By Sheila Musaji
An article in a Brooklyn, NY local paper is typical of the sort of blind hatred that is now totally acceptable in the U.S.
It opens with: “There’s no denying the elephant in the room. Neither is there any rejoicing over the mosques proposed for Sheepshead Bay, Staten Island and Ground Zero because where there are mosques, there are Muslims, and where there are Muslims, there are problems.”
And, closes with: “There is a lot the United States can learn from Great Britain’s rotten experience with a community which refuses to assume responsibility for its evil subculture — and one that only it can successfully eradicate. New Yorkistan? It’s happening before our eyes.”
I’ll start with the last “point”, and the short answer is that there is no community that is able to eradicate or even to identify the criminal element before it acts. If that were the case, then we would be free of serial killers, criminal organizations like the mafia, pedophiles, rapists, and every other sort of criminal. Doctors who perform abortions wouldn’t be murdered in churches, there would be no sex-slavery, we would all be safe on the streets at any time of the day or night. The supposed ability of the Muslim community to magically foresee criminal behavior and eradicate it is ludicrous.
The first “point” is simply anti-Muslim racism or Islamophobia. If “where there are Muslims there are problems”, then exactly what remedy would the author recommend.
The rabid Islamophobia displayed by individuals like Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, and many individuals who have made alarming statements about Islam and Muslims is filtering down through American society, and the results are seen, for example, in the objections made against the construction of the Cordoba House in NYC. Many of the statements made have not been an example of a reasonable concern about who these particular Muslims are, but a display of hatred towards all Muslims and the entire religion of Islam. They are also seen in blog posts with titles such as Islam is a disease pretending to be a religion. This is an outcome of the vicious what everyone “knows”demonization of Islam industry.
This process of making hatred towards Islam and Muslims acceptable has been aided, sadly, by the fact that such statements have even been made by Jewish and Christian clergy people. Islamophobic statements are also becoming the norm in the political arena, in political campaigns, and even among our elected government representatives, and military leaders. The 2008 Presidential campaign was rife with Islamophobia.
It is becoming more and more difficult as an American Muslim not to be afraid of where this increasingly divisive and hateful rhetoric might lead. Polls, Surveys, and Statistics relating to Islam and Muslims show that negative attitudes are widespread. Our civil rights are being restricted, and there are some Americans who are ready to undermine the Constitution in order to deny American Muslims full citizenship. And, we see regular examples of prejudiced or violent incidents directed at mosques, cemetaries, and Islamic Centers as well as directed at individuals. The vicious rhetoric is leading to violence not only against American Muslims, but also against politicians and political rivals. American Muslims, and Muslims worldwide have spoken out loudly and clearly against extremism and terrorism, but this voice seems to be ignored.
When individuals are elected to public office, they take an oath: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.
It would seem that some of these elected representatives had their fingers crossed when taking this oath.
DEFINITION OF ISLAMOPHOBIA
The Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project at the Center for Race and Gender has the best working definition I have seen:
The term “Islamophobia” was first introduced as a concept in a 1991 Runnymede Trust Report and defined as “unfounded hostility towards Muslims, and therefore fear or dislike of all or most Muslims.” The term was coined in the context of Muslims in the UK in particular and Europe in general, and formulated based on the more common “xenophobia” framework.
The report pointed to prevailing attitudes that incorporate the following beliefs:
•Islam is monolithic and cannot adapt to new realities
•Islam does not share common values with other major faiths
•Islam as a religion is inferior to the West. It is archaic, barbaric, and irrational.
•Islam is a religion of violence and supports terrorism.
•Islam is a violent political ideology.
For the purposes of anchoring the current research and documentation project, we provide the following working definition:
Islamophobia is a contrived fear or prejudice fomented by the existing Eurocentric and Orientalist global power structure. It is directed at a perceived or real Muslim threat through the maintenance and extension of existing disparities in economic, political, social and cultural relations, while rationalizing the necessity to deploy violence as a tool to achieve “civilizational rehab” of the target communities (Muslim or otherwise). Islamophobia reintroduces and reaffirms a global racial structure through which resource distribution disparities are maintained and extended.
A FEW EXAMPLES OF ISLAMOPHOBIA & OTHER BIGOTRY FROM POLITICIANS
It is important to remember that there are also Elected Representatives & Government Officials Who HAVE Questioned Islamophobia.
42 members of Congress protest recognition of Ramadan.
Rep. Dave Agema, R-Grandville, is pushing an anti-Sharia bill for Michigan. When he was challenged about this by other politicians in his state he said “If anybody has a problem with this that means they don’t agree with U.S. laws,” he said. “If they don’t want it passed then they have an ulterior agenda. It shows the people accusing me of that (bigotry) are guilty of it themselves.” - Rep. Dave Agema invited Kamal Saleem, a man who claims to be a former terrorist to speak at a rally against illegal immigration at the Capitol building in Lansing.
—Agema posted this on his Facebook page Obama wants Israel to go back to 1967 boundaries ( bad mistake) Obama won’t acknowledge the National Day of Prayer but allows Muslims to pary (sic) on the step of the capitol (very enlightening), now on Egyptian TV he says he’s a Muslim according to some sources. Here he says he’s a Christian. We’re in trouble folks if this is true. 5/11
State Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) Congressman Todd Akin, a Republican from Town and Country, was one of the strongest local voices against the Islamic center in Manhattan. He called it “an incendiary idea.” **
Sen. Gerald Allen can’t cite any examples of Muslims trying to have Islamic law recognized in Alabama courts, but he has introduced a bill to ban Sharia in Alabama saying that the bill is designed to protect future generations from erosion of the Constitution.
Todd Akin GOP candidate for Missouri Senate after being criticized for his remarks about “legitimate rape” compared criticism to decapitation by Islamic extremists: “We see that all the time with [what] the Islamists pull out on us: we’re offended so we’re going to cut your head off.”
Rae Hart Anderson, Minnesota Senate candidate said “Muslims are used to hate” and said that the U.S. is a “Christian nation”.
Rep. Richard Anderson (R-Clarinda IA) sponsored a bill under which “It would be legal for an Iowa business owner who cites religious beliefs to refuse to provide jobs, housing, goods or services to people involved in a marriage that violates his or her religious convictions.” This bill seems to be aimed at the gay community but may have many ramifications for other minority groups.
Former GOP State Senate President John Andrews raised the Islamophobic “Can a good Muslim be a good American?” non-issue at a Colorado Christian University event featuring William Boykin and Sarah Palin. 6/11
Sharron Angle a Nevada Senate Candidate ran an anti-Muslim campaign and said that Muslims had already taken over a city in Michigan.
“My thoughts are these, first of all, Dearborn, Michigan, and Frankford, Texas, are on American soil, and under constitutional law. Not Sharia law. And I don’t know how that happened in the United States,” she said. “It seems to me there is something fundamentally wrong with allowing a foreign system of law to even take hold in any municipality or government situation in our United States.”
Alternet reports that Angle is a former member of Nevada’s Independent American Party, which Ingersoll revealed as the Nevada affiliate of the Constitution Party, the far-right party founded by Howard Phillips. The Constitution Party, according to the preamble to its platform, seeks to “restore American jurisprudence to its Biblical foundations.”
Rep. Richard Armey promoted expelling the Palestinians somewhere else, and said “I’m content to have Israel grab the entire West Bank.” This is much worse than any comments Helen Thomas made.
Rep. Richard Armey promoted expelling the Palestinians somewhere else, and said “I’m content to have Israel grab the entire West Bank.” This is much worse than any comments Helen Thomas made.
Former Atty. General Bob Ashcroft said that America has “no King but Jesus”.
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) - one of the most prolific of the Congressional Islamophobes now has her own page Michele Bachmann Ups the Ante in the GOP War on American Muslims in the Who’s Who of anti-Muslim, anti-Arab elected representatives.
State Senator Greg Ball (R-NY), chairman of the Veterans, Homeland Security & Military Affairs Committee held a hearing titled “Reviewing our Preparedness: An Examination of New York’s Public Protection Ten Years After September 11” on April 8th. Among the “experts” he has called to testify are Rep. Peter King, Frank Gaffney, and Nonie Darwish. Eleven democratic senators have sent a letter to Senator Ball objecting to the inclusion of such individuals.
Democrat Roy Barnes said in a statement that the site in lower Manhattan “is hallowed ground and it is too painful and divisive to build a mosque there.”
Rep. Gresham Barret of SC introduced the discriminatory STEP immigration Act into Congress.
Rep. Gresham Barret of SC introduced the discriminatory STEP immigration Act into Congress.
Dem. Rep. John Barrow opposes NYC mosque
Texas Rep. Leo Berman Revives Fear Of Sharia With anti-Sharia Bill That Would Ban ‘Religious Or Cultural Law’. He falsely stated that judges are using Shariah law in Dearborn, Mich.
GOP Senate candidate Roy Blunt‘s campaign has pulled down a Web video displaying the smoldering remains of the 9/11 attacks alongside audio of his Democratic opponent saying the location of the Islamic center should be up to New Yorkers to decide.
GOP Senate candidate Roy Blunt‘s campaign has pulled down a Web video displaying the smoldering remains of the 9/11 attacks alongside audio of his Democratic opponent saying the location of the Islamic center should be up to New Yorkers to decide.
John Boehner (R-OH) said about Cordoba project: ”The decision to build this mosque so close to the site of ground zero is deeply troubling, as is the president’s decision to endorse it.”
Gary Boisclair (D-MI) vs Keith Ellison, another Congressional Campaign based on hatred of Muslims. He even made an anti-Muslim campaign ad which was pulled by Youtube because of its content. At the end of this “ad” Boisclair sayd “Do you really want someone representing you, who swears an oath on a Quran — a book that undermines our Constitution and says you should be killed? I’m Gary Boisclair, and I approve this message.” 11/11
Ambassador John Bolton endorsed and wrote the foreword for Spencer and Geller’s 2010 book “The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration’s War on America” and endorse Geller’s newest book “Stop the Islamization of America: A Practical Guide to the Resistance” about which Bolton said
“The First Amendment’s free-speech guarantee is central to America’s character and our fundamental liberties. Equally important, and stemming from the same philosophical roots, is the Amendment’s twinned protection of religious freedom and its prohibition of establishing religion. These pillars of liberty are under attack around the world, and even here in America. If you want to preserve the Constitution, read this book.” Geller and Spencer are co-founders of the hate group SIOA.
State Rep. Bruce Borders (R-IN) proposes introducing anti-Sharia legislation in Indiana.
Ret. Gen. William Boykin said in an interview
“Boykin: What we are not seeing first and foremost is the fact that Islam is not religion. It is a totalitarian way of life. There is a religious component. But we still treat it as a first amendment issue when in fact it is a totalitarian way of life. And when you think Islam you need to think Sharia law. Sharia law is the law that subjugates women, that cuts off the hand of the thief, that beheads the adulteress, that’s sharia law, and that’s what Islam is. It is a legal system more than anything else, with a religious component. And people simply do not understand that. And consequently, Skip, we still treat it as a first amendment issue. ... And we continue to categorize them as extremists or radicals or people who are not following the dictates of Islam, well the reality is they are following the dictates of Islam and all we’re doing is playing their game of propaganda when we refuse to acknowledge that they are terrorists, they are Jihadists, they’re Muslims, they’re Islamists, and they want to destroy our constitution and replace it with Sharia law.”
— Boykin questions “whether or how the First Amendment should properly be applied to Islam” and asserts that “the ultimate outcome of blanket protection for Islam in all its manifestations on the grounds of ‘religious freedom’ would be the establishment of Islamic law and government, or Sharia, alongside or in place of civil law and government in this country.”
— Speaking on the dangers of Islam at The Oak Initiative Summit in 2011, Boykin attacked religious leaders who seek interfaith dialogue and understanding with Muslims, claiming that when Muslims pray, they curse Jesus and asserting that Islam is not an Abrahamic faith and therefore Christianity and Islam have absolutely nothing in common.
Sen. Bill Brady of Illinois called the location of the planned NYC Islamic center “insensitive.”
Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) invited David Yerushalmi of SANE to testify at a hearing on Capitol Hill. “Yerushalmi belongs to an organization that once called for adherence to Islam to be punishable by 20 years in prison.” Broun called Obama a Marxist, compared Obama to Adolf Hitler and Karl Marx, and warned of a dictatorship **. He was also one of the Congresspeople who thought Muslim interns on Capital Hill were “infiltrators” and “spies” **. Broun wanted to pass a Bible Bill To declare 2010 the “Year of the Bible.” **
Broward County Republican Committee met to consider the application of Nezar Hamze to become a voting member. His quest to join a local GOP committee prompted accusations that he is un-American and that Islam is incompatible with the Constitution. The meeting ended with him being called a “terrorist’ by hecklers and an unprecedented 158-11 vote to deny him membership. The usually perfunctory approval process for BREC membership was changed at the meeting in order to publicly vet Hamze and to then vote on his application using a secret ballot. He was the only one of 11 candidates rejected. 9/11
Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite said that “not every Muslim is a terrorist, but except for Timothy McVeigh, every terrorist was a Muslim.” She needs to look at our TAM article Claim that all terrorists are Muslims ignores history which shows this to be a vicious lie that can only be defended by refusing to look at the facts.
