Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop
This is going to sound more abrasive than I mean it -- sorry -- but I don't think that would be all that interesting. Muslim restauranteurs in this country must be very clear that they are in the distinct minority. I bet there are places with essentially that policy, but there's no reason for them to make an announcement because non-Muslims aren't going there anyway. The Christians who are pushing these new versions of RFRA have always enjoyed the sense that they are the majority and have a relative status -- privilege, but they wouldn't call it that -- that is now being taken away. It's not the abstract principle that is important to anyone here -- it's what's happening to different people's social status.
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So you think there are no-go zones?
I just had lunch now at a place where there are a lot of veiled women, and usually even a table of women in hijabs. The proprietors go out of their way to welcome non-Middle Eastern people. I think that is true of a lot of groups who are trying to make their way as relatively recent immigrants. Next time you're in New York during Ramadan, head for the Yemen Cafe, as hard-core a middle eastern place as they come, sometime after the fast breaks, and see how the welcome is.
As opposed to places I've been in Southern Indiana where they've looked at me real strange just for darkening their door.
Of course, it is a lot easier to understand why I wandered into my Lebanese place for their batata harra than why I went into a South Indiana diner for white bread with processed turkey and canned gravy on it.
