US Muslim Cabbies Standoff Lingers

"This is something that has been going on for many years," Abdinoor Bolal, a cab driver at the airport, told IslamOnline.net.

"As a Muslim, I cannot carry alcohol, but there are others who would take that passenger, it was not a problem until some conservative groups got hold of the issue."

The Muslim drivers, mostly of Somali descent, insist that because Islam prohibits transporting alcohol, they cannot take fares from passengers who are carrying alcohol with them.

"There is a system already in place that distinguishes between smoking and non-smoking cabs, as well as cabs which will only take a certain number of passengers, why can’t we do that for those passengers with alcohol?" Bolal asked.

"They are no longer considering any compromises, but instead are punishing us for our beliefs because the airport feels pressure from the public."

The Metropolitan Airports Commission in Minneapolis is threatening tougher action against the cabbies.

Drivers who refuse service will now face a thirty day suspension for the first refusal, and a two-year revocation for the second refusal, Melissa Scorvronski, the commission's public affairs coordinator, told IOL.

They will decide whether to adopt the stricter proposals, recommended during a public hearing on February 27, early next week.

Scorvronski noted that currently, if a driver refuses a fare, they will have to go to the back of the line, resulting in a wait time of between two to four hours.

Some 600 airport taxi drivers in Minneapolis and St. Paul cities, home to the country's largest Somali community, are Somali Muslims.

Hyped

Bolal, the Muslim driver, blames the media for its hyped coverage of the controversy.

"This issue has been greatly exaggerated in the media," he said.

"In 60,005 rides in March, only 13 were refused, that is a negligible number," Bolal added.

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