Posted on 12/24/2006 1:44:51 PM PST by Pikamax
Muslims played a critical role in some key elections this year. But elected officials won't take them seriously if they don't continue to organize and turn out Muslim voters, two politically active Muslims said Saturday at a convention in Dearborn.
If there are efforts to register Muslims to vote, educate them about the candidates and get them to the polls to vote for one candidate, politicians will court their support, Jameel Johnson, an aide to U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., said at the Muslim American Society and Islamic Circle of North America convention.
"It is our job to make the Muslim vote visible to candidates," he said.
A strategy of organizing Muslim voters worked in Virginia this year in the U.S. Senate race.
The effort was so organized that Muslim taxi drivers in northern Virginia took the day off to ferry Muslims to the polls, said Imam Mahdy Bray, a speaker at the convention. Volunteers also made phone calls to Muslims in Virginia to urge them to vote, he said.
As a result, Democrat James Webb ousted incumbent Republican George Allen by about 9,000 votes in a race in which 50,000 Muslims went to the polls -- 47,000 of them voting for Webb, Bray said.
"You can make a difference when you work," Bray said.
Mohammed Shoman, 18, of Dearborn said the conference inspired him to get involved. "We realize how much our influence is" now, he said.
The only way you can say that "the only real 'moderate' muslim is a muslim who does not practice islam" is if you hold a fundamentalist, literalist interpretation of the Koran and of Islam as a whole. There are really only 2 groups of people who interpret Islam in such a fundamentalist, literalist manner - Islamist extremists/terrorists, and xenophobic right-wingers (I refuse to use the term "conservatives" because I don't want to share that label with you) like you.
The rest of the world, and in particular the rest of the Muslim world, understands that Islam can peacably co-exist with peaceful people - does it bother you that you have so much in common (in terms of your interpretation of Islam) with the enemy?
To offer a viable Islamic alternative to many of our society’s prevailing problems,
To promote family values in accordance with Islamic teaching,
Then I read opinion elsewhere praising J. Carter's new book and this comment from the Carter himself:
"This reluctance to criticize policies of the Israeli government is due to the extraordinary lobbying efforts of the American-Israel Political Action Committee and the absence of any significant contrary voices." J. Carter.
Well.. no, Mr. Carter, the American-Israel Political Action Committee has no influence on my opinion. The news does.
The news of members of the religion of peace strapping explosives onto their bodies and exploding in crowded places killing little children and adults -- the murderers' families praise Allah.
I can do without "Islamic alternative to many of our society’s prevailing problems" and its "family values in accordance with Islamic teaching."
Whole lota whining about being picked on voiced on that site -- I'd rather be picked on than picked up one tiny blood-soaked fragment at a time, thank you.
http://www.islamicity.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=AM0109-335
http://www.caircan.ca/itn_more.php?id=A57_0_2_0_M
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/27/AR2005072702082.html
Just a quick google search turned up a bunch of information about Muslims condemning terrorism, and being vocal. Just because the MSM didn't cover it doesn't mean it didn't happen.
Educated, moderate Muslims are THE great untapped resource
educated , moderate Muslims are like any other type of moderate, they have cujones the size of a hamsters and just sit on the sideline and see which way the camel dung blows.
JMHO
btt
"I would hope that
law enforcement agencies would promote their staff in taking these classes so they can understand more about dealing with Muslims," he said.
...
Australia
"Police told to respect traditions,"
POLICE are being advised to treat Muslim domestic violence cases differently out of respect for Islamic traditions and habits.
Women's groups are concerned the politically correct policing could give comfort to wife bashers and keep their victims in a cycle of violence.
The instructions come in a religious diversity handbook given to Victorian police officers.
Police are told: "In incidents such as domestic violence, police need to have an understanding of the traditions, ways of life and habits of Muslims."
They are told it would be appreciated in cases of domestic violence if police consult the local Muslim religious leader who will work against "fragmenting the family unit".
news.com.au Heraldsun http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/008719.php
What if all the candidates that can be possibly voted for believe that Islam is a religion of peace. Should you still vote for politicians that are opposed to the known reality that Islam and muslims are here to destroy America?
When do they start to riot and burn cars....
Because we can pull a few articles up on google does not mean there are large numbers vocally protesting radical islam. Why are they now out in the streets protesting? Why are they not writing letters to the editors around the country? I'm sorry, but they are few and far between. It may be fear, but what does that say about Islam if there are large numbers who disagree but are too afraid to step up and say so?
oops....sorry typo. now should be not.
susie
"what does that say about Islam if there are large numbers who disagree but are too afraid to step up and say so?"
