Muslim cab drivers at the Minneapolis airport tried unsuccessfully to institute this as a policy a few years back. There will, no doubt, be many more attempts. The overall objective is to compel non-Muslims to obey Islamic mores.
“Muslim Cabbie Kicks Out Family For Carrying Wine,” by Paul Broster in the Express, April 14 (thanks to David):
A MUSLIM taxi driver has been sacked after refusing to let a family take an unopened bottle of wine into his car because it went against his religion.
Adrian Cartwright, 46, booked the cab to take his wife and young daughter on a five-minute journey to an Indian restaurant for an early evening meal.
But he was left fuming when the private hire driver booted them out of the taxi after he spotted they had an unopened bottle of white wine.
Mr Cartwright later wrote about the incident in detail on Facebook — prompting the driver’s Asian-run taxi firm to sack him.
He said: “We all got inside the car and the driver said: “˜Is that alcohol?” When I said “˜yes” he replied: “˜I am sorry but I can’t allow it in my cab — it’s against my religion”.
“I knew it wasn’t worth arguing so we had to get out.”
He added: “The meal I had that evening was a Halal meal, whose methods I don’t agree with, but tolerate out of respect.
“I expect anyone offering a public service to do the same, and will be contacting the licensing department to suggest that the driver is politely asked to do so, or hand his badge back.”
Mr Cartwright complained to Borough Cars in Royton, near Oldham, Greater Manchester, and the self-employed cabbie was fired 30 minutes later.
The firm, a co-operative of 70 predominantly Muslim drivers, apologised and sent another driver two minutes later.
In an emergency meeting of its chairman and four directors, the firm then decided to dismiss the unnamed driver, thought to be in his 20s, who had only been working for the company for 10 weeks.