Letter on non-Muslim places of worship

Dear Editor,
Considering banning non-Islamic worship places is truly shameful on the part of Muslims, who claim to be peaceful and tolerant human beings. Have we forgotten the time when the second Caliph of Islam, Hadhrat Omar (ra) refused to offer his afternoon prayers in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem? His refusal was not out of disrespect for the Christian faith but actually for its own protection; he feared that the Muslims would later stake a claim at the Church owing to his having offered his prayers there.
Indeed, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was destroyed later, by a Fatimid caliph, but while it was under the control of Caliph Omar (ra) and early Muslim rulers, it enjoyed the protection it was promised.
By citing this example, I ask, are we to follow the actions of “mad” people who claim to be defenders of Islam, or the footsteps of the Commanders of the Faithful?
Communities can not assimilate if no tolerance is shown. We have so often read that the Holy Qur’an says, “There is no compulsion in religion”, (2:257). If we have no right to force a person to change his beliefs, it means that all aspects of his faith remain personal to him. Again the Qur’an says, ” For you your religion and for me my religion”, (109:7), making it so obvious for a believer to stay within his own boundaries.
If a mosque is what a Muslim needs for congregational prayers, there is no reason why another faith would not want a worship place of their own.
Regards,
Anonymous