Sen. Conrad Burns, Republican Senator from Montana referred to Arabs as “ragheads”. Said “the United States is up against a faceless enemy of terrorists who drive taxicabs in the daytime and kill at night.”
GOP Presidential candidate Herman Cain - one of the most prolific of the Congressional Islamophobes now has his own page Herman Cain Needs to Read the Constitution of the U.S. in the Who’s Who of anti-Muslim, anti-Arab elected representatives.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA)— Cantor not only was a co-sponsor of a Capitol Hill screening of the Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West in 2006 but recently also promoted another propaganda film by the Clarion Fund entitled Iranium which advocates a first strike against Iran before it is able to obtain nuclear capability. **
— He defended Peter King’s hearings **
— Cantor said about Arab culture: “Sadly it is a culture infused with resentment and hatred. But it is this culture that underlies the Palestinians’ and the broader Arab world’s refusal to accept Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. And this, this [repeated for emphasis], is the root of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, it is NOT about the ‘67 lines.”
Rep. John Carter (R-TX) Suggests That Identifying Muslims Would Ensure Safety Of Troops **
State Rep. John Cauthorn (R-MO) joined Rep. Don Wells in promoting an anti-Sharia bill for Missouri.
Rep. Saxby Chambliss R-GA said that to combat terrorism officials should “Arrest every Muslim that comes across the state line” into Georgia.
Rep. Cary Condotta, a Republican from East Wenatchee, WA left the house floor when a prayer was led by a Muslim.
Texas State Republican Executive Committee member John Cook sent out an email in attempt to to replace Republican House Speaker Joe Straus, who is Jewish, with a true “Christian conservative.” He said “I want to make sure that a person I’m supporting is going to have my values. It’s not anything about Jews and whether I think their religion is right or Muslims and whether I think their religion is right. ... I got into politics to put Christian conservatives into office. They’re the people that do the best jobs over all.” Cook said his opposition was not about Straus’ religion, although he prefers Christian candidates. “They’re some of my best friends,” he said of Jews, naming two friends of his. “I’m not bigoted at all; I’m not racist” Cook was absolute that his position was not bigoted.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) says the issue of building a mosque near Ground Zero in New York is“not about freedom of religion.” “I do think it is unwise to build a mosque on the site of where 3,000 Americans lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attack.”
Sen. Mike Crappo , ID called the Cordoba project “improper”.
Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN) called CAIR “a terrorist organization” and said “You are aware that this is a Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood entity?” He actually pronounced Muslim as “moo-slim.” He also called CAIR “a Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas entity.” Cravaack keeps “Sharia: The Threat to America,” a report published by anti-Muslim hate activist Frank Gaffney, on his office desk. Cravaack also continued on the theme that Reps. Peter King (R-NY) Frank Wolf (R-VA) started on at King’s hearings on the “Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community’s Response” by attacking the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). But Cravaack upped the rhetorical ante a bit, referring to CAIR as “basically… a terrorist organization” and asking Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca — hypothetically — if he would continue to work with CAIR if he “knew that CAIR was a terrorist organization sponsored by Hamas.” “Let me answer this way,” Baca said in response to the accusations, “if the FBI has something to charge CAIR with, bring those charges forward and try them in court and deal with it that way.”
Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN) called CAIR “a terrorist organization” and said “You are aware that this is a Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood entity?” He actually pronounced Muslim as “moo-slim.” He also called CAIR “a Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas entity.” Cravaack keeps “Sharia: The Threat to America,” a report published by anti-Muslim hate activist Frank Gaffney, on his office desk. Cravaack also continued on the theme that Reps. Peter King (R-NY) Frank Wolf (R-VA) started on at King’s hearings on the “Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community’s Response” by attacking the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). But Cravaack upped the rhetorical ante a bit, referring to CAIR as “basically… a terrorist organization” and asking Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca — hypothetically — if he would continue to work with CAIR if he “knew that CAIR was a terrorist organization sponsored by Hamas.” “Let me answer this way,” Baca said in response to the accusations, “if the FBI has something to charge CAIR with, bring those charges forward and try them in court and deal with it that way.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) advocated against a law that prohibits tax-exempt churches from endorsing candidates from the pulpit. When an attendee asked him whether he viewed “Sharia law” as a problem within the United States, Cruz followed in the footsteps of fellow Republicans Herman Cain and Rick Santorum and declared that “Sharia law is an enormous problem.” Cruz attacked President Obama for allegedly being “utterly unable to utter the words radical Islamic terrorist.” Cruz especially stoked anti-Muslim attitudes during the confirmation hearing of defense secretary Chuck Hagel, maintaining that the former Republican senator may be a pawn of Saudi Arabia and Iran. **
Major General Jerry Curry (Ret.) has raised questions about President Obama secretly being a Muslim, demanded that Obama release his long-form birth certificate or resign, and derided Muslims as inherently violent.
Rep. Paul Curtman (R-MO) proposes anti-Sharia bill for Missouri, although he couldn’t cite any examples of why and said “I don’t have the specifics with me right now but if you go to—the web address kind of escapes my mind right now. Any Google search on international law used in the state courts in the U.S. is going to turn up some cases for you.”
OC County GOP official Marilyn Davenport sent out a racist image of President Obama. Her apology was not believable. She had previously expressed anti-Muslim sentiments.
Rep. Don Davis of NC forwarded a message to all of his colleagues in the legislature that read in part”Two things made this country great: White men & Christianity. Every problem that has arrisen (sic) can be traced back to our departure from God’s Law and the disenfranchisement of White men.”
Nathan Deal a Georgia gubernatorial candidate “But as an American, I am absolutely opposed,” Dealsaid. He called construction of the mosque two blocks from where The World Trade Center once stood “an insult.”
Howard Dean called the Cordoba House proposal “a real affront”
Woody Degan, a GOP primate candidate in Tennessee said about Gov. Haslam hiring a Muslim for a job in government: “They’re making our Economic Development department Sharia compliant. They hired Samar Ali, who came directly from the Obama administration, who specializes in Sharia compliance. That’s what her job is.” He said this was “in order to go after Sharia money.”
Sen. Rev. Ruben Diaz (R-NY) participated in an anti-gay rally in NYC during which just before Diaz came to the microphone, Rev. Ariel Torres Ortega of Radio Visión Cristiana said that the gay people are “worthy of death” Diaz said he himself respects gay people, and has a gay grandaughter, but that did not stop him from particiating in this rally.
Robert Dornan California congressional candidate, at a rally in March of 2003 at the Lincoln Memorial, “denounced the Koran as ‘a book of war and terrorism’ and said that the Koran ‘must be rewritten’ and that passages seen as endorsing violence ‘must be expunged.’”
Robert Dornan California congressional candidate, at a rally in March of 2003 at the Lincoln Memorial, “denounced the Koran as ‘a book of war and terrorism’ and said that the Koran ‘must be rewritten’ and that passages seen as endorsing violence ‘must be expunged.’”
Jon Dumitru Orange County Councilman posted an anti-Muslim comment on his official Councilmember Facebook page. “It was 10 years ago today,” Dumitru wrote in a Facebook status update on 9/12, “the [sic] most Americans learned first hand [sic] of the teaching [sic] of Islam and the Koran being filled with messages of peace….as they killed thousands of our fellow Americans! Today I remember those lost, left behind, and those across the world searching for these [sic] pure evil and dispatching them from this world! WE WILL NEVER FORGET, WE WILL NEVER FORGIVE!” After being questioned he scrubbed the post but the screenshot is still available.
Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) warned of “the threat of Sharia law to the U.S. constitution.” He also said that that “nobody on his side of the aisle” was intent on attacking Islam in general.
Rep. Rex Duncan, R: OK raises Muslim bashing anti-Sharia issue in campaign.
Renee Ellmers, a Republican candidate for Congress from North Carolina is drawing criticism for herincendiary campaign ad equating Muslims with terrorists. Renee Ellmers won a seat in the House witha campaign that focused on distant New York City, calling the proposed Park51 community center “a victory mosque”.
Sen. Mike Fair (R-SC) proposes anti-Sharia legislation for South Carolina. He made the false claim that that “ninety nine percent probably, of the acts of terrorism around the world” have “occurred at the hands of Middle Eastern men who happen to be advocates of the Islam religion.”
Florida GOP Candidate, Dan Fanelli ran racist, anti-Muslim ads as part of his campaign. In one ad, Republican candidate for Congress Dan Fanelli points to a white man and asks, “Does this look like a terrorist?” He then turns to a “Middle Eastern” man and asks, “or this?”
Another ad has Fanelli saying, “This is a terrorist,” as he presents a “Middle Eastern” man strapped with a “bomb” and wearing what appears to be a dish towel “turban.” Yet another ad shows two Arabic-speaking “terrorists” constructing a bomb while discussing “martyrdom” and “killing infidels.” The ad also mocks long-standing due process rights such as Miranda warnings and access to lawyer
Sen. Diane Feinstein said when asked about meeting with Muslim constituents “I don’t have time to meet with people who don’t vote.”
State Reps. Carl Ford [R-NC] Harry Warren [R-NC] attempted to introduce a bill to make Christianity the State religion of North Carolina. *** and ***
Trent Franks (R-AZ) along with Reps. John Shadegg (Ariz.), Paul Broun (Ga.), and Sue Myrick (N.C.) all objected to Muslim interns on Capitol Hill as infiltrators. Franks also signed on to Michele Bachman’s letters asking for investigation of unsubstantiated claims of Muslim Brotherhood infiltration in the U.S. government.
Charlie Fuqua, Republican candidate in AR said “Q. Do I believe that the law of the U.S. is inconsistent with the principles stated in the Ten commandments? A. Abortion, failing to use the death penalty, Socialism, graduated income tax, and our entire economic system is in violation of God’s law.” He also said “I see no solution to the Muslim problem short of expelling all followers of the religion from the United States.” ***
State Rep. Gerald Gay (R-WY) proposes anti-Sharia bill for Wyoming. Gay wants to replicate an Oklahoma law that was recently found to be unconstitutional, fearing that Wyoming’s judiciary may become an outpost of Islamic law. Gay says he makes “governmental decisions based on certain tenants [sic] of the Christian faith,” and his desire to maintain his Christian-outlook towards governing “motivated his proposal” to ban Sharia.
Newt Gingrich (R-GA) - one of the most prolific of the Congressional Islamophobes now has his own page Newt Gingrich’s Muslim Problem in the Who’s Who of anti-Muslim, anti-Arab elected representatives.
In a speech at the RNC Rudy Giuliani said: “For four days in Denver, the Democrats were afraid to use the term “Islamic terrorism.” I imagine they believe it is politically incorrect to say it. I think they believe they will insult someone. Please tell me, who they are insulting if they say, “Islamic terrorism.” They are insulting terrorists!” He called the Cordoba project a “desecration” and said that “Nobody would allow something like that at Pearl Harbor ... Let’s have some respect for who died there and why they died there.”
Rep. Louis Gohmert (R-TX) - one of the most prolific of the Congressional Islamophobes now has his own page Louie Gohmert’s Muslim Problem in the Who’s Who of anti-Muslim, anti-Arab elected representatives.
A Republican candidate for Congress in Illinois Isaac Hayes used his campaign for an anti-Palestinianrant.
Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, sponsor of SB 1360, distributed an anti-Muslim booklet called “Shari’ah Law: Radical Islam’s threat to the U.S. Constitution” to fellow senators.
Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/03/anti-sharia-flyers-circulate-senate-hallways.html#storylink=cpy
State Rep. Carl Gatto (R-Palmer, AK) said “As a kid, we had Italian neighborhoods, Irish neighborhoods. . .but they didn’t impose their own laws,” Gatto said. “When these neighborhoods are occupied by people from the Middle East, they do establish their own laws.” 3/11
- When the State of Alaska held a hearing about Sharia law, Alaska, Gatto brought Pamela Geller of the hate group SIOA as a reputable witness?
State Rep. Gerald Gay (R-WY) has proposed a constitutional amendment “as a ‘pre-emptive strike’ to ensure judges don’t rely on Shariah. Note: there are less than 300 Muslims in Wyoming. Gay said“Americans need to pull their heads out of the sand and realize the threat, because “pretty soon you have the camel’s nose under the tent.”
When Keith Ellison was elected and chose to use the Qur’an for his swearing in photo op -
Rep. Virgil H. Goode, Jr. said: “The Muslim Representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don’t wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran.”
Massachusetts State Senator Guy Glodis, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called upon him to publicly apologize from the Senate floor for having distributed an incendiary and bigoted flier that “purports to provide a formula for responding to Muslim extremism.”
The flier said an execution of Muslim extremists in the Philippines was ordered by General John Joseph ‘‘Black Jack’’ Pershing before World War I, in which the terrorists were shot with bullets dipped in pigs’ blood, then buried with ‘‘pigs’ blood, entrails, etc.’’ According to the flier, contact with the blood and entrails of pigs ‘‘instantly barred’’ Muslims from paradise, dooming them to hell. It said news of the burial deterred other terrorist attacks for ‘‘the next forty-two years. ... maybe it’s time for this segment of history to repeat itself, maybe in Iraq. The question is, where do we find another Black Jack Pershing?’’
