“In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist; And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist; And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew; And then…they came for me … And by that time there was no one left to speak up.” -Pastor Martin Niemöller
Members of Congress plan to host a National Day of Prayer event in May featuring evangelist Franklin Graham. The invitation to Graham, who has described Islam as “a very evil and wicked religion,” came in the wake of an invitation extended to Graham for a similar event at the Pentagon the same week. Before being subsequently withdrawn, the invitation sparked widespread criticism from both within and outside the Pentagon. Mikey Weinstein, president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said inviting Graham to speak “would be like bringing someone in on national prayer day madly denigrating Christianity.”
Graham’s statements are nothing new. Following a report on a recent terrorist incident on the Christian Broadcasting Network’s “The 700 Club,” host Pat Robertson called Islam “not a religion, but a political system,” and called for Americans to treat its followers “as we would members of the Communist party, or members of some fascist group.” And after a report on Muslims in Minneapolis seeking religious accommodations at school and work, Robertson warned, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have to recognize that Islam is not a religion. It is a worldwide political movement meant on domination of the world.” In yet another telecast, Robertson railed: “These people are crazed fanatics, and I want to say it now: I believe it’s motivated by demonic power. It is satanic and it’s time we recognize what we’re dealing with.”
Robertson and Graham are not alone in condemnations. Scores of politicians, columnists, various bloggers, radio and TV hosts, particularly since the 9/11 tragedy, have emphatically claimed that Islam as a faith calls on its followers to dominate the world through violence and terror. Are there some extremists who promote violence in the name of faith? No doubt, but zealots of all faiths have done so for time immemorial, and blanket condemnations of an entire faith community do nothing to help fight the murderous enemy we currently face and must defeat.
Anti-Muslim blogger Robert Spencer proclaims that the Muslim prophet Muhammad was a guilty of host of heinous crimes including the rape of a child because he was betrothed to Aisha when she was nine years old. Of course, most are keenly aware that a betrothal and actual marriage are two separate things and readers of the Old Testament recall that Isaac was betrothed to Rebecca when she was three years old. Like Wilders, Thomas, and Coulter, Spencer’s bigotry easily morphs into anti-Semitism.
Anti-Muslim bigotry is simply anti-Semitism on training wheels. Americans of the Jewish faith, Catholics, Mormons and so many others recognize this when they see it, and we can be thankful that the majority of Americans stand strong against this kind of divisiveness. Instead of making every effort to bring together all freedom-loving people, some seek to divide us, cynically questioning the ability of millions to embrace freedom based solely on their faith.
Uhhh…Mr. Khan? Do you think that some of the jihad events of the last few years (Beslan, Ft. Hood, the two WTC bombings, homicide attacks against Israeli civilians, Mumbai, Nigeria, Theo Van Gogh's murder on the streets of Amsterdam or a thousand others I could mention) might just have had something to do with how people perceive Islam? Just maybe?
Likewise, your attempt to misrepresent both the Qu'ran and the Bible at one shot. I will let everyone make their own judgments, but the hadiths clearly state( Sahih-al-Bukhari 5:58:236 is typical) that Mohammed married Aisha at six and consummated their marriage when she was nine. Rebecca, on the other hand is described in Genesis 24: 26 as a young woman who spoke as a young woman, not a child. And she was old enough to draw water from the well not just for Abraham's servant but for all all his camels, and old enough to be of the age of consent to make her own decisions ( Genesis 24:58).
What was that again about disrespecting someone's religion?
Oh, and your conflating genocidal, government sponsored violent attacks on Jews in Germany with the relatively mild response of Americans to Muslims, even those who have been found guilty of aiding and abetting jihadist terrorism is duly noted, sir.
If you really want to see fascism at work in today's world, look at Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Hamas, Hizb-al-Tahrir, The Taliban, Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood or Ikhwan, Abu Sayef and a host of others, all populated by very devout Muslims.
You know where Pastor Neimoller’s little homily really fits nowadays? As a comment on the silence of far too many decent Muslims who refuse to actively work against Islamist violence and bigotry.
I'm speaking directly to you, Mr. Khan. You're a member of the board of directors of the Islamic Free Market Institute, a group founded by prominent conservative activist and Muslim revert Grover Norquist with the help of thousands of dollars from Hamas and Hezbollah supporter Abdulrahman Alamoudi, who was later revealed as a top Brotherhood leader in the U.S. As you know, he was a major Hezbollah and Hamas operative involved in massive terrorism fundraising operations and is now imprisoned.
And what about the money that your group got from the International Institute of Islamic Thought,(IIIT) a Muslim Brotherhood front whose name should ring a few bells to people familiar with Islamist terrorism here in America. The IIIT also has an important connection to President Obama's new Brotherhood friendly ambassador to the anti-Semitic and Islamist Organization of Islamic Conference(OIC), your good friend Rashad Hussain. Have you ever had a single thing to say about any of that, Mr Kahn? Not to mention returning that blood money?
I hope it doesn't happen, but in the end, that kind of hypocritical silence is what might really lead to your fears about Muslims being victimized becoming a reality...not anything Robert Spenser, Geert Wilders or Frank Graham have to say.
-selah-
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