Delta Air Lines’ plan to add Saudi Arabian Airlines to its SkyTeam Alliance of partnering companies would require the American carrier to ban Jews and holders of Israeli passports from boarding flights from New York or Washington bound for Jeddah, prompting outraged accusations of illegal religious discrimination.The ACLJ is looking to bring this to the attention of Congress.
The issue, which has caught the attention of the American Center for Law and Justice, was raised when Washington attorney Jeffrey Lovitky was perusing airline procedures for travel.
Truth be told, Delta is not the first to abide by Saudi apartheid policies--Hilton does too.
If you are Jewish, don't make plans to stay at the Makkah Hilton Hotel
Our HotelLikewise, Jews should not expect to stay at the Madinah Hilton Hotel:
Overlooking the Holy Haram Mosque and the Kaaba, the Makkah Hilton hotel is set in the heart of Makkah. Pray with views over the Holy Haram in the 2 air-conditioned and carpeted 10,000-seater prayer halls.
Do business in the hotel's meeting rooms for 3-300 people and well-equipped business center. Enjoy the extensive onsite shopping mall with 450 shops and a food court. Makkah attractions on the doorstep include the Kaaba and the ZamZam Well, with other important Islamic holy sites less than 5 miles away.
Savor Arabic flavors at the Al Fayhaa restaurant or choose authentic Chinese cuisine at Lagenda. Relax over Arabian coffee at Caffé Cino. All guest rooms boast city and mountain views. Upgrade to a Suite for separate living and dining areas. This hotel is located in a Muslim only district.
Our HotelInterestingly enough, while Jews would be banned by Delta from flying to Jeddah, there is no indication on the Jeddah Hilton Hotel website that they are located in a Muslim-only area.
Take a short walk to the Holy Mosque from the Madinah Hilton hotel, in the heart of Madinah's shopping district. Buy perfume or jewelry in the ground-floor shops, and savor lobster thermidore in the Madinah Restaurant, with Holy Mosque views. Prince Mohammed Airport is 25 minutes’ drive away.
Savor a mixed grill in Marmara Restaurant or enjoy a light snack in Café Najd at the Madinah Hilton hotel. Get some retail therapy in the Taibah Mall, Anwar Al Madinah Mall and the Haram Mall, all within 3 blocks.
Guests at the Madinah Hilton hotel enjoy high-speed internet access in the 24-hour internet café. From Hilton Rooms to Suites, all hotel rooms have high-speed internet access. Upgrade to a Deluxe Room for a separate seating area. This hotel is located in a Muslim only district.
Remember that in 2008, Saudi sponsored the short-lived Interfaith conference in Madrid.
Of course, the fact that the Saudis sponsored the conference does not mean they are actually qualified to talk about religious acceptance:
Despite the monarch's efforts to foster discussion between Muslim clerics and religious leaders of other faiths, Saudi Arabia does not appear likely to embrace religious pluralism on its own soil.The Saudis are the ones who were behind a Muslim a textbook that taught it is OK to kill apostates:
Christians and Jews are forbidden from building houses of worship and from praying in public within Saudi Arabia. One of Saudi Arabia's most senior religious figures, an imam of the grand mosque in Mecca, Saleh bin Humaid, told The New York Sun that there would be no such change in that policy.
"In the privacy of their home they can worship their God and perform their ritual freely," the imam said through his translator. "Nobody will be harassed."
"From a religious point of view, they can't build a synagogue or a church because it's a sacred place for Muslims," Sheik bin Humaid said, referring to the entire country of Saudi Arabia.[emphasis added]
A ministry pamphlet entitled Correct Beliefs and What Opposes Them was found at a number of mosques and stated that Muslims who deserted their faith should be killed. A key passage stated: “The scholars have mentioned that a person may become apostate for many reasons which can nullify his faith. These reasons would make someone’s blood permissible to spill and his wealth permissible to be usurped because he is no longer a Muslim.”Apparently its good businesses to play along with the policies of Saudi Arabia.
Hat tip: MP
Technorati Tag: Saudi Arabia and Apartheid.
The only problem fighting this is that the Saudis can legitimately say they're not specifically banning Jews, just non-Muslims and that this is for religious reasons. The question is: can Delta legally do this while on American soil? And the other question is: Why is any self-respecting jew flying to Jedda anyway?
ReplyDeleteGuess we won't be flying DELTA anymore!!!
ReplyDeleteAmazing to see on Google Earth how they have blinged up mecca with a giant big ben lookalike. seriously tacky.
ReplyDelete