Rep. Carl Gatto (R-AK) called Pamela Geller of SIOA to testify as an expert witness on Shariah Law in an Alaska House Judiciary Committee hearing. (SIOA has been designated a hate group by the SPLC)
Congressional candidate from Tarrant County, New York Itamar Gelbman sent out a campaign mailer saying that he had served in the Israeli Army and one of the issues he wants to fight for is to stop what he calls the “Islamization” of America.
State Senator Kevin Grantham (R-CO) said ” ... mosques are not churches like we would think of churches. They think of mosques more as a foothold into a society, as a foothold into a community, more in the cultural and in the nationalistic sense. Our churches — we don’t feel that way, they’re places of worship, and mosques are simply not that, and we need to take that into account when approving construction of those.”
Jeff Greene, a candidate competing in the Democratic primary for senator from Florida. Greene was quoted in a Washington Post feature article saying that the Quran contains “all kinds of crazy stuff. And unfortunately that’s motivating a lot of these extremists”.
Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX) was one of the Honorary Host Committee for a Collin County Conservative Republicans 2009 evening with Pamela Geller of SIOA. ***
Adam Hasner Florida State House Majority Leader Leaves Chamber During Muslim Led Prayer in 2009.
Adam Hasner Florida State House Majority Leader Leaves Chamber During Muslim Led Prayer in 2009.
— Hasner was also a “coalition partner” for a “free speech summit” featuring Geert Wilders. A local Florida paper reported that “Rep. Adam Hasner, R-Delray Beach, who is Jewish, has been criticized in recent months for seeming worried when some Muslims constituents were coming to speak with their representatives in Tallahassee.” At the Free Speech Summit co-hosted by Hasner, Geert Wilders said: “Islam is not a religion. Islam is a totalitarian political ideologue. Islam [sic] heart lies at the Quran, and the Quran is a book that calls for hatred, that calls for violence, for murder, for terrorism, for war, and submission…We should also stop pretending that Islam is a religion…the right to religious freedom should not apply to Islam.”
— Hasner said: “I am tired of the belief that it’s America’s actions that cause that type of activity and that type of ideology and that type of philosophy. We do not cause that, and you are seeing it now with recent events. We cannot allow that type of mentality, that type of belief system, infiltrate and be insinuated here in the United States, because Sharia law is not compatible with the Constitution of the United States.”
— Hasner misrepresented the meaning of a Florida case involving Sharia law.
- Hasner expressed his support for Pamela Geller and Geert Wilders at a Tea Party event and said “We face right now an existential threat from Sharia compliant Islam”
State Sen. Alan Hays (R-Umatilla FL) introduces anti-Sharia bill for Florida. He also said regarding anti-Sharia law bill: “When you were a child, did your parents have you vaccinated against different diseases? That was a preemptive gesture on their part for which I would hope you’re very thankful. And this is very similar to that. Your mom and dad would not want you to get sick from one of those dreadful diseases, and I don’t want any American to be in a Florida courtroom and have their constitutional rights violated by any foreign law. That’s it. It’s not that complicated.”
Rep. Valarie Hodges (R-Watson LA) said “I actually support funding for teaching the fundamentals of America’s Founding Fathers’ religion, which is Christianity, in public schools or private schools…Unfortunately it will not be limited to the Founders’ religion. We need to insure that it does not open the door to fund radical Islam schools. There are a thousand Muslim schools that have sprung up recently. I do not support using public funds for teaching Islam anywhere here in Louisiana.”
Federal judge James Leon Holmes, in a 2002 address to the Society of Catholic Social Scientists in Ann Arbor, Mich., affirmed the supremacy of the Bible: Christianity transcends the political order and cannot be subordinated to the political order. The principle of separation of church and state has no place in his vision for the future:
The final reunion of Church and state will take place at the end of time, when Christ will claim definitive political power of all creation, inaugurating an entirely new society based on the supernatural.
Rep. Jon Hubbard [R-AR] said “… the institution of slavery that the black race has long believed to be an abomination upon its people may actually have been a blessing in disguise.
Mike Huckabee said “I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution. But I believe it’s a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God. And that’s what we need to do is amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than trying to change God’s standards so it lines up with some contemporary view of how we treat each other and how we treat the family.”
- Huckabee also suggested creating a Palestinian state elsewhere in the Middle East:
“There is only one place on earth where the Jewish people could have a homeland that is consistent with their roots, whereas the Palestinians can create their homeland in many other places in the Middle East, outside Israel.”
The Jewish Russian Telegraph reported “When asked about a Palestinian state, Gov. Huckabee stated that he supports creating a Palestinian state, but believes that it should be formed outside of Israel. He named Egypt and Saudi Arabia as possible alternatives, noting that the Arabs have far more land than the Israelis and that it would only be fair for other Arab nations to give the Palestinians land for a state, rather than carving it out of the tiny Israeli state.” He also said that Palestinians who live in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, should settle in “territory that [is] in the hands of Muslims, in the hands of Arabs,” as determined by the “international community.” This is ethnic cleansing.
- Mike Huckabee was upset to hear that a church had allowed Muslims to worship in the church.
He said “As much as I respect the autonomy of each local church, you just wonder, what are they thinking?” he told the Fox and Friends crew. “If the purpose of a church is to push forward the gospel of Jesus Christ, and then you have a muslim group that says that Jesus Christ and all the people that follow him are a bunch of infidels who should be essentially obliterated, I have a hard time understanding that.”
- He said that Islam “is the antithesis of the gospel of Christ.” and has been in the forefront of the anti-Sharia movement. After his mistaken comment about Obama being born in Kenya he explainedthat “Most of us grew up going to Boy Scout meetings and, you know, our communities were filled with Rotary Clubs, not madrassas,”
- on the talk radio program Focal Point, hosted by American Family Radio’s Bryan Fischer. Mike Huckabee was introduced by David Barton at the Rediscover God in America conference in Iowa, during which Huckabee asserted that he wished every American would be forced - at gunpoint - to listen to Barton’s teachings. 5/11
- Mike Huckabee thought it appropriate to invite Pamela Geller of the hate group SIOA on his television program and give her a platform to spread her hatred including this “...to build a mosque which embodies the very ideology that attacked us”?
Sen. Inhofe said that “our religion” guides our foreign policy, and that for example, “Israel has a right to the land because God said so.”
State Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-Atlanta) introduces anti-Sharia bill for Georgia. He told the Fulton County Daily Report the bill would ban Sharia, while admitting that he does not know of any cases in Georgia where Islamic law has been an issue.
Rep. Phil Jensen (R-SD) introduced an anti-Sharia bill for South Dakota, but then backed away when possible unintended consequences were raised.
Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX), Ralph Hall (R-TX) and State Rep. Jerry Madden (R-TX) were the Honorary Host Committee for a Collin County Conservative Republicans 2009 evening with Pamela Geller of SIOA.
Terry Kemple a candidate for the Hillsborough County, Florida School Board had as his main issuekeeping Muslim speakers out of local public schools. He hosted a news conference on the issue on the anniversary of 9/11 that featured Frank Gaffney. He came to a school board meeting with David Caton. He compared CAIR to a pro-pedophilia group. “If someone would be a member of (the North American Man/Boy Love Association), I wouldn’t let them in a classroom. If someone were a member of KKK, I wouldn’t let them in a classroom. It’s no different.”
State Rep. Sally Kern (R-OK) turned to Frank Gaffney to help draft a new bill after that state’s anti-Sharia bill was rejected. Kern made national headlines in 2008 after she asserted that homosexuality is more dangerous to America than “terrorism or Islam.”
Sen. Bob Kerry said that he “apologized” for bringing up Pres. Obama’s Muslim heritage because it was “insulting”. The 2008 elections showcased not only racism, but also Islamophobia and Arabophobia.
Rep. Bill Ketron (R-TN) introduces anti-Sharia bill in Tennessee. He also distributed an anti-Muslim video to fellow senators.
— Ketron was opposed to the Murfreesboro mosque and said
“Is it truly a church or is it a training center?” Then, added “What if they put in something that’s dangerous to the citizens or the children of the neighborhood?” Ketron said. “There should be notice of what’s changing. Does the KKK have a church? Do snake handlers have a church? Those are things that should be brought out to the general public. The more transparent we are to the general public, the better off we are.”
The bill calls Shariah law a danger to homeland security and gives the attorney general authority to investigate complaints and decide who’s practicing it. It exempts peaceful practice of Islam but labels any adherence to Shariah law — which includes religious practices such as feet washing and prayers — as treasonous. It claims Shariah adherents want to replace the Constitution with their religious law.
— Ketron was concerned about a restroom mop sink which looked like it could be used for Muslim foot washing. State Sen. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, however, confirmed to the news agency that he had asked Humphrey about whether there were religious reasons for the new sink after the issue was raised by fellow Republican lawmaker Judd Matheny of Tullahoma. ** & **
— Ketron objected to a school voucher bill he had previously supported because he reaized it might also mean money would go to Muslim private schools that qualify **. He is now pushing a bill ** that would require charter schools to disclose sources of private funding, including “all funds from foreign sources” and “gifts from foreign governments.” The bill also states that a charter authority shall deny a school’s application if 3.5 percent or more of the school’s staff will be made up of legal immigrants with work visas.
Larry Kilgore, a Republican candidate for the Texas Senate, according to the ADL “Kilgore’s stated platform for the campaign was creating a sovereign state of Texas that would be run according to “biblical law.” According to Kilgore, imposing biblical law would include executing adulterers, freeing all prisoners, and eliminating all forms of social welfare. In his blog, Kilgore vowed that, if elected, he would use the office of Senator to negotiate with the “US empire” for Texan independence and would not vote on any legislation unrelated to the creation of an independent state of Texas. Kilgore also pledged to eliminate public education and punish illegal immigrants with a “minimum of five lashes.” Sounds crazy, but he got over 225,000 votes.
Rep. Peter King - one of the most prolific of the Congressional Islamophobes now has his own page Rep. Peter King’s Muslim Phobia in the Who’s Who of anti-Muslim, anti-Arab elected representatives.
Rep. Steven King (R-Iowa) defended Pamela Geller of SIOA’s participation in a tea party event. The Republican believes that Geller “is a credible spokeswoman on these sort of issues,” his communications director John Kennedy tells Mother Jones. “She is a nationally recognized authority on the threat of radical Islam. To extent that her comments [in CAIR’s release] reflect her state of mind, we should err on the side of her as being credible alternative to anything that CAIR has to say.” NOTE: SIOA has been named as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center King is known for his outrageous and disgusting comments. In the past he’s been quoted as comparing immigrants to livestock, calling undocumented workers a “slow-moving terrorist attack”, claiming that immigrants have murdered more Americans than the combined death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2002, comparing the abuses at Abu Ghraib to mere “hazing” and waging a war against “secularists” who want to “eradicate Christ from Christmas.” When Obama was running for President, King said “The radical Islamists, the al-Qaida ... would be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on Sept. 11 because they would declare victory in this war on terror…His middle name does matter, it matters because they read a meaning into that.”
Rep. Mark Kirk of Illinois said “[I’m] okay with discrimination against young Arab males from terrorist-producing states.”
State Sen. Jake Knotts (R-SC) said We’ve ‘got one raghead in the White House, we don’t need a raghead in the governor’s mansion.’
State Sen. Dennis Kruse [R-IN] introduced a bill that would give public school districts the authority tomandate daily recitations of the Lord’s Prayer in public classrooms. ***
Vijay Kumar a congressional candidate in Tennessee has campaign billboards that read “Defeat universal jihad”.
Vijay Kumar a congressional candidate in Tennessee has campaign billboards that read “Defeat universal jihad”.
Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ) hosted a closed-door screening of a 15-minute film by Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders. Wilders was recently denied entry to Britain because of his extreme anti-Muslim views, including urging that the Quran, Islam’s revealed text, should be banned. One of the event’s co-sponsors, the Center for Security Policy headed by Frank Gaffney, is linked to an anti-Islam group that has advocated prison terms in the U.S. for “adherence to Islam.” Kyle facilitated the event because“all too often, people who have the courage to point out the dangers of militant Islamists find themselves vilified and endangered,” said spokesman Ryan Patmintra.
Sonny Landman a Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate from Kentucky said, in addition to announcing his support of a blanket ban on all Arab immigration to the United States and referring to Arabs as “camel-dung shovelers”, he also made comments in which he seemingly advocated for indiscriminate attacks on Arab peoples during an appearance on the Weekly Filibuster internet radio program.
Sonny Landman a Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate from Kentucky said, in addition to announcing his support of a blanket ban on all Arab immigration to the United States and referring to Arabs as “camel-dung shovelers”, he also made comments in which he seemingly advocated for indiscriminate attacks on Arab peoples during an appearance on the Weekly Filibuster internet radio program.
Dakota City, Iowa councilman Bob Lane placed a sign on his property reading “Never Trust a Man Named Mohamed.”
Rep. Frank Lassee sent out a newsletter which said in part “The Pope’s comments were right on the mark. Islam is NOT a religion of peace. It doesn’t have a peaceful history of co-existence. And has created empires whose main goal was to convert or destroy all non-believers. Islam IS a religion intent on conquering the world. This global domination is preached and encouraged by Imams in mosques. And it is a central theme in the Koran, the Islamic Bible, and is an important part of their history.”