It says that Islam is being disproportionally controlled by those who would corrupt the religion, and that we should be supporting those who would like to practice their faith peacefully, rather than lumping them in with those who would kill us.
The Global Relief Foundation, which has now been shut down for allegedly funding terror, had a ringing condemnation of 9/11 on its website.
The recently-arrested Lodi imams participated in peace rallies with Christians and Jews after 9/11.
Arafat frequently condemned terror attacks. These and other examples of insincerity don't of themselves lead to the conclusion that every other Muslim group that condemns terror is being insincere also, but they underscore the need for their words to be backed up with deeds.
I trust we will soon see a concerted effort among American Muslims to root out adherents of the jihadist ideology from among them. But I am not holding my breath.
It could say that. Or it could say they are in the minority. Before we go any further with this discussion tho, I'd like to know why I might find your opinion any more valid than mine? Perhaps you have an expertise in the subject?
susie
"xenophobic right-wingers"
Why is it necessary to resort to insult against an opposing view?
I speak with a certain authority. In 2003-04 I was surrounded by an entire nation of moderate Muslims when I was deployed to Uzbekistan. And if you wanted to see an Uzbek's eyes light up with a smile to match, greet him/her with "Salaam Aleikum". But they tended to honor Sharia rules in the breach; the men like their vodka and the women (the young beautiful ones) like their lowcut jeans. And both are scared to death of Taleban-style Wahhabism imported from Afghanistan.
But moderate Islam in Uzbekistan is an entire branch in itself: Sufism, which does not reject the spirituality of other faiths. Uzbeks proudly claim that Jews and Christians have lived in Uzbekistan for centuries due to
Sufi tolerance. How true this is, I don't know.
But inside the U.S., so-called moderate Muslims are mostly Sunni or Shia adherents; they are moderate to the degree to which they disregard Sharia and say (I've heard this), "When in Rome, do as the Romans do".
Rebut my point or anyone else's, but maybe without the namecalling?
And people may be a little skeptical of CAIR's condemnations because of CAIR's own record. http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/003427.php
"Even their love of the Muzzies will vanish when they are faced with religious law."
Yeah you're correct, but by then it will be too late. The muzzies just won't give up. They will keep nicking at things until they get what they want.
And I've had enough interaction with lefties to figure out THEY DON'T THINK IT'S A PROBLEM. Apologize for screaming but it amazes me - they think the muzzies are going to go away.
As has been written here already, look at Europe. They are circling the drain, wondering what the heck to do. On the one hand, you've got Tony Blair trying to do the right thing in the ME, on the other you've got the crazy clerics in Londinastan blowing the place up, and the Brits are worried about the muzzies' human rights. Sheesh...
I don't hold out much hope, sorry.
I wasn't insulting an opposing viewpoint - if one has taken a serious look at the different branches, as you have , and would like to argue that Islam is incompatible with other religions/peaceful society, then fine. I will disagree, and will gladly debate the points, but I will respect your position.
When I talked about "xenophobic right-wingers," and about how I don't like sharing the label "conservative" with such people, I wasn't talking about people who have considered the issue thoughtfully, I was talking about the bumper-sticker types, whose analysis of Islam is limited to one-liners demonstrating no thought or insight about the issues.
Regarding your argument about Sunnis and Shiites in the US, rather than the Sufism you encountered in Uzbekistan, I think it's a fair point...to an extent. I would point out that even within Sunni and Shiite Islam, there are different branches, some of which are more permissive than others (and most of which are nowhere near as extreme as the Wahabbi sect of Sunni Islam).
So, while some of the "moderation" found in Muslims may be a "When in Rome..." type of thing (and what's so wrong about that, anyway? isn't assimilation a good thing?), I'm not so sure that it's not compatible with Islam itself - under various schools of Islamic thought, it may very well be entirely possible to be a good Muslim and a good American at the same time.
You're right, it could mean they're intimidated or it could mean they're in the minority. I never argued that my opinion is more valid than anyone else's, I was just trying to get my opinion out there to counter some of the others on this board who don't even want to consider the possibility that Islam can be a peaceful religion, or that many Muslims practice their religion peacefully and condemn terrorism.
Open borders coupled with hostile members of al Quada running around mean it's only going to get more loud...
Your bigotry is insensitive and racist and I'm greatly offended by your offensive bigotry and hateful insensitive comments.
/Taqiyya off
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