I’m glad I could explain my point of view in a way that doesn’t put me into a corner of intolerance. Thanks for your reassuring words.
@lillycoyote – I don’t see a problem with kosher or halal or vegetarian or vegan food as such. But yes, I do see a problem taking this to the extreme as many ultraorthodox Jews and fundamentalist Muslims certainly do. I reject the notion of kosher or halal plates, knifes, sponges, dishwashers and so forth. Why?
One of the main problems with religious fundamentalism is the claim of moral superiority. Such claims are by no means limited to extreme religious value systems. Other ideologies such as Nazism or White Supremacy do make similar claims. In the American South of the 50s the rejection of sharing public space and public resources was the norm. Segregation was widespread. White supremacists refused swimming pools or drinking fountains used by black people. Drinking from the same water fountain violated their value system and traditions. The same applied to restaurants and their kitchen equipment. It had to be separate.
I greatly value all tolerant forms of religions, yet I do not support religious ideologies which promote segregation and the division of people. Fundamentalist forms of Islam support the segregation of men and women, and they also support the segregation of Muslims and non-Muslims in public life. The claim of moral superiority is key.
In order to build a better future for all of us in the 21st century we all need to challenge fundamentalist tendencies. Fundamentalists don’t want people to think for themselves. The whole day is highly regulated. All views are uniform. Fundamentalists want to control the thinking of people. Fundamentalists don’t want their followers to challenge outdated rules that might have made sense in the past, but that don’t make sense in the 21st century. Osama bin Laden didn’t even use toothbrushes and toothpaste because the Prophet didn’t use them. He chewed on wood.
Islam’s dietary laws talk about not eating pork. The Koran encourages Muslims to use their mind. Lale Agkün never gets tired reminding her Muslim brothers and sisters. She can cite many suras by heart. So if I had a roommate demanding a non-pork sponge or halal plates, I would say, please my dear friend use your brain. Read the Koran. What will hot water and detergent do to sponges and dishes? There won’t be anything of the pork left. What about some remnants? Well, I do eat pork and a lot of airborne pork molecules will actually touch your halal beef and some will stick to it. Besides, many beef atoms used to be pork atoms in the past. You and I both have a few atoms from Shakespeare in us, come to think of it. So please, relax and use your brain and don’t take things to the extreme. Otherwise we have to eat in separate rooms. We need pork rooms and non-pork rooms. Cafeterias need pork dishwashers and non-pork dishwashers. Oh, let’s not forget fundamentalist Hindus. We need a non-beef dishwasher too. Perhaps even some vegan dishwashers. Is this really the society we want? Let’s value our religious traditions, but let’s not take things to the extreme. Let’s remind ourselves that traditions do change. Today in America white people and black people don’t have a problem sharing a sponge or a drinking fountain. Let’s follow their example. Let our traditions evolve. Let us share our sponge.