Why Harvard, Just Why?

Has it crossed your mind that there are likely to be *American* Muslims attending this *American* school, and are you sure that these concessions were "demanded" rather than simply requested?

MntlWard, Although it is true our country is founded on religious freedom the one thing that rings true here is "pacify". Why should the school policies and day to day routines of the majority of the students be significantly changed to pacify the few Muslims that attend? If you, as a Muslim, CHOOSE to attend an American school, Christian or no, you as a Muslim shouldn't be so arrogant as to expect special treatment!

Destiny, A great big AMEN to that! We as Americans had better wake up to the slow undermining of our culture before it is too late!

Eden32, By squat I meant general geography not necessarily Harvard University. Yes it is JUST an occasional "call to prayer" and JUST allowing for a time for the women to exercise alone but where does it end and what do we give up next? If you or I immigrated to Iraq or Iran or Syria or any other Muslim country do you think for one minute concessions like these would be made for us? Not in this lifetime!

You and I wouldn't immigrate to Iran, Iraq or Syria and expect religious tolerance. We know that that is not part of the political climate of those countries. The United States is (at least on paper) a country that protects religious freedoms, personal freedoms, etc. I'm failing to see what anyone has given up to allow these things to happen. Students asked for some things to be added to student life at Harvard. Any student can ask for provisions or changes, and if it's deemed reasonable I'm sure those changes are made. It stops when the changes are unreasonable. That's pretty much how life works on any level. If your child's curfew is 8pm, and they ask to extend it to 9 for a special occasion. You decide if it's reasonable and answer accordingly. If you had said yes, and that leads your child to ask for it to be pushed to 10 now; you would say no because now it's an unreasonable request. Back to the article, women asked for private time in the gym (let's assume they asked for 1 hour each day) they were told yes, if next week they ask for 1 hour each day but 6 additional hours on Tuesdays; well now that's unreasonable. Or if they said thank you for the 1 hour, but we want the hour that the men's basketball team usually use it; again that's unreasonable.

The problem I see here Eden is not necessarily these small concessions but in the big picture, where does it all end? For example a small drip coming from a dam is very insignificant when it is just a drip but the erosion factor when water is moving at any rate soon makes the drip a dribble which in turn becomes a stream and so on. I dare say if this was any Christain religion making these requests the ACLU would be all over it!By the way you are right, I would NEVER relocate to a middle eastern country!

I thought I was shaming Harvard University, I didn't know the man!