Tolerance of others seems to be in decline now. This is why we can’t allow 10 commandments be the only thing allowed to be put up in public schools.
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As intolerant and bungholish as the protestors might be here, the First Amendment only protects against STATE interferences with the free exercise of religion.
Private anti-religious protests are likely protected by the first amendment, as long as they don’t trespass or become violent.
That said, that church group is embarrassing itself.
RESPECT the religious beliefs of others.
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Is this group bigoted and intolerant? Yes
Was anybody’s religious freedom violated? No
Not yet, but having to hire security tells you something about perceived potential property damage. Remember what happened on UH campus to the art statue.
Security only enhances your first amendment right, not hinder it. Synagogues have had to hire security for years. It wasn’t because they thought the gov’t was coming to limit their freedom of religion.
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I’d imagine Osteen’s Lakewood Church has security too. But this is a bit different in regards to recent attacks on statues in Houston. They are making a target of the Hindu statue and harassing visitors to it.
FYI, I’d be against this group preaching Jesus in your face at your synagogues campus too.
I agree with all of what you said, but no first amendment rights have been violated.
Agree, but I never said anything about
first amendment violations.
This is a story of people harrassing other
people practicing/observing their religion on their campus.
Unfortunately Synagogues have been hiring security and putting up gates for at least 20 years in Houston. Really longer than that but it used to be just security for high holidays. Sadly this is nothing new as we know that burning black churches wasn’t unheard of in the civil rights era and before.
We need to stand up to extremism wherever it lives, left, right, red, blue, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, etc.
Having to hire security because of threats made against your statue of religious figure is an attack on religion.
Saying “happy holidays” instead of Merry Christmas is not an attack on religion.
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And not putting anything on your Starbucks Christmas edition cups is not an attack on religion. It’s the exact opposite.
I wonder how the Ismaili Islamic Community Center (only one in the US) will fare with the other parts of the Abrahamic Religion Tree (Judaism & Christianity)
It is literally on the front yard of downtown Houston.
Religious freedom is a constitional right, but I look forward to the day that religion is no longer a concept. That’s probably 100 years from now.
Religion is one of the biggest obstacles for social and environmental progress
That Ismaili Center is going to be an architectural wonder.
There are only a handful of them worldwide.
I went to the one in Dushane, Tajikistan when I was working at the US Embassy there, and it was BREATHTAKING.
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It’s definitely the highest profile building under construction in our city right now!
I just hope people respect the center and its message
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Where is that one going to be? I know they have that one on Main St in downtown but I think most people don’t realize it is there.
Planning to be the oldest man alive?
2323 Allen Parkway
I’m speaking more generally
Here’s the Ismaili Center in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, which I have visited and fully toured.
This Houston Ismaili Center (Jamatkhana) could be even more wonderous!
It will be the only such center in the United States, and one of only three in North America, the other two being in Toronto and Vancouver.
I wonder what will become of the one on Main St. I do believe Hakeem Olajuwon had a hand in procuring that site on Main or building it. I don’t remember exactly.