimination, not in favor of, or against any religious group. Just as we cannot deny a person practicing the Muslim religion entrance to a public pool because non-Muslims are swimming in it, we cannot deny persons of other religious beliefs entrance to a public pool because Muslims are swimming in it.

On a practical level, if we did continue to choose to allow religious groups to demand segregation of public facilities, pretty soon every group would have their "two hours", and the mere administration of it would be a nightmare - not to mention limiting access of pools to taxpayers who pay for the facilities and persons who wish to share a non-segregated pool. Freedom of religion means freedom to practice the religion of your choice, but to receive special treatment or to infringe on the rights of others.

I would not support ANY religious group in doing this. Do we really want to start in the direction of a time when our society practiced such discrimination openly - before the civil rights movement?

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