Rep. Frank Lassee sent out a newsletter which said in part “The Pope’s comments were right on the mark. Islam is NOT a religion of peace. It doesn’t have a peaceful history of co-existence. And has created empires whose main goal was to convert or destroy all non-believers. Islam IS a religion intent on conquering the world. This global domination is preached and encouraged by Imams in mosques. And it is a central theme in the Koran, the Islamic Bible, and is an important part of their history.”
New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio is using the proposed Cordoba House as a campaign issue. Rick Lazio Releases Anti ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ Ad Attacking Cuomo. Lazio also askedif the Sunni Kuwaiti Sufi Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who is on a good will mission to the Muslim world on behalf of the US State Department and was deployed in the same way by George W. Bush, is a terrorist in the employ of Shiite Iran.
State Sen. Dan Lederman (R-SD) introduced an anti-Sharia bill in South Dakota.
Lederman, of the Great Plains Chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition and founder of the Jewish Christian Coalition of the Midwest, sponsored a panel with Frank Gaffney of CSP and Tom Trento to discuss Sharia after the showing of the film Iranium produced by the Clarion Fund (who also produced Obsession and The Third Jihad. During this event said that a Shariah government does not afford the same rights as the Constitution. Lederman, founder of the Iran Divestment Policy Coalition, hopes the movie, which was shown Tuesday night in Sioux Falls, will shed some light on the movement and how it has taken a foothold in the United States.
Sen. Joseph Lieberman says that the U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islamist Extremists’
Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) said “I would say to those who criticize us for a singular focus here that I have been on panels that have investigated the continuing presence of Nazi war criminals in the United States,” Lungren said, adding, “I’ve been there where we’ve examined the Ku Klux Klan…and skinhead groups and militias. We were not criticized—or if we were, I didn’t think it was reasonable criticism to say we didn’t look at other gangs at that time.” What I hear is the American Muslim community is equivalent to the KKK or militias or Nazi’s. He also said “I also hope we’re not prisoners of PC. We are in a war declared on us by radical jihad, radical Islam. And that happens to be a fact. We didn’t pick the war. They picked the war. And I haven’t seen too many Irish Catholic nuns blow themselves up. And sometimes we do stupid things like having my six-month-old granddaughter a couple of years ago taken out for a secondary search when they searched her diaper. That kind of stupidity hurts us, I think, even though we do it to make sure that we have some egalitarian approach to this.” **
Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) said “I would say to those who criticize us for a singular focus here that I have been on panels that have investigated the continuing presence of Nazi war criminals in the United States,” Lungren said, adding, “I’ve been there where we’ve examined the Ku Klux Klan…and skinhead groups and militias. We were not criticized—or if we were, I didn’t think it was reasonable criticism to say we didn’t look at other gangs at that time.” What I hear is the American Muslim community is equivalent to the KKK or militias or Nazi’s. He also said “I also hope we’re not prisoners of PC. We are in a war declared on us by radical jihad, radical Islam. And that happens to be a fact. We didn’t pick the war. They picked the war. And I haven’t seen too many Irish Catholic nuns blow themselves up. And sometimes we do stupid things like having my six-month-old granddaughter a couple of years ago taken out for a secondary search when they searched her diaper. That kind of stupidity hurts us, I think, even though we do it to make sure that we have some egalitarian approach to this.” **
State Rep. Jerry Madden (R-TX) was on the Honorary Host Committee for a Collin County Conservative Republicans 2009 evening with Pamela Geller of SIOA. ***
Councilwoman Sherry Marquez of Lancaster, CA promoted the inflammatory “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day” event. Marquez also wrote in reference to a murder trial in New York involving a Muslim defendant: “This is what the Muslim religion is all about - the beheadings, honor killings are just the beginning of what is to come in the USA. We are told this is a small majority [sic] of Muslim’s [sic] in America, but it is truly what they are all about…You disrespect/dishonor them or their religion and you should die (they don’t even blink at killing their own wives/daughters, because they are justified by their religion)...” One of her Facebook postings also features an image of a mosque with a red line across it, accompanied by text stating, “Against Sharia Law.”
State Rep. Judd Matheny, introduced the House version of a Tennessee anti-Sharia bill.
Presidential candidate John McCain, when a voter accused President Obama of being an “Arab” during a campaign rally in the 2008 presidential race, McCain responded by saying “No, ma’am. He is a decent family man”, and blew it, failing to challenge the bigotry implied in the question. John McCainalso said “The greatest danger facing the world is Islamic Terrorism”. McCain has had his own problems with associates making anti-Muslim statements, and with a spiritual advisor who advocated destroying Islam, and his comment that America is better off with a Christian President and he doesn’t want a Muslim in the Oval Office raised a lot of concerns in the Muslim community as did his and his “bomb, bomb, bomb Iran” ditty, and his surprising confusion about al Qaeda and Iran. Has McCain read the U.S. Constitution which says in Article VI, section 3: “ ...no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” He was also opposed to the Cordoba House project and said “would harm relations, rather than help”)”.
McCain describedAmerica as a “Christian nation”
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) said “We have to know our enemy, and it is radical Islam in my judgment.”
Bill McCollum (Atty. Genl. FL) sent an email to about 500 state employees urging them to attend a screening of the film “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West,” a controversial film vilifying Muslims as terrorists and Islam as “evil.”
Retired General Thomas McInerney said, “We have to use profiling. And I mean be very serious and harsh about the profiling. . . .“If you are an 18-28 year-old Muslim man, then you should be strip searched.” Since there are a couple hundred million people in that category, this would make strip-searching at airports an interminable exercise. McInerney didn’t make any effort to hide his hatred of the entire religion of Islam, which he called “an ideology, not a religion.”
Rep. Lois McMahan, (R-WA) said regarding her opposition to a Muslim leading a prayer in the Washington State Legislature: “It’s an issue of patriotism. The Islamic religion is so . . . part and parcel with the attack on America. I just didn’t want to be there, be a part of that. Even though the mainstream Islamic religion doesn’t profess to hate America, nonetheless it spawns the groups that hate America.” “[T]he religion is the focal point of the hate-America sentiment in the world.” “My god is not Mohammed.”
Race and religion are creeping into an increasingly contentious Ohio treasurer’s race between Democrat state Treasurer Kevin L. Boyce and his Republican challenger, state Rep. Josh Mandel. Mandel used the word mosque three times in reference to Boyce’s office and its hiring of a firm whose lobbyist is a friend of Boyce’s deputy and is Muslim.
State Rep. Judy Manning (R-GA) said ‘I’m Afraid’ Of Romney’s Mormon Faith, But ‘It’s Better Than A Muslim’
Republican gubernatorial candidate Ray McKinney said the Cordoba center would misapply the idea of religious freedom, which he said is based on tolerance. “About 3,000 people died there at the hands of Islamic fundamentalists,” he said. “Building this project is blatantly insensitive.
Ron McNeil, a Congressional candidate in Florida, reportedly told local high school and middle school students in the Panama City, Florida, that Islam is “against everything America stands for” and that the Islamic Center near Ground Zero should be build underground “so we can walk above it as citizens and Christians.”
Gabriela Saucedo Mercer, Arizona GOP Congressional candidate said that “Middle Eastern immigrants’ “only goal in life is to cause harm to the United States” and that Middle Eastern immigrants, legal or not, are not wanted in the U.S.” In a Facebook posting she also said: “I want to encourage ‘Westerners,’ the whole melting pot that makes this great country to educate yourself on Radical Islamist. ACT For America is a great tool where you can learn a lot and then make up your mind.” [sic] and she posted a link to an article “Islamic Inventions? How Islamic Inventors Did Not Change The World” from the anti-Muslim Wiki Islam site which says on its own “about page” that it “focuses on the critique of Islam”, and is a project of Ali Sina and Faith Freedom International. (More on Brigitte Gabriel’s ACT for America, called anti-Muslim by the SPLC here. More on Ali Sina and Faith Freedom here)
Meyers Mermel who ran for NY Governor and lost has put out a racist, Islamophobic video opposing the Cordoba House. “It’s not unheard that the religion of a nation at war with the United States be curtailed or disestablished.” His example: “The Anglican religion was disestablished during the Revolutionary War.” In the video he calls Islam a “religion that sanctioned 9/11” and calls Islam “the religion of the aggressor”, says this would be a “victory symbol”, discusses the supposed “silence of Muslims”, and calls Christianity “the religion of the victims”. As one commentator said about this video And in WWII we locked up the Japanese, so obviously that justifies rounding up Muslims to keep America safe during the Eternal Terror War! Muslims should feel lucky we even let them pray in this town. “
Congressman Gary Miller (R-Diamond Bar) told the protestors at an anti-Muslim hate fest in Orange County “I’m proud of you”, “I’m proud of what you are doing.” (see also Ed Royce & Deborah Pauly)
Judge Roy Moore compared the Qur’an to Mein Kampf. And said regarding Keith Ellison’s use of a Qur’an in ceremony “Our Constitution states, “Each House [of Congress] shall be the judge ... of the qualifications of its own members.” Enough evidence exists for Congress to question Ellison’s qualifications to be a member of Congress as well as his commitment to the Constitution in view of his apparent determination to embrace the Quran and an Islamic philosophy directly contrary to the principles of the Constitution. But common sense alone dictates that in the midst of a war with Islamic terrorists we should not place someone in a position of great power who shares their doctrine. In 1943, we would never have allowed a member of Congress to take their oath on “Mein Kampf,” or someone in the 1950s to swear allegiance to the “Communist Manifesto.” Congress has the authority and should act to prohibit Ellison from taking the congressional oath today!”
Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC) - one of the most prolific of the Congressional Islamophobes now has her own page Rep. Sue Myrick’s hearing on the Muslim Brotherhood in the Who’s Who of anti-Muslim, anti-Arab elected representatives.
State Rep. Wendy Nanney (R-SC) proposes anti-Sharia legislation for South Carolina.
Kansas House Speaker Mike O’Neal sent emails from his personal account referring to First Lady Michelle Obama as “Mrs. YoMama” and quoting a Bible verse cited by some as a reference to presidential assassination.
Rev. Carl Paladino a GOP gubernatorial candidate in NY has come out against the Cordoba House and says that if he is elected he will use eminent domain against the proposed building. Palaldino says it’s an affront to those murdered on 9-11, it’s an insult to all Americans and it must be stopped.
Sarah Palin joined the chorus of bigots objecting to the Cordoba house. She sent out a tweet asking “peaceful Muslims” to repudiate the “ground zero mosque”. Actually, her tweet said “refudiate” and the typo is sadly getting more attention than the meaning of the message. Juan Cole discusses the meaning here. Palin also said: “To build a mosque at Ground Zero is a stab in the heart of the families of the innocent victims of those horrific attacks.” Palin defended Franklin Graham’s statement that Islam Is “Evil And Wicked Religion”. Palin said he was only referring to extremists who kill innocent people - This is what Graham said “We’re not attacking Islam but Islam has attacked us. The God of Islam is not the same God. He’s not the son of God of the Christian or Judeo-Christian faith. It’s a different God and I believe it is a very evil and wicked religion.” This clearly is an attack on all of Islam and all Muslims.
— Palin falsely claimed that “If an Iranian woman shows too much hair in public, she risks being beaten or killed.”
Ilario Pantano a GOP congressional candidate in North Carolina sent out a fund raising letter using his opposition to the Cordoba House as a talking point. Pantano welcomed Pamela Geller’s backing of his campaign, saying “I don’t have any anxieties about Pam Geller. She is a patriot. I’m thrilled to have her endorsement.”
Ilario Pantano a GOP congressional candidate in North Carolina sent out a fund raising letter using his opposition to the Cordoba House as a talking point. Pantano welcomed Pamela Geller’s backing of his campaign, saying “I don’t have any anxieties about Pam Geller. She is a patriot. I’m thrilled to have her endorsement.”
Sen. Dan Patrick (R) Walks Out on First Muslim Prayer in Texas Senate
Kentucky Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul took aim at President Obama on Thursday for sharing his take on a proposal to develop a mosque and Islamic community center in New York City’s Financial District.
Deborah Pauly Republican Councilwoman, Villa Park, CA said at a demonstration objecting to the speakers at a Muslim community charity fundraiser: “What’s going on over there right now, make no bones about it, that is pure unadulterated evil ... I know quite a few Marines who would be very happy to help these terrorists to an early meeting in Paradise.” “Over there” was the community center which Muslim families (many with small children) were entering. I can see no other meaning to Councilwoman Pauly’s statement except that she knows United States Marines who would be happy to kill these men, women, and children because since they are Muslims, they must be terrorists. Video here
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty said: “I’m strongly opposed to the idea of putting a mosque anywhere near Ground Zero.” and further “We shouldn’t have images or activities that degrade or disrespect that in any way.”
— Pawlenty boasted how he disbanded a program in his state that had provided home buyers the opportunity to secure Islam-compliant mortgages. Pawlenty asserted that he did so because “the United States should be governed by the U.S. Constitution, not religious laws”.
