Religion

What Happened to Religious Liberty?

Written by SK Ashby

The residents of Farmersville (you couldn't make that up) in Texas are very concerned that if Muslims are allowed to build a cemetery, it could be a slippery slope to who knows what else.

The people of Farmersville are urging city officials to block the creation of a Muslim cemetery because we all know what that leads to.

"The concern for us is the radical element of Islam," David J. Meeks, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, told The Dallas Morning News. He said he thinks the cemetery would be the first step toward a broader Muslim expansion in town.

"How can we stop a mosque or madrassa training center from going in there?" he asked, referring to a type of Islamic school.

How can you stop a mosque or madrassa? Why should you be able to? Why would you want to? Don't you believe everyone is entitled to religious freedom and "religious liberty?"

Would the people of Farmversville oppose a Christian school or church that teaches creationism?

Other residents have a very different reason for opposing a Muslim cemetery that is no less unhinged, arguing that the cemetery could pose a public health risk.

Khalil Abdur-Rashid, a spokesman for the Islamic association, said misinformation and confusion are fueling critics. He said shrouded bodies would be placed in caskets and entombed in vaults underground, and that the plans for the cemetery have more to do with "human dignity" than religion.

"Some thought it was a mosque going to be built, others thought it was a training ground," Abdur-Rashid told WFAA-TV. "We want to be very clear that this is a cemetery."

The people of Farmersville want to be very clear that they think you're a terrorist.