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I'm concerned that in too many cases 'apathy' is half-hearted sympathy with the terrorists. I sure hope not. I know plenty of muslims who wouldn't hurt a fly and have nothing but kind, pro-american things to say, but...I think the burden is on american muslims to take the lead in condemning this nonsense. When I see that I will be encouraged indeed. Until then, I still think of the 'religion of peace' in quotes.
I look though in many ways at the leadership who does little to no condemning of the scums who claim to be part of their faith. All we see is them coming out and saying not all muslims are bad, time and again. Well duh. What we are not hearing is that those perpetrating the acts are useless and going to hell for their evil deeds (or something similar). It reminds me of the democrats - no matter how bad one of their own do it is not their fault, they are good people, etc and so on.
I believe that in their religion they have branches much like christians/jews/etc do. Some are radicals, some liberal, moderate, and so on. If a group of christians, say Sect X, were doing these things the other branches would be yelling about it, and the press would be showing that were a cult of some kind, etc.
I have been friends with many over the years who were muslims, in both california and ohio. Most think the radicals are simply crazy - but many more want to sympathize with them and not attack or condemn them - there fore we (folks here in general) view them as suspect.
The problem is hatred of america - by muslims, democrats, blacks, and the socialists. And I am seeing few stand by the country when attacked. We hear we deserved it from the left and muslims.
If they want to turn the tide of opinion then they should be leading the effort to do so, not hindering it. If we get some on here who are taken aback of our views I will endeavor to explain why we view it that way, but stressing that we as a whole accept individuals as who they really are.
Christianity has gotten a bad rap on here too, and people who are christians are depicted by some as mindless who want to destroy their rights. I understand their view, fine by me, but I will stick up for myself while listening to an open mind about their concerns. My hope is any muslims, iraqi's, etc who come on here do the same.
Platitudinous and ambiguous general statements against terror just won't cut the mustard anymore.
I hear Muslims say that they love America but I have never heard one extol the virtues of our political and social system in general or the Constitution in particular.
Generally what I have heard from them are either whining complaints of an imaginary anti-Muslim backlash or hectoring lectures about the supposed shortcomings of American foreign policy.
While I am aware that there have been some Muslims here in the U.S. who have proven their loyalty and bona fides as good Americans, for the majority of them the jury is still out, at least in my estimation.
As for Iran, there is nothing that the denizens of Free Republic can do to help or harm their cause except support President Bush in his policy vis a via Iraq.
Once we are established there the whole complexion of the Middle East will change.
The Islamists have really dirtied the waters and have ruined a perfectly good word. Now, the word Muslim is sort of a shorthand for "terrorist".
American Muslims have GOT to learn to speak up. They are the only ones who can defeat this rabid sect that hides amoung them. This is the US, they'll be protected, but they do need to stand up and start turning in these fanatics.
Let's face it, Americans for the most part like everybody. We only turn on someone when we've been really pushed to the wall. The good Afghanis, the good Iraquis and the good Iranians will have our support. We deserve theirs too.
There is absolutely nothing recent about followers of Islam taking and decapitating hostages and slaughtering innocents by the thousands, only the methods have changed.
This has been the modus operandi of the religion since it was founded 1500 years ago, and unlike the Christians, they haven't stopped the killing.
Any new government in Iraq must follow the lead of Ataturk and outlaw the headgear, imprison or execute all radicals Imams and form the type of secular government that Turkey has.
So? It's better to die fighting tyranny than to live like a slave. American colonists didn't have it nearly as badly under British rule as Arabs have it today under their totalitarian dictatorships, yet we were willing to fight and die for our freedom. Why aren't you?
An open letter to Muslims,
Bismillah irahman irahim, in the name of Allah the compassionate, the merciful.
As I look around me at my Muslim brothers and sisters here in the USA, I see a large group of immigrants, legal or illegal, complaining and whining about the government of the USA and it’s laws. Most of you come from countries where the jails are filled with people who dared to speak against the oppressive gangsters who call themselves heads of state, or criticize their brutal regimes. While you whine and cry for your rights here in the USA, hundreds of people are allowed to demonstrate against government policy on Israel and Palestine without one arrest and no police brutality. Meanwhile in Egypt, Saudi, Iraq, Pakistan, and many other Muslim countries police are firing on demonstrators and arresting dissidents. People live in fear of speaking about another political party in Pakistan, Lebanon murders and expels Palestinians, Egypt arrests so-called “Islamists”, and Turkey jails men with