State Rep. Virgil Peck (R-Tyro KS) during a Kansas state House Appropriations Committee hearing on state spending for controlling feral swine by shooting them from helicopters said “It looks like to me if shooting these immigrating feral hogs works maybe we have found a [solution] to our illegal immigration problem.”
Mike Pence, Gov. of Indiana and former Congressperson, is a member of a Congressional Christian Brotherhood Group that has been involved in many anti-Muslim issues and incidents.
An Islamophobic site called Democracy Under Attack lists those in Congress who should be thanked for “leading the fight against Sharia in America”. Their list of those who have worked on anti-Sharia measures includes: Trent Franks, Tom Price, Mike Pence, Dan Burton, Dennis Moore, Pete Hoekstra, Michele Bachmann, Sue Myrick, Zach Wamp.
Gov. Rick Perry will host a mass Christian prayer rally in his home state of Texas. The principal sponsor of the rally, the American Family Association, has a truly vile record on immigration issues. The Association’s principal spokesperson on policy issues, Bryan Fischer, says that Muslims should be barred from becoming naturalized citizens, that Muslims already here should be deported, that Muslim immigrants are not protected by the First Amendment. Fisher says there should be “no more mosques, period” because “each Islamic mosque is dedicated to the overthrow of the American government.” Perry’s event also includes Rev. John Hagee, James Dobson, David Barton, Jim Garlow, Lou Engle, and Tony Perkins. (See here for more on some of these folks.)
Johnny Piper Mayor of Clarksville, TN forwarded an email that urges “patriotic Americans” to protest a U.S. Postal Service stamp commemorating two Islamic holidays. ... Piper sent the e-mail to every City Council member, every department head, and numerous other city employees, friends and family members.”
Larry Pittman (R-NC) sent an email that advocated for bringing back public hangings would be a great deterrent for “abortionists, rapists, and kidnappers.”
Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) sent out a tweet recommending an article that was racist and anti-Muslim. He later apologized. He also falsely claimed on the House floor that members of Muslim communities in the United States have not condemned acts of Islamic extremist terrorism against the U.S. and therefore are complicit in those and any future attacks.
Pompeo blamed the leaders of the Islamic community for not doing more to prevent these actions, hinting that they could be complicit in the deaths they’ve caused. “Instead of responding, silence has made these Islamic leaders across America potentially complicit in these acts, and more importantly still, in those that may well follow,” Pompeo accused. ***
State Rep. Michele Presnell [R-NC] was asked whether she was “comfortable with a public prayer to Allah before a legislative meeting.” She responded: “No, I do not condone terrorism.” Presnell is also a co-sponsor of House resolution 494, which states that North Carolina may establish a state religion. ***
Cindy Pugh, candidate for state rep. in MN, compares Muslim women to garbage bags
Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois said about Cordoba House “I would strongly urge those who are thinking of putting a mosque within that zone to rethink their position.”
Ron Ramsey Lt. Gov. of TN opposed the Murfreesboro mosque and said ”“You could even argue whether being a Muslim is actually a religion or is it a nationality, way of life or cult, whatever you want to call it.” He seems to be questioning whether or not the Constitution protects Islam as a religion.
Councilman Don Redman of Jacksonville, FL asked the newly elected Muslim council member, Parvez Ahmed to “say a prayer to your God” at a Council meeting. This followed a particularly Islamophobiccampaign against Dr. Ahmed’s appointment to the Council’s Human Rights Commission.
Ron Ramsey Lt. Gov. of TN opposed the Murfreesboro mosque and said ”“You could even argue whether being a Muslim is actually a religion or is it a nationality, way of life or cult, whatever you want to call it.” He seems to be questioning whether or not the Constitution protects Islam as a religion.
Councilman Don Redman of Jacksonville, FL asked the newly elected Muslim council member, Parvez Ahmed to “say a prayer to your God” at a Council meeting. This followed a particularly Islamophobiccampaign against Dr. Ahmed’s appointment to the Council’s Human Rights Commission.
Harry Reid weighs in on N.Y. mosque: It ‘should be built someplace else’
Mayor Reimal of Independence, MO invited Kamal Saleem to speak at the cities annual prayer breakfast. Saleem is among the who’s who of Islamophobes.
The Republican National Trust PAC is promoting a viciously anti-Muslim ad called “Kill the Ground Zero Mosque” referring to the Cordoba House.
A member of the Republican Party of Virginia State Central Committee, read into the record this statement:
“From 1619 to closing of the bloody Virginia frontier , the General Assembly never felt compelled to call in an Amer-Indian shaman to call on pagan gods in prayer. Such an act would be a descecration - as much as a public place can be shamed – in an act against the God in whose name Virginia was founded. In whose time Virginia’ days are measured. In whose ideas, creation and history every good thing which is Virginia can be traced. The God of the Christians and Jews and none other. Asking a Muslim to pray to before the General Assembly is political correctness, the sophistry of socialist Human Secularism, beyond the folly of begging the prayers of a Wiccan, Druid, or some other modern pagan poseur. Islam, unless it is highly compromised, accomodated, reformed, Islam is incompatible with Western Civilization. It has been so since Mohammed’s first act of genocide against a Jewish tribe in 627 AD. It remains so today. Muslims can be lovely people – especially the more Westernerized they are. Muslims can be Virginians as long as they deny parts of the Koran. Islamic Civilization is the foe to all things Virginian. All things American. Islamic Civilization is more barbaric to us than the Visigoths were to the Romans – whose civilization they destroyed. The Visigoths were only 600 years behind Rome. Islam is 800 years behind the West – America and Virginia. Politicians shouldn’t mock God in the General Assembly with political correctness. It is beyond folly. I condemn this invitation.”
Rep. Scott Rigell (R-VA) said that NPR unfairly fired commentator Juan Williams for stating that he gets “nervous” when he sees people in Muslim garb at an airport. “Frankly, I would share his view” 3/11
Sen. Jim Risch, ID called the Cordoba project “improper”.
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) apeared on Frank Gaffney’s radio program discussing “Sharia, the threat to America”
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) during a hearing said that he believes that Islam as a whole is a threat to the United States, labeling it as a religion that will “motivate people to murder children.” ***
Mitt Romney said: “Based on the numbers of American Muslims [as a percentage] in our population, I cannot see that a cabinet position would be justified. But of course, I would imagine that Muslims could serve at lower levels of my administration.” Absolutely amazing that a Mormon has such a short memory about where such prejudice leads. Mitt Romney, has also expressed opposition to the Cordoba House project in NYC.
—Romney announced his foreign policy advisors and they include Walid Phares Tied To Christian Militia That Committed Atrocities In Lebanon’s Civil War. 10/11
Congressmen Ed Royce (R-Calif.) who chairs the international terrorism subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said regarding Deborah Pauly’s vicious performance at an anti-Muslim demonstration in California (see Deborah Pauly) “Kudos to Karen Lugo and Deborah Pauly and the other protest organizers.
Rick Santorum Former R-PA Senator, Presidential Candidate - one of the most prolific of the Congressional Islamophobes now has his own page Rick Santorum’s Muslim Problem in the Who’s Who of anti-Muslim, anti-Arab elected representatives.
A Republican candidate for Congress in Indiana, Marvin Scott, is running an Islamophobic campaignagainst Andre Carson (a Muslim Congressman).
Rep. Joe Seiwert, a Kansas Republican re-elected this month to another two-year term, sent an e-mail indicating Muslims couldn’t be considered U.S. patriots because they owed their allegiance to Islam.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, Republican of Alabama raised the “issue” of Sharia and other Muslim bashing“points” against Elena Kagan’s appointment to the Supreme Court. He also said “The civil libertarians among us would rather defend the constitution than protect our nation’s security.”
Reps. John Shadegg (Ariz.), Paul Broun (Ga.), Trent Franks (Ariz.) and Sue Myrick (N.C.) allobjected to Muslim interns on Capitol Hill as infiltrators. He also thinks that people in “Arabic attire” should be screened by TSA.
Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) sponsored The Constitution Restoration Act of 2004, is the ultimate court-stripping measure introduced into both houses of Congress on February 11, 2004. Contrary to the intentions of the framers of the U.S. Constitution who wrote a Godless Constitution, it includes the acknowledgment of God as the sovereign source of law, and threatens with “impeachment” and “conviction” judges who uphold church state separtion. This was co-sponsored by 9 Senators.
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) made unsubstantiated attacks on MPAC and on Maher Hathout ***. He called Steven Emerson as an “expert” witness on Islam during a 2008 hearing on foreign aid.
Rep. Mike Simpson, ID called the Cordoba project “inappropriate and insensitive”.
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) insists on the term “radical Islam” and argued with Eric Holder about this.
Sen. Olympia Snowe, Maine called the Cordoba project “insensitive to the families”.
Shawn Steel, former CA state Republican Chairman attacked Anaheim City Council candidate Bill Dalati, an arab, as potentially being “an extremist.”
State Sen. David Storobin (R-NY) came out against the building of the Sheepshead mosque.
State Rep. Rick Stream [R-Kirkwood MO] sent an e-mail from his office to all other Republican representatives, senators, and staff personnel in the general assembly quoting an 1899 anti-Muslim quote by Winston Churchill. ***
Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford IL posted “a joke?” on his Facebook page in which he suggested he would cut off ties with his daughter if she were to bring home a Muslim (“Mohammed from Iran”) boyfriend. Video here
Rep. Tancredo (R-CO) at a town hall meeting in Iowa said “you cannot integrate some people into your society.” Tancredo also proposed a “jihad prevention act” and he told a Danish journalist that Europe Should Deport its 20 Million Muslims. Tancredo’s bill would bar foreign nationals who advocate Sharia law from entering the United States and make advocacy of Sharia law a deportable offense. Tancredo said: “What do you do with people coming for the purpose of advancing sharia law, which is not compatible in any way with the constitution of the United States? How do you deal with that? That’s another very scary thing because demographically the numbers are on their side.”
He also said in a commentary titled, “Wake-up Call at the Ground Zero Mosque” in which he wrote: “…it is nevertheless breathtaking to watch our entire political establishment commit hara-kari to defend the rights of jihadists to celebrate the mass murder of 3,000 Americans at Ground Zero.” Tancredo described those supporting the proposed Islamic Center as “the enemy within” and added, “Would we have a national debate if the American Nazi Party purchased land and petitioned for a permit to build a 200-foot statute of Adolf Hitler next door to the National Holocaust Memorial Museum, which is about 500 yards from the Washington Monument?”
— Tancredo attacked Rick Perry for having “ties” to Muslims. He wrote an oped on Gov. Perry’s Muslim blind spot 9/11
A Republican candidate for Congress in Minnesota, Lynn Torgerson ran an Islamophobic campaignagainst Keith Ellison (a Muslim Congressman) in 2010. She is running again in 2012 and announced that “I, Lynne Torgerson, am running for Congress in Minnesota, against radical Islamist Keith Ellison. Keith Ellison fails to oppose banning Islamic Sharia law in the United States. He accuses people of trying to ban it as “conspiratorilists.” Keith Ellison also fails to support that the United States Constitution should be supreme over Islamic Sharia law.”
Bridgeport, CT Republican Town Committee Chairman Rick Torres said “It turns out, folks, they [Muslims] are here, they’re among us. We are at war with Islam. I don’t tolerate people who are not tolerant.” It was also reported that Torres said that he “wants America’s mosques and Imams to openly condemn terrorists’ actions.”
Jay Townsend, a Republican Senate candidate opposes the proposed Cordoba House Islamic Center in NYC on no grounds other than Islamophobia. Another candidate Rick Barber shows the same Islamophobia.
Jay Townsend, a Republican Senate candidate opposes the proposed Cordoba House Islamic Center in NYC on no grounds other than Islamophobia. Another candidate Rick Barber shows the same Islamophobia.
Donald Trump who says he may run for President said “Unfortunately, at this moment in time, there is a Muslim problem in the world.” He called the Cordoba project “insensitive”.
He also got into the “birther” debate saying “People have birth certificates . . . now, he may have one, but there is something on that birth certificate — maybe religion, maybe it says he’s a Muslim — or he may not have one.”
— he offered his view of the Quran. “The Quran is very interesting,” said Trump. “A lot of people say it teaches love and there is a very big group of people who really understand the Quran far better than I do. I’m certainly not an expert, to put it mildly. But there’s something there that teaches some very negative vibe.” 3/11
Bob Vander Plaats, Mike Huckabee’s Iowa campaign manager in an appearance on Tucker on MSNBC,stated that “we’re fighting a radical religion in Islam” and that “the war on terror is a theological war.”
David Vitter, Republican Senate Candidate called Cordoba House “a slap in the face to the American people”
Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) said ii] ‘I Really Don’t Know’ If Obama’s Muslim Or Born In U.S.
Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) endorses apartheid ethnic cleansing for Palestinians. His plan to solve the Israel-Palestine conflict is to 1) Make the occupied territories part of Israel; 2) Give Palestinians who live in those territories “limited voting power” in the new, bigger Israel that they’ll have suddenly become residents of. (Walsh doesn’t define his euphemism, but no doubt the idea is that Jews get one-person-one-vote and Palestinians get something less, so that Israel can remain a Jewish state.) 3) Palestinians who don’t like having “limited voting power” can move to Jordan. In the article Why Is a mosque not like a church? about a series of anti-Muslim incidents in August, I noted that Rep. Joe Walsh said at a Town Hall meeting that Muslims are “trying to kill Americans every week. Islam is a threat in America, It’s a real threat…and it’s a threat that is much more at home now than it was right after 9/11. It’s here, in the suburbs of Chicago.“It’s in Elk Grove, it’s in Addison, it’s in Elgin. It’s here.”... Is it completely coincidental that within days after this statement was made publicly, two mosques were attacked in his own state (one of them in his own district)? The ADC issued a statement condemning Rep. Walsh’s statement as well as such statements by other government officials and said Hate crimes such as these should not be ignored. Instead they must serve as a warning sign. Hate speech and rhetoric will only continue to add to the culture of violence, which will lead to more incidents and more attacks. ADC continues to call on all politicians and elected officials to change the national discourse, distance themselves from xenophobic rhetoric and put an immediate end to the culture of hate and violence.
Rep. Jerry Weller of Illinois said “if we know a Middle Eastern male has entered our community, I believe our law enforcement needs to be able to go out and look for Middle Eastern males, if that Middle Eastern male was part of a jihadist movement and part of a terrorist threat to our nation.”
Rep. Jerry Weller of Illinois said “if we know a Middle Eastern male has entered our community, I believe our law enforcement needs to be able to go out and look for Middle Eastern males, if that Middle Eastern male was part of a jihadist movement and part of a terrorist threat to our nation.”
State Rep. Don Wells (R-Cabool, MO) said that Sharia is like an infection that could quickly spread and undermine Missouri’s judicial system, and a proposed state constitutional amendment is the way to stop it. “Did you get a polio vaccine?” Wells asked during an exchange with Rep. Jason Kander, D-Kansas City. “So Shariah law is like polio; it is a terminal disease?” Kander asked. “Absolutely,” ** 3/11
Rep. Allen West, (R-FL) - one of the most prolific of the Congressional Islamophobes now has his own page Citizens for National Security and Rep. Allen West Bring Islamophobia to Congress in the Who’s Who of anti-Muslim, anti-Arab elected representatives.
Rep. Allen West, (R-FL) - one of the most prolific of the Congressional Islamophobes now has his own page Citizens for National Security and Rep. Allen West Bring Islamophobia to Congress in the Who’s Who of anti-Muslim, anti-Arab elected representatives.
Commissioner Barry West of Coffee County TN posted on Facebook a photo of a man looking down the barrel of a rifle to aim - with the caption “How to wink at a Muslim”. ***
Rep. Carl Wimmer (R-UT) withdrew his anti-Sharia bill to ban foreign law in Utah after he learned that it could harm banking and international businesses. “My bill was just too broad,” he says.
Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) almost single-handedly killed The Partnership for Prevention and Community Safety (PfP) which was a unique research-based counterterrorism effort focused on creating meaningful lines of communication between local Arab, Muslim and Sikh communities and law enforcement agencies. ** and **
State Rep. Rick Womick (R-TN) Womick stated during a hearing: (1:02:58)”[A Tennessee Muslim leader] says that the Quran does not support violence and that he denounces all violence. I believe him. But he is an exception, because those who truly hold the Quran for every word that it speaks cannot believe that… (1:06:20) “With Islam there is no freedom of religion allowed within or outside of Islam. There is no freedom of speech or thought, no freedom of artistic expression, no freedom of the press, no equality of peoples, because non-Muslims are never equal to Muslims. There is one set of laws for Muslim men and different laws for women and non-Muslims. Under Islam, women are to be beaten… (1:10:54) “It’s when you. . .demand that our Constitution take an exception to your beliefs, whether it be Sharia law or Nazism or white supremacy, it doesn’t make a difference.” In a letter, he defended his statements. That letter included this gem “And you write me to scold me because I dare speak up and defend my character and confront a political-militaristic-religion responsible for 10 out of the last 11 terrorist attacks on Americans?”
- At the same conference Womick also predicted that America would be a majority-Muslim country by 2050, because Muslim men have four wives and each produces an average of nine children, yielding 36 children per Muslim household.
- At the same conference Womick also predicted that America would be a majority-Muslim country by 2050, because Muslim men have four wives and each produces an average of nine children, yielding 36 children per Muslim household.
- On Veterans Day 2011 Womick called for purging Muslims from the military. In an interview at the the “Preserving Freedom Conference” at the Cornerstone Church in Madison, TN he said FANG: What about the thousands of Muslims that are still in the military that are veterans, that are translators, that are active personnel. Is there some sort of policy solution that you’re advocating? […] WOMICK: Personally, I don’t trust one Muslim in our military because they’re commanded to lie to us through the term called Taqiyya. And if they truly are a devout Muslim, and follow the Quran and the Sunnah, then I feel threatened because they’re commanded to kill me. CLIFTON: You believe they should be forced out? WOMICK: Absolutely, yeah. Murfreesboro’s Daily News Journal followed up with Womick after the initial story containing the incendiary remarks was released, but Womick did not apologize, instead doubling down and telling the publication, “We’re at war with Muslims.”
The ADL has called on Womick to repudiate his remarks. The Tea Party defends Womick. And, at Nashville’s Cornerstone Church, the “Preserving Freedom Conference” attendees gave him a standing ovation for repeating these remarks.
— Not only did Womick not apologize, but he appeared on Bryan Fischer’s radio program to defend his views and say that Muslims shouldn’t be allowed to serve in the military until we can get the “Muslim community to get its act together” and denounce Sharia ... and if they don’t like it, then “they can go back to where they came from”. Fischer also has a history of anti-Muslim rhetoric.
A Republican candidate for Congress in Tennessee, Lou Ann Zelenik who is opposed to the building of a mosque in Murfreesboro ended an Islamophobic statement with “we are not obligated to open our society to any of them,” meaning American Muslims. She is wrong.
“We” are Americans, and it is also “our society”. She reportedly called the proposed expansion of the Islamic Center in Murfreesboro “an Islamic training center.” She said the center is part of a political scheme “designed to fracture the moral and political foundation of Middle Tennessee.” Zelenik founded the Tennessee Freedom Coalition who brought Geert Wilders on a speaking tour in Tennessee.
POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) included a presentation “Jihad: The Political Third Rail;” an event created by Atlas Shrugs’ Pam Geller and Jihad Watch’s Robert Spencer the co-founders of the hate group Stop the Islamization of America (SIOA).
Vera Eyzendooren, a San Bernardino County Republican Party committee member attacked Harmeet Dhillon (vice-chair of CA GOP) saying “I was told by one of Harmeet’s friends that because of her religion, her loyalty is to the Muslim religion,” Eyzendooren wrote in a Facebook post. “So she will defend a Muslim beheading 2 men without any hesitation … She is not a Republican.” Dhillon is a Sikh
The Guilford County Republican Party Website had a link to a site called “Islam Exposed” that states: “This website was designed with 1 (sic) objective in mind - to expose one of the greatest evils on our planet - Islam. We have the evidence and materials to prove that this false religion is nothing more than a barbaric occult (sic) invented by savages for savages.”
James Lafferty of the Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force, speaking on a CPAC panel, bragged that he was “proud” that many of the attacks on mosques in the U.S. have occurred in the South. **
The Loudoun County GOP committee sent out a Halloween email with a picture that depicts President Obama as a zombie with a bullet through his head. 11/11
The chairwoman of an Otero County, NM Republican women’s group, Marcia Stirman defended a letter to the editor in which she wrote, “I believe Muslims are our enemies.”
The National Republican Trust has authored an anti-Muslim attack ad opposing Cordoba House. NBC and CBS have refused to air the ad. You can see the ad here. Mark Silk rightly points out that “Now in my book opposing Cordoba House does not necessarily make you a bigot. You could take the position that, given that the al-Qaeda bombers were acting in the name of Islam, it’s just too sensitive a matter to locate even the most irenic, inclusive Islamic Center that close to Ground Zero. Just as locating a Catholic convent on the grounds of Auschwitz was seen by the Jewish community as offensive. But the NRTPAC ad is equivalent to the Jewish community equating all Christians with Nazis: “They sent us to the death camps, and now they want to build a church on sacred ground? Where we weep, they rejoice. Join the fight to kill the church!” The NRTPAC ad is Islamophobia red in tooth and claw. ... But what’s insidious about the NRTPAC ad is its use of American civil religion—the “sacred space” of Ground Zero—to justify its antipathy to Muslims. To its credit, the Bush Administration was at pains to make clear that the “war on terror” was not a war on Islam. Let’s see if there are any prominent Republicans who have the guts to act similarly, and denounce the NRTPAC ad for what it is. “ 7/18/10
Speaker at a convention of the National Federation of Republican Women held in September 2007 is applauded loudly as he calls Islam a cult and says terrorists are honest Muslims.
Dorrie O’Brien at a Republican Club in Fort Worth, Texas told the audience that “Muslims are intent on overthrowing America.” She also delivered a speech to a Republican club in Hurst in which she said most or all American Muslims support terrorism.
— when a Muslim Christian interfaith event was planned at a local church “Dorrie O’Brien of Grand Prairie, a Tarrant County Republican Party precinct chairwoman, said the idea of Christians and Muslims making friends or having fun together is “repulsive and impossible.” O’Brien doubted that 1,000 Muslims would show up at the Keller church, because they’ve been told not to mix with Christians or Jews.” She was wrong! The goal was 1,000 Muslims and 1,000 Christians, and 1,500 Muslims and 1,000 Christians showed up. 9/11
In 2008, 41 Republican members of Congress refused to vote on a historic House resolution (HR 635) that recognized “the Islamic faith as one of the great religions of the world,” rejected “hatred, bigotry and violence directed against Muslims, both in the United States and worldwide” and “[commended] Muslims in the United States and across the globe who have privately and publicly rejected interpretations and movements of Islam that justify and encourage hatred, violence and terror.”
The South Carolina Legislature proposed an officially mandated license plate to feature a large yellow cross, a stained-glass window and the words “I Believe,” The U.S. District Court ruled that it “clearly gives favored government treatment to one faith” and ordered state officials not to issue the plate.
The Republican Party of Virginia sent out a mailer with anti-gay and anti-Muslim overtones on behalf of Jill Holtzman Vogel’s Senate campaign.
Copies of the virulently Islamophobic DVD “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War With the West” were distributed free at the DNC, and at the RNC by the recently formed group watch obsession.org headed by Tom Trento. Earlier this year, the Florida Attorney General required employees to watch this video. The Republican Jewish Coalition has also distributed free copies of the film in promotional mailings to U.S. rabbis and other Jewish mailing lists. The stars of the film have lectured at U.S. Military colleges, and the U.S. Navy uses the film.
Tea Party Express Chairman Mark Williams wrote on his blog regarding the proposed Cordoba House in NYC “The animals of allah for whom any day is a great day for a massacre are drooling over the positive response that they are getting from New York City officials over a proposal to build a 13 story monument to the 9/11 Muslims who hijacked those 4 airliners. The monument would consist of a Mosque for the worship of the terrorists’ monkey-god and a “cultural center” to propagandize for the extermination of all things not approved by their cult.” He also posted this disgusting image of the Prophet Muhammad. He also said that “Obama Is An “Indonesian Muslim Turned Welfare Thug”. A recent rambling post on his blog was removed, but it is still available here. In addition to the long quote above he goes on to say “The longest, most heavily researched and footnoted chapter in my book is about the fruit baskets and nut wads that gravitate to Islam and why it attracts such mental cases (Daisy for example apparently suffered a severe head injury early in life).” He is referring to Daisy Khan of the ASMA Society and WISE. He closed his diatribe with “In the meantime I have a wonderful idea along the same lines as that mosque at Ground Zero thing… a nice, shiny new U.S. Military Base on the smoldering ruins of Mecca. Works for me! Comments are enabled below.”
Tea Party Nation leader and founder Judson Phillips called for Keith Ellison to be defeated because he is a Muslim.
Tea Party Patriots web site shows that a protest against a proposed mosque in Temecula CA is planned to be held on Friday July 30 by a group that calls itself the Southwest Riverside County (SWRC) Tea Party group. R.E.A.L. has posted screenshots of materials so that even if they are removed from the Tea Party site you can still see them.
