Constitutional Amendment

November 22, 2006

Constitutional Change

In the life of every organization, there comes a critical time when its conceptual framework must be pointedly reviewed in light of the factual experiences. Usually, it is either the pride of the past successes or the present lack of collective vision of the leaders that obstructs such a review. Such neglect can be suicidal.

In the prevailing paradigm of secular democracy, any suggestion to review individual liberties may not be fashionable even if absolutely essential. Today, some of the liberties seem to be responsible for growing sense of insecurity in democratic nations.

The liberty to prominently display one’s religion in public seems to be running counter to the public interest. The person doing so does not violate any law and yet the public feel uncomfortable and suspicious. It would be in the individual’s interest, religious group’s interest, as well as in the public interest to curtail certain religious activities and liberties. Among some other needed constitutional amendments, we need a constitutional amendment to forbid

1. Public display of one’s religion by dress, signs, or symbols---- an individual’s religion must not be evident from his/her looks, and preferably, not even from the name;

2. Religious parades or processions in public places;

3. Tax deductibility from charitable contributions to any religious institution.