Fear and loathing in the cat food aisle

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/steinberg/1935163,CST-NWS-stein13.article

December 13, 2009

BY NEIL STEINBERG Sun-Times Columnist

Two weeks ago, the people of Switzerland voted to ban new construction of minarets, the towers associated with mosques.

Which raises the obvious question: How many minarets are already in Switzerland? There must be a whole lot, to provoke this extraordinary ban.

How many? Guess. Ten? Fifty? A hundred?

Four. There are exactly four minarets in Switzerland. And now that's all there will ever be.

Italy is considering a similar ban -- odd, since, traditionally, Germany took the lead in this sort of thing. You'd think, in Europe, they'd be a little reluctant to go down the step-on-the-scary-minority route. They've been there before.

Don't block the coconut shrimp!

The Swiss ban is based on fear, which, sadly, the Swiss do not have a monopoly on, as this e-mail illustrates:

Neil,

I was in Costco in Niles yesterday around 5 p.m. The store was packed. I was going in to buy cat food. The pet food section is on the far wall, at the corner. As I approached the cat food, I saw three women in full on burkas. Completely cloaked except for their eyes.

They were kneeling and praying to Mecca. In a COSTCO. In the USA. I gotta tell you, I was totally freaked out and totally enraged. At that moment I wanted to attack them, physically. Really. I couldn't believe it, and I thought it was totally wrong. If you have to pray to Mecca, don't go to Costco. I got my cat food, and walked past them and I just said, loudly, "This is the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA."

What could I have done? I wanted to complain to the management, but by the time I got through the line to pay I just wanted to get the hell out of the store. That experience totally made me sympathize with the woman who pulled the headscarf off the Muslim woman on the South Side. I am not a religious person at all, but I was enraged. What is going on? What do you think about that? . . . I had a cell phone with a camera, and I wanted to film them but I couldn't do it.

Thanks!

Here she gives her full name and place of employment -- which I, a kind soul, will withhold.

I wrote her back:

[JuniperLea]

1. I wonder how she'd feel...

If a woman walked past her in a full nun's habit, praying with Rosary beads...

[grantcart]

2. The story is bullshit

Muslims don't simply plop down in the middle of a store and do prayers.

I have employed Muslims and they ask for a private area where they can conduct prayers out of sight and not inconvenience others.


If this happened then it surely was the work of some sick provacateur who was trying to fan anti Islamic feelings.

[varelse]

4. The guy's reply to her is awesome though (nt)

[Feron]

5. From what I understand...

If Muslims are in a situation in which they are unable to perform their prayers, then they do them later on when they can.

However that story seems really bizarre. If that happened to me, I'd be annoyed. However I wouldn't get angry over it.

[MineralMan]

3. Sounds bogus to me. But it'll circulate in email forever,

I have no doubt.

[gristy]

6. As other's have said already, the story is made up. Never happened. Never will.