Participants are being encouraged to bring dogs, Bibles, and to sing. The protest is being planned during Muslim Jumah prayers. According to a CAIR press release “An e-mail alert announcing the anti-mosque protest sent to area newspapers by “a leader of a conservative coalition that has been active with Republican and Tea Party functions” stated:
“An Islamic Mosque is planned to be built in Temecula. Islam is not a religion. It is a worldwide political movement meant [sic] on domination of the world. And it is meant to subjugate all people under Islamic law…Islam permits lying!...The Islam’s [sic] treat women as second class people and they also hate dogs. Women are forbidden to sing and dogs are killed. We will not be submissive to Sharia Law. Tennessee was able to stop the Mosque so bring your Bibles, flags, signs, dogs and singing voice on Friday.” The Temecula Islamic Center has responded to the protest which said in part “It has come to our attention that a group of people seek to disrupt our prayer session on Friday, July 30th,” the statement read. “We are disheartened and saddened that a group of our neighbors seeks to disrespect and make our community feel unwelcomed.” “The ICTV’s decade-long effort toward the construction of a Mosque has been conducted hand-in-hand with our commitment to the establishment of goodwill with our neighbors,” the statement said. “There has never been a closed-door event hosted by the ICTV, nor will there ever be. We are not strangers to this community; we are part of the diversity, which continues to make Temecula a unique and positive place to call home. “We have participated in local canned food drives, housed those in need during the recent fires in San Diego County, and collected donations for the victims of Hurricane Katrina,” the statement continued. “Moreover, we have opened our doors to the public and hosted yearly open-house events during the holy month of Ramadan and actively participated in the Interfaith Council of Murrieta and Temecula Valley.” 7/27/10
Tea Party - Wes Harris, the founder and chairman of the Original North Phoenix Tea Party, said he plans to take out a recall petition against McCain for his defense of Huma Abedin. Harris believes Muslims cannot be trusted to be loyal to the United States and should not be working for the federal government. Harris said he believes Muslims’ loyalty to the U.S. is questionable because their ultimate loyalty is to the Quran and Islam, which he described as “more a fascist type of organization.” “Have you ever read the Quran? I suggest you do so, because anyone that is a Muslim is a threat to this country, and that’s a fact,” Harris told the Arizona Capitol Times. “There is no such thing as a moderate Muslim. If they are Muslim they have to follow the Quran. That’s their religion and that’s their doctrine.”
GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS
The FBI recommend Robert Spencer’s books for agents in training as part of a seriously biased training program? **
The FBI invited Robert Spencer to speak to the Tidewater Joint Terrorism Task Force, a combination of state, federal, and local law enforcement centered in Norfolk, Virginia. **
The NCIS held a three-day NCIS surveillance detection course at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., included the viewing of a propagandistic anti-Islam film that features notorious Islamophobes such as Daniel Pipes, Nonie Darwish and Walid Shoebat. **
The U.S. Air Force Academy invited Walid Shoebat, Kamal Saleem and Zachariah Anani (who bill themselves as the “3 ex-terrorists” and go around the country villifying Islam) to “teach” their students about Islam.
The U.S. military invited Robert Spencer to train military personnel in Kentucky about Islam. **
Earlier this year, Political Research Report was released. The report was titled MANUFACTURING THE MUSLIM MENACE, and subtitled: Private Firms, Public Servants, and the Threat to Rights and Security. A petition to Congress and relevant federal and local agencies to ensure that counterterrorism skills training delivered to public servants is accurate, consistent with national security policy, and respectful of constitutional rights. The report discusses the following individual “trainers”: Mark A. Gabriel, Dave Gaubatz, Walid Phares, Clare M. Lopez, Tawfiq Hamid, Stephen Coughlin, Nonie Darwish, Detective Ebrahim Ashabi, and Walid Shoebat.
MPAC published Counterproductive Counterterrorism: Counterproductive Counterterrorism: How Anti-Muslim Bias is Undermining America’s Homeland Security.
Nevertheless these people continue to be invited to train law enforcement and government officials.
WHERE IS THIS LEADING?
The sorts of statements made openly by elected representatives are a manifestation of a deep seatedbigotry from sea to shining sea. Helen Thomas was villified for a statement that may have been controversial, but doesn’t even come close to this sort of demonization.
Is anyone at all outside of the Arab and Muslim communities outraged? Do they find any of these statements reprehensible? Should any of these folks apologize, or be forced to resign? Of course not, because Arabs and Muslims simply don’t deserve the same respect as other human beings.
According to POLLS - Gallup Poll found that 39% of Americans think Muslims should carry special ID cards - Poll online - should we deport all the Muslims? - Poll Reveals that the Internment of Muslims Would Win Support from Millions - In a 2004 survey by Cornell University, almost half of the national respondents favored curtailing the civil liberties of Muslims. An astonishing 40 percent of Republicans wanted American Muslims to register their whereabouts (24 percent of Democrats).
In 2010 a PEW Poll shows that Obama’s approval rating is slipping in Muslim majority countries. Although, Muslims were hopeful at Barack Obama’s candidacy, and hopeful when Obama was elected, and Muslims around the world saw his Cairo speech as a possible change in direction in U.S. attitudes towards Muslims and Islam, hope for any real change is fading.
As Salam al Marayati has pointed out
The anti-Muslim rage-aholics, however, feel that Islam cannot exist within America’s pluralism. Ironically, their view is shared by Al-Qaeda—making right-wing groups and former Republican speaker of the House Newt Gingrich closer to the Al-Qaeda narrative than the local Muslim communities they are fiercely protesting. The vitriol from these anti-Muslim groups plays right into the hands of Al-Qaeda, a group that works tirelessly to prove that America is at war with Islam.
Here’s the paradox I and many other Muslim Americans are living. We have to demonstrate our efforts against extremism by amplifying our mainstream majority voice, yet when we build institutions to help expand our capacity, we become targets of virulent and bigoted xenophobes who characterize any and all Muslims as extremists and radicals.Secondly, when we meet with policy makers in the Obama administration and both federal and local national security teams at the White House and within law enforcement agencies, we are told that a counter-narrative to the “West is at war with Islam” is critical to winning against Al-Qaeda. So how can we defeat Al-Qaeda when these anti-Muslim groups within our own country have subscribed to this narrative of a war against Islam?
... Such is the central challenge for Muslim Americans today; labeling Muslim American a suspect community goes hand in hand with excluding Muslim Americans from a place in the public square.
So we have a choice: do we succumb to intolerance and ignorance or do we embrace Muslim Americans as full and equal partners in our communities and our country?
Muslim American successes count for America, not against her. Alienating them from mainstream America is propaganda feed for Al-Qaeda. And our collective national silence on open bigotry toward Muslim Americans and their institutions will be a stain in our history books—one which we cannot afford. Take your pick.
All of these folks really need to study the Constitution of the United States to remember that the Congress represents “we the people”, all of us, not just some particular segments of the population.
American Muslims are a part of “we the people”. We are Americans. We are not going anywhere. And, I believe that it is well past time that other Americans begin standing up against this demonization of Islam and Muslims. It would be nice to know that this sort of bigotry is not shared by most of our fellow Americans.
UPDATE 7/7/2010
On July 3rd about 50 members of the Islamic Society of Corona-Norco in California marched in theannual Hometown USA parade and waved red, white and blue flags. “We’re part and parcel of the fabric of America,” said Umar Mustafa, leader of the Corona mosque.
On the 4th of July, this mosque has traditionally passed out bottled water for people attending the 4th of July celebrations at a local park. This year was no different. They set up a booth in front of the mosque which is near the park, and members of the community passed out bottled water. They also set up an information booth with a sign saying “Ask a Muslim”. A Muslim Navy Reservist who was staffing the information booth was assaulted by two fellow citizens for the crime of being a Muslim. According to the Muslim victim, one of two men who were walking toward the park saw the booth and yelled, “This is bulls**t.” The Muslim volunteer replied, “I’ll answer any questions that you have.” That reply was allegedly met with, “I’m going to knock you out.” According to eyewitness accounts, both men charged at the mosque volunteer and punched him in the face. When one of the assailants was arrested, he reportedly suggested that the arresting officer “kick out” all the “ragheads.”
UPDATE 7/30/2010
UPDATE 7/30/2010
Mark Leon Goldberg just published an article 5 Heroic Acts to Uphold the Ideals of American Pluralism in the Face of anti-Muslim Bigotry which is an important reminder that there are also individuals who deserve our respect and gratitude for their integrity. The examples he points out are
) Colin Powell on Meet the Press in October 2008 in which he responds to the smear and whisper campaign suggesting Obama is a Muslim. “So what if he was?”, says Powell.
FBI Director Robert Muller who said “And every opportunity I have, I re-affirm the fact that 99.9 percent of Muslim-Americans or Sikh-Americans, Arab-Americans are every bit as patriotic as anybody else in this room, and that many of our cases are a result of the cooperation from the Muslim community in the United States.”
Pentagon decision to rescind the invitation for Franklin Graham to participate in Prayer Day at the Pentagon due to anti-Muslim rhetoric.
Pres. George W. Bush’s statement after 9/11 that “I also want to speak tonight directly to Muslims throughout the world. We respect your faith. It’s practiced freely by many millions of Americans and by millions more in countries that America counts as friends. Its teachings are good and peaceful, and those who commit evil in the name of Allah blaspheme the name of Allah.”
And, during the current debate about Cordoba House in New York there have been those like New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who supports the center, to pointedly say: “This city was built on openness and tolerance and we’re not walking away from it.”
Many other have spoken in defense of the Constitution and of human decency. Manhattan President Scott Stringer who denounced Mark Williams’ bigotry. New York State Sen. Daniel Squadron, City Councilwoman Margaret Chin and Councilman Robert Jackson, the NYC Community Board who approved the plans, the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association, etc.
UPDATE 3/17/2011
I just posted an article The GOP Anti-Muslim Limbo: How Low Can They Go? which summarizes these statements
The GOP seems to be engaged in an anti-Muslim, anti-Arab Limbo, and have now lowered the bar as low as it can go. Although our country faces numerous serious challenges - the economy, environment, educational system, infrastructure, two wars, etc. — it seems that “the” issue on the minds of these folks is Islam and Muslims.Anti-mosque, anti-Sharia, anti-everything connected with Islam and Muslims seems to be the focus of politicians in the U.S., and particularly of the GOP.
Peter King’s hearings into “The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community’s Response” are the latest demonstration of this incredible obsession with all things Muslim. These hearings didn’t accomplish much, but forced American Muslims to waste a lot of time responding to the allegations raised. For example, TAM published a series of articles responding various aspects of the first hearing. The American Muslim Community and Rep. Peter King’s “Islamic” Radicalization Hearings which has a great deal of background on Peter King and these hearings, and an extensive article collection. - Peter King’s Hearing: What Was the Point? discussing the content of the hearings, with a collection of articles written after the hearing ended. - Existing reports and studies on radicalization in the American Muslim Community and Polls, Surveys, and Statistics Relating to Islam and Muslims with actual hard evidence so lacking in the hearing. - Response of Civic Organizations and Interfaith Community to “Muslim Radicalization” Hearings - Elected Representatives & Government Officials Who HAVE Questioned Islamophobia with quotes from elected representives and government officials attempting to counter the bias of this hearing both during and before the hearing. - Peter King’s hearing: witness testimonies - allegations but no facts - Zuhdi Jasser and AIFD - Identified by Rep. King as the Ideal American Muslim Leadership - Does Rep. King’s IRA/Terrorist Connection Matter? - Answers to Peter King’s Claims About the American Muslim Community which lays out all of his claims and allegations and provides detailed answers to each. (e.g. Do Muslims cooperate with law enforcement? Do Muslims speak out against terrorism and extremism? Are most Muslims terrorists? Are 80 to 85% of mosques run by radicals? Have American Muslim organizations responded to the issue of radicalization? Are mosques the source of radicalization? etc.) - The scope of Rep. Kings Hearings Creates Homeland “in"Security
Such comments as those that follow have also been made by Christian and Jewish clergy and community leaders, members of the media (particularly Fox News), and others. That is bad enough, but when our elected representatives, officials of the government, and politicians and military officers make such statements, that amplifies what they say. It gives a seeming stamp of approval to a general sense of suspicion and bigotry towards American Muslims.
These are people who are supposed to be representing and defending all Americans.There seems to have been a progression from what might generously be considered to be THOUGHTLESS IGNORANCE
— Vague statements of unease about Muslims like “you cannot integrate some people into your society” - ”It turns out, folks, they [Muslims] are here, they’re among us. We are at war with Islam” (Tom Tancredo, Rick Torres)
— Objecting to building a community center containing a mosque near the site of the World Trade Center attack as: “painful and divisive”, “insensitive”, “unwise to build where Americans lost their lives”, “improper”, “an insult”, “a victory mosque”, “a real affront”, “It’s not about religion, and is clearly an aggressive act that is offensive”, “like putting a Nazi sign next to the Holocaust Museum”, “a desecration”, “disrespectful of those who died there”, “It’s a house of worship, but we are at war with Al Qaeda”, “a victory symbol”, “an insult to all Americans”, would “degrade and disrespect”, “a slap in the face to the American people”. These statements do not show a reasonable concern about who these particular Muslims are, but a display of hatred towards all Muslims and the entire religion of Islam. This is an outcome of thevicious what everyone “knows” demonization of Islam industry.
— Objecting to an Eid holiday postage stamp (Johnny Piper) — Or to Keith Ellison’s use of the Qur’an during the ceremonial photograph session after his swearing in ceremony (Virgil Goode, Roy Moore) — or as 41 Republican members of Congress did, refusing to vote on House resolution (HR 635) that recognized “the Islamic faith as one of the great religions of the world,” rejected “hatred, bigotry and violence directed against Muslims, both in the United States and worldwide” and “[commended] Muslims in the United States and across the globe who have privately and publicly rejected interpretations and movements of Islam that justify and encourage hatred, violence and terror.”
