[Abraham]

I think you are completely missing my point.
I got a bit pizzed off by the enormous consternation and chaos caused by the for us Dutch extremely unusual habit of ritual washing in a train as a preparation for prayers (in the train as well?). The Dutch public is being made aware of terrorist threats since Muslim suicide bomb attacks on public transportation are 'en vogue'. Are the Dutch people who called the police stupid and narrowminded? Are the Arabs, for not understanding local sensitivities...? It's up to you to decide, but I have been raised by parents who always told me to respect the sensitivities of others and their culture when in a foreign environment.

Originally Posted by Kissaki

Perfectly understandable. If you were arrested and carried off in full public view for doing nothing wrong, wouldn't you feel a bit miffed?

Whether you can claim damages when arrested as innocents depends on the reason for your arrest.You find a claim perfecrly understandable, I doubt very much whether they have a case, to put it mildly... One of the Muslims later declared that after the arrest he understood that his behaviour had caused some alarm. He should have shown that understanding before...
By the way he also wondered why nobody of the passengers had asked them if they had any bad intentions... Go figure!

Originally Posted by Kissaki

Beg your pardon? So foreign customs are illegal, now?

You ask if foreign customs are illegal nowadays, when I only - jokingly - suggested that the Dutch Railroad system could claim damages.
Again you are completely missing the point. Nobody here is talking about criminal law, anything "illegal", or not respecting religious freedom. I was - half seriously - suggesting a civil claim for damages. To give you an example: when I leave my backpack with a ticking alarm clock in a bus, metro or train, whether in Amsterdam, New York, Paris or London I am not doing anything illegal. However I might well caused huge delays and damages to the public transportation system and its many passengers. Of course those can claim those damages.

Originally Posted by Kissaki

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: a society that refuses to open up to outside influences will stagnate.

You add the accusation that a society that is not open to outside influences will stagnate. If you mean Holland, your remark proves that you have no knowledge at all about the openness of Dutch society. As a general rule you are right though. Just look at the average Muslim (controlled) society.

Originally Posted by Kissaki

Personally, I like such things as sugar... but I'm not a coffee drinker... What's Christmas without a Christmas tree and rice porridge? What would any country look like if we didn't embrace new things?

You are defending a point of view that nobody - me the least - is attacking.

Really getting in the mood, you take the next step attacking me, by saying

Originally Posted by Kissaki

In any case, what sort of precedence would you be setting by persecuting innocent people? What you are suggesting is nothing short of martial law for a certain segment of the population, namely the Muslims.

Nobody, me the least, has been talking about persecuting innocent people at all. Your next line is exaggeration beyond comprehension. If my - short lived - irritation for utterly un-Dutch behaviour in public like practicing religious rituals in a train is considered by you as nothing less but discriminatory "martial law" against the Muslim segment of the Dutch population, you utterly lost me...
I think you either need to apologise for making a farce of and lack of respect for my opinion or take a Prozac and calm down...
As you will understand I really have difficulty taking the content of your posting serious.
Neither do you, as your response to The Avon Lady clearly shows...