Is this real or satire? Give it a few years.
ACLU: "Zion" is not Kosher
SALT LAKE CITY— The American Civil Liberties Union plans to sue the National Park Service in Federal Court if it does not change the name of Zion National Park in southern Utah. The ACLU expressed concern that the name is offensive to many Arab-Americans.
“The word Zion is intimately associated with Judaism,” explained Sarah Jacobsen of the ACLU. “And this is a particular sect of that religion that advocates the ethnic cleansing of Arabs from the region of Palestine. The park’s name could hardly be more inflammatory.”
National Park Service officials, on the other hand, say the park’s name is derived from an ancient Hebrew word meaning “a place of refuge” or “sanctuary,” and claim that the it has “zero religious significance.” Prior to the park’s establishment in 1918, the landmark canyon was known by its Anasazi name, Mukuntuweap.
Park officials add that it would be expensive to change the name of the park, which appears on numerous signs, documents, maps, literature, and advertising. “We’re talking millions of dollars,” complained NPS spokesman Randall Boddy, “This is about more than a simple name change.”
Nevertheless, on Monday the ACLU gave the NPS two weeks to change the park’s name.
"What is the message that it sends?" asked Jacobsen. "What that message is that the federal government endorses Zionism. Such an endorsement is a clear violation of the Establishment Clause.”
The Establishment Clause is the portion of the First Amendment to the US Constitution which states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…” Establishment Clause lawsuits have become increasingly common in recent years.
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