Being Muslim Isn't Voluntary

According to this article, being Muslim is much the same as being born to a particular race, and Muslims are being let down by the race laws in the UK:

Dr Nasar Meer, research associate in the Department of Sociology at Bristol, found that Muslims are let down by race legislation because being a Muslim is recognised as a lifestyle choice or a "voluntary identity".

Dr Meer says other religious identities - such as Sikh and Jew - have had race law applied in their favour in a way not extended to Muslim communities.

He said many Muslims view their faith as an "involuntary identity" as they are born into the religion.

Considering what happens to Muslims who decide they no longer want to be followers of Islam, I suppose that being Muslim could be viewed as involuntary. You can get your head lopped off for becoming an apostate. So, if you're a Muslim and you want to stay alive, you'd better hold onto that Muslim identity.

Continuing now with the article:

[Dr. Meer said] said: "We explored what legislation exists to help protect people with what we call an involuntary identity. People with an involuntary identity shouldn't be disadvantaged by others' views.

"The legislation should offer them support and make sure they're not discriminated against."

And here's the kicker:

"Muslims have been totally missed out of the protection offered by race-relations legislation because it treats Islam as a religion and not a race."

Dr Meer said he has come across various examples of when hatred towards Muslims was dismissed but hatred towards other religions had not been tolerated.

Get ready for it: "involuntary identity" will refer to both ethnic origin and adherence to Islam. At least, so appears a trend in the UK, a trend endorsed by a university study.

Is that position official under the rule of law? Not quite, but it may well become the reality in time--unless the West quits allowing Muslims to determine certain definitions.

Before this decade ends, Islam may well be defined as a race, at least in the UK. If that happens, criticizing Islam will become designated as racism. Then what?