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Only Muslims can puff in Vancouver

Thursday, 27th September 2007

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In Vancouver, infidels can't smoke, but Muslims can:

Vancouver's hookah-parlour owners are celebrating after winning an exemption Thursday from a proposed new bylaw that will ban smoking on most sidewalks in commercial districts, in bus shelters and even in taxis passing through Vancouver.

In giving the bylaw unanimous approval-in-principle, Vancouver city council members bowed to arguments that hookah lounges provide an important cultural space for the city's Muslims and granted them a temporary exemption.

Emad Yacoub] said hookah lounges are essential for immigrants from hookah-smoking cultures, because it helps them deal with the depression common for newcomers and gives them places like they have at home.

As Mark Steyn asks:
Where do the rest of us go to deal with depression?...The state, in other words, is prepared to treat Muslims as free-born adults who can weigh the "cultural value" (ie, the pleasures) of smoking against the health risks. But not the rest of us.

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Zeeshan Ahmed

October 12th, 2007 4:17am

I am a Muslim
But This is halarious hahahahhahahhahah

I can't stop laughing....

D. Mac

March 25th, 2008 8:55pm

How can this happen, I thought when you move to a foreign country you embrace their culture and commmunities. Now we offer muslim immigrants special rights to smoke openly and defy the law. Perhaps these people had no intention of fitting in the communities around them, rather just to change them as they see fit.

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