Well, well.  I’m amazed because it looks like there’s one commission in Minnesota with a spine.  The Metropolitan Airport Commission told Muslim cabbies (about 75% are Somali) they must take all customers, no exceptions.  And how does the Strib label this?  They call it “cracking down” or “pushing back”. 

Mpls. Star Tribune:

Cabbies ordered to pick up all riders
A court fight is likely as MAC cracks down on Muslims who decline alcohol-carrying riders.

On an 11-0 vote Monday, Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) members voted to crack down on drivers refusing service, making Minnesota the first place in the country to decide how to treat Muslim cabbies who decline to transport alcohol-toting riders on religious grounds.

The Muslim cabbies went beyond just alcohol, they also refused any canines in their cabs which includes service dogs.

And what’s the Muslim response to this?

Hassan A. Mohamud, an imam at the Islamic Da’wah Center in St. Paul, called the stricter sanctions frustrating and disappointing.

“We see this as a harsh penalty against fellow Americans only because they are practicing their faith,” the Muslim scholar said. “This does not reflect the American values of tolerance and accommodation.”

This response is right from the playbook I read about yesterday in the Katherine Kersten column on segregation of Muslims.

On MSA’s website (www.msa-national.org), the sort of inclusive language used by the Muslim Accommodations Task Force gives way to hard-hitting advice for insiders. One downloadable publication –“Your Chapter’s Guide to Campus Activism” — describes how activists can advance political positions such as “restoring justice within the Palestinian territories,” and opposition to the Patriot Act and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The cover features a student with a megaphone, and the slogan “Speak Out! Stand Up! Say It Loud!”

The guide explains how Muslim student groups can obtain funding, identify coalition partners and “bodies of power” on campus, work within student government, and use the media. “Marches, rallies and protests on campus” can “generate massive amounts of exposure for your MSA and its cause,” it advises.

In all these endeavors, however, establishing credibility is vital to success, the guide emphasizes. Activists must “take full advantage of the open-minded environment” on campus, and skillfully employ the language of patriotism and rights. “[M]obilization commences the moment you speak in a language that resonates with your audience,” the guide adds.

Thus, activists should take care to position themselves as mainstream Americans. “Make use of terminology like ‘our country,’ ‘our security,’ and ‘we, the American people,’ ” the guide suggests. “Unless you identify with the people, you will never gain the legitimacy to criticize state policies,” though “identifying yourself as an American” will not necessarily preclude criticism.

Activists should also frame their objectives in language that Americans embrace. “Most Americans identify with concepts such as ‘justice,’ ’self-determination,’ ‘human rights’ and ‘democracy,’ ” the guide explains. “These terms will be constructive when delivering your message, regardless of the issue.”

Looks like the Somalis have learned well from Al Queda on the use of propaganda and the media. 

So, this will be heading to court!

Both sides agree that the dispute, part of a cultural conflict in the Twin Cities that has already drawn national attention, is probably heading for a court challenge, which in turn could become a national test case.

Previous posts on this story:

Mpls/St. Paul Airport Cabs Allowed to Discriminate on Passenger Pickups

Twin Cities Airport looking to suspend Taxicabs who refuse service to fares

More on Muslim Airport Cabs in Twin Cities

That’s it I guess…..Muslim Cabbies in Twin Cities refuse fares

Technorati Tags: Islam, Somali, Minnesota, MAC, Cab Drivers, Airport, Sharia Law