Just a brief google establishes that the "issue" is confined to a handful of incidents in North America scattered over the past decade. Articles I read also mentioned other instances of blind people (and in one case a deaf person with a "hearing-ear" dog) being refused services because of their dog by non-Muslims. In Canada, Muslim spokesman Sameer Zuberi said, "Given that our faith is a charitable one, where we are looking to help people, it's the right thing to do to allow a seeing eye dog into your car."

All the taxi drivers in question were charged, although not all were fined.

In other words, as TRTL says, this has been a minor issue. Awful for those involved, I'm sure, but multiculturalism is not easy, and inevitably there will be difficulties. We need to match those difficulties with solutions. Creative, intelligent, understanding solutions. In Canada at least, these solutions were driven by the Muslim community.

The reason everyone on this thread is being hostile to you is because your response to these incidents is completely without charity, without wisdom, without empathy, without solutions. Instead, it is hateful, and deals in untruths and exaggeration. You do not stick up for the blind. You use them, to scaremonger.

The other reason you've aroused hostility is because of your tone. The whole "FINALLY *tick* Now we're getting somewhere!!" is *really* irritating. Again as TRTL points out, you seem to think you talk sense while the rest of us fail to get it. If you really believe this, I do feel truly sorry for you. It guarantees you will never learn, and never grow. But if you're just being pompous, then can you stop?

Boaz,
I would say most of your opposition is coming from people who imagine the whole of the World is like the freedoms equality and justice we have in Australia. They have never lived in another culture.

Philo

Heaven forbid, another BOAZ think-alike. When you haven't got an argument - or any evidence to support your case - attack the people who disagree with you.

It's intellectually dishonest and lazy.

"They have never lived in another culture." (Quote: Philo)

Really? You know that do you?

Philo: "I would say most of your opposition is coming from people who imagine the whole of the World is like the freedoms equality and justice we have in Australia. They have never lived in another culture."

I have, and it's that that inspires me defend tolerance and mulitculturalism. Try living without it.

Mulitculturalism is more challenging, more intellectually and practically difficult than living a life where what you wear, what you believe and who your enemies are prescribed by the church and/or state. It is also infinitely stronger, braver, freer and truer. I dislike intolerance whether it comes from a Muslim taxi driver or from Boaz, and in both cases I revel in my freedom to say so. However, I have faith in the citizenry of multicultural nations - us, the US, Canada, Britian - and in the tenants of mulitculturalism to to continually invent ways for us all to live together, to solve these problems.

It's not neat and tidy, it's messy and difficult. But it's worth it.

It might pay to have a peek at the second half of this video : http://video.google.com.au/videoplay?docid=7098173340855990189&q=globalism+site%3Avideo.google.com&total=45&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=2
where this General talks about "the world is dividing into three groups with different stages to be implemented". Australia is in one of the stages where they bring in all different cultures to create an up rising via "human rights issues" the next stage will be violence and then....