— “Apologizing” for calling Pres. Obama a Muslim because it was “insulting” or responding “No, ma’am. He is a decent family man” (Bob Kerry, John McCain)
— Making bigoted statements like: “My point is people (who) don’t like us are all over the country, and we know that.” (Sue Myrick) or asking a fellow councilman to “say a prayer to your God” (Don Redman)
— Insisting on using terms like Islamic terrorism which conflate the religion of Islam with the acts of criminals - “The greatest danger facing the world is Islamic Terrorism” - “We have to know our enemy, and it is radical Islam in my judgment” (John McCain, Michael McCaul)
So many of our representatives have referred to America as a “Christian nation” or expressed concerns about the “danger of Sharia to our Constitution” that those sorts of statements have become commonplace. Commonplace does not make such bias without consequence.When this is allowed to pass without any real objections, the bar is lowered, and it then progresses to GOOD OLD-FASHIONED BIGOTRY
Maligning Muslim Individuals and Organizations Without Evidence:
Repeating outright lies that are inexcusable for anyone with the ability to look up easily obtainable facts.
— MALIGNING MUSLIMS AS INDIVIDUALS AND AS A COMMUNITY - Calling Muslim interns on Capitol Hill “infiltrators” or “spies”. Warning of a Muslim “plot to breed terrorist babies who will one day attack America” - Saying that “no (American) Muslims cooperate in the war on terror” - Saying “Never Trust a Man Named Mohamed” - “We already have a 5th column that is already infiltrating into our colleges, into our universities, into our high schools, into our religious aspect, our cultural aspect, our financial, our political systems in this country. And that enemy represents something called Islam and Islam is a totalitarian theocratic political ideology, it is not a religion.” — “we are not obligated to open our society to any of them,” - “except for Timothy McVeigh every terrorist was a Muslim” — extremists live in our midst, “even in positions in our government.” - Saying that “there are too many mosques in the U.S” - “global domination is preached and encouraged by Imams in mosques” (Ginny Brown-Waite, Sue Myrick, Paul Broun, Louis Gohmert, Peter King, Bob Lane, Frank Lassee, John Shadegg, Trent Franks, Alan West, Lou Ann Zelenik)
— MALIGNING MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS - Calling CAIR “a terrorist organization”, a “Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood entity” - Saying that “85 percent of American Muslim community leaders are an enemy living amongst us” - Calling Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf “a jihadist”— Asking if Rauf, who was on a good will mission to the Muslim world on behalf of the US State Department and was deployed in the same way by George W. Bush, is a terrorist in the employ of Shiite Iran. — “We need to define it and say what it is. And it is evil. Sharia law is incompatible with American jurisprudence and our Constitution” (Chip Cravaack, Peter King, Rick Lazio, Rick Santorum
Insulting Muslims
— Refusing to even sit in the same room where a Muslim was leading a prayer (Cary Condotta, Adam Hasner, Lois McMahon, Dan Patrick)
— Not wanting Muslims to be allowed to pray in a Christian Church (Mike Huckabee)When this is allowed to pass without any real objections, the bar is lowered, and it then progresses to
EXPRESSIONS OF OUTRIGHT HATRED
— Suggesting the ethnic cleansing of Arabs from Palestine (Richard Armey, Mike Huckabee)
— Calling ordinary Muslims and/or Arabs “terrorist sympathizers” and “Islamo-Fascist bastards” and “ragheads” - Saying “We’ve ‘got one raghead in the White House, we don’t need a raghead in the governor’s mansion” - Referring to Arabs as “camel-dung shovelers”, (Michelle Bachmann, Conrad Burns, Jake Knotts, Sonny Landman)
— Suggesting unconstitutional and probably illegal actions against American Muslims and/or Arabs—“arrest every Muslim who comes across the state line” — adopt stricter immigration policies to keep more Muslims out of the U.S.— adopt a blanket ban on all Arab immigration — ”It’s not unheard that the religion of a nation at war with the United States be curtailed or disestablished” — not allowing Muslims to hold public office — “Based on the numbers of American Muslims [as a percentage] in our population, I cannot see that a cabinet position would be justified. But of course, I would imagine that Muslims could serve at lower levels of my administration.” — make advocacy of Sharia law a deportable offense - Suggesting that Islam should perhaps not be protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution (Gen. Wm. Boykin, Saxby Chambliss, Virgil Goode, Jr., Sonny Landman, Meyers Mermel, Roy Moore, Mitt Romney, Tom Tancredo, Lynn Torgerson)
— ATTACKING THE RELIGION OF ISLAM - Saying that Islam is “not a religion” - “is the antithesis of the gospel of Christ” - “is NOT a religion of peace” - “a religion intent on conquering the world” - “It’s an issue of patriotism. The Islamic religion is so . . . part and parcel with the attack on America” — “religion that sanctioned 9/11”
— ”“You could even argue whether being a Muslim is actually a religion or is it a nationality, way of life or cult, whatever you want to call it” — “we’re fighting a radical religion in Islam” and “the war on terror is a theological war” — “We are in a war against a political, theocratic, authoritarian ideology and it is called Islam!” — “Islam is a totalitarian theocratic political ideology. It is not a religion.” — Islam is a “very vile and very vicious enemy that we have allowed to come in this country because we ride around with bumper stickers that say ‘coexist. (Gen. Wm. Boykin, Mike Huckabee, Frank Lassee, Lois McMahan, Meyers Mermel, Ron Ramsey, Bob Vander Plaats, Alan West)
— ATTACKING THE QUR’AN - Calling the Qur’an - “a book of war and terrorism” that “must be rewritten” and the “passages seen as endorsing violence must be expunged” — a book containing “all kinds of crazy stuff. And unfortunately that’s motivating a lot of these extremists” — “like Mein Kampf” (Robert Dornan, Jeff Greene, Roy Moore)
When this is allowed to pass without any real objections, the bar is lowered, and it then progresses to
ADVOCATING OR INCITING VIOLENCE
Councilwoman Deborah Pauly (R-Villa Park, CA) said at a demonstration objecting to the speakers at a Muslim community charity fundraiser: “What’s going on over there right now, make no bones about it, that is pure unadulterated evil ... I know quite a few Marines who would be very happy to help these terrorists to an early meeting in Paradise.” “
Over there” was the community center which Muslim families (many with small children) were entering. I can see no other meaning to Councilwoman Pauly’s statement except that she knows United States Marines who would be happy to kill these men, women, and children because since they are Muslims, they must be terrorists.
State Rep. Virgil Peck (R-Tyro KS) during a Kansas state House Appropriations Committee hearing on state spending for controlling feral swine by shooting them from helicopters said “It looks like to me if shooting these immigrating feral hogs works maybe we have found a [solution] to our illegal immigration problem.”
Peck’s statement was aimed at illegal immigrants generally, but relates to this issue of advocating violence very directly.
Congressmen Ed Royce (R-Calif.) who chairs the International Terrorism Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said regarding Deborah Pauly’s vicious performance at an anti-Muslim demonstration in California “Kudos to Karen Lugo and Deborah Pauly and the other protest organizers.”
The sorts of statements made openly by elected representatives are a manifestation of a deep seated bigotry from sea to shining sea. Helen Thomas was villified for a statement that may have been controversial, but doesn’t even come close to this sort of demonization.
Is anyone at all outside of the Arab and Muslim communities outraged? Do they find any of these statements reprehensible? Have we not seen that hateful rhetoric can lead to actual violence? Should any of these folks apologize, or be forced to resign? Of course not, because Arabs and Muslims simply don’t deserve the same respect as other human beings.
According to POLLS - Gallup Poll found that 39% of Americans think Muslims should carry special ID cards - Poll online - should we deport all the Muslims? - Poll Reveals that the Internment of Muslims Would Win Support from Millions - In a 2004 survey by Cornell University, almost half of the national respondents favored curtailing the civil liberties of Muslims. An astonishing 40 percent of Republicans wanted American Muslims to register their whereabouts (24 percent of Democrats).
A 2010 PEW Poll showed that 46% of GOP thinks that President Obama is Muslim.
A 2010 Harris Poll showed that ”... 57 percent of Republicans (32 percent overall) believe that Obama is a Muslim 45 percent of Republicans (25 percent overall) agree with the Birthers in their belief that Obama was “not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president” 38 percent of Republicans (20 percent overall) say that Obama is “doing many of the things that Hitler did” Scariest of all, 24 percent of Republicans (14 percent overall) say that Obama “may be the Antichrist.”
A 2011 Public Religion Research Institute poll showed that approval for Rep. Kings hearings was highest (71%) among Republicans and (76%) among those who most trust Fox News.
A 2011 PEW poll showed that - By roughly three-to-one (66% to 21%), conservative Republicans say Islam encourages violence more than other religions. Fully 67% of those who agree with the Tea Party movement say Islam is more associated with violence than other religions. And this viewpoint is very different among members of other groups.
A 2011 Gallup poll showed that Americans are suspicious of Muslims living among them.The GOP is getting through to their base with this consistent anti-Muslim rhetoric.As Salam al Marayati has pointed outThe anti-Muslim rage-aholics, however, feel that Islam cannot exist within America’s pluralism. Ironically, their view is shared by Al-Qaeda—making right-wing groups and former Republican speaker of the House Newt Gingrich closer to the Al-Qaeda narrative than the local Muslim communities they are fiercely protesting. The vitriol from these anti-Muslim groups plays right into the hands of Al-Qaeda, a group that works tirelessly to prove that America is at war with Islam.
Here’s the paradox I and many other Muslim Americans are living. We have to demonstrate our efforts against extremism by amplifying our mainstream majority voice, yet when we build institutions to help expand our capacity, we become targets of virulent and bigoted xenophobes who characterize any and all Muslims as extremists and radicals.
Secondly, when we meet with policy makers in the Obama administration and both federal and local national security teams at the White House and within law enforcement agencies, we are told that a counter-narrative to the “West is at war with Islam” is critical to winning against Al-Qaeda. So how can we defeat Al-Qaeda when these anti-Muslim groups within our own country have subscribed to this narrative of a war against Islam?
... Such is the central challenge for Muslim Americans today; labeling Muslim American a suspect community goes hand in hand with excluding Muslim Americans from a place in the public square.
So we have a choice: do we succumb to intolerance and ignorance or do we embrace Muslim Americans as full and equal partners in our communities and our country? Muslim American successes count for America, not against her. Alienating them from mainstream America is propaganda feed for Al-Qaeda. And our collective national silence on open bigotry toward Muslim Americans and their institutions will be a stain in our history books—one which we cannot afford. Take your pick.All of these folks really need to study the Constitution of the United States to remember that the Congress represents “we the people”, all of us, not just some particular segments of the population.
If this is allowed to pass without any real objections, what will it progress to
I’m an American Muslim, so perhaps I’m biased, but I find it difficult to believe that it is acceptable for a U.S. government representative (which means that they represent the people of the U.S. including Muslims) to make a hate speech that labels random Muslims as terrorists and traitors; to support a demonstration that terrorises children taking part in charitable activities; to support the idea of “help[ing] these terrorists to an early meeting in Paradise”. And, I find it just as reprehensible for a Congressman to support that hate speech.
As President Obama has discovered, you don’t have to be a Muslim to have your patriotism questioned, or to be maligned without evidence - you just need to be “tainted” with “Muslim blood”.
Perhaps, concern with distancing himself from any “Muslim connection” is why Obama hasn’t spoken up about this demonization of Islam and Muslims on the part of elected representatives and government officials.
American Muslims are a part of “we the people”. We are Americans. We are not going anywhere. And, I believe that it is well past time that other Americans begin standing up against this demonization of Islam and Muslims. It would be nice to know that this sort of bigotry is not shared by most of our fellow Americans.
I believe it is now time, and past time to speak up. The bar really can’t be allowed to go any lower. I expect that the U.S. President, Congress, Senate, and State legislative bodies speak up and let their members know that they have a right to free speech (which American Muslims strongly defend) but that they condemn such speech for what it is, bigotry.
At this point silence signifies agreement or support for these statements of anti-Muslim hate.
I would hope that all of those who have had a part in this process of normalizing and giving a stamp of approval to bigotry and hatred publically apologize before the climate of fear leads to actual violence, internment, or ...?
SEE ALSO
Answers to Peter King’s Claims About the American Muslim Community, Sheila Musajihttp://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/answers_to_peter_kings_claims_about_the_american_muslim_community
The GOP has declared war on Muslims, Sheila Musaji (with extensive TAM article collection)http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the-gop-has-declared-war-on-american-muslims
The GOP Anti-Muslim Limbo: How Low Can They Go?, Sheila Musajihttp://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the_gop_anti-muslim_limbo_how_low_can_they_go
GOP Anti-Muslim Limbo: They’ve Lowered the Bar Again!, Sheila Musajihttp://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/gop_lowers_the_anti-muslim_limbo_bar
Where is the U.S. Government Getting It’s Information on Islam and Muslims?, Sheila Musaji (with TAM article collection) http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/where_is_the_u.s._government_getting_its_information_on_islam_and_musl
White House Releases “New” Counter-terrorism Strategy, Sheila Musajihttp://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/law_enforcement_training_on_islam_and_muslims
No comments:
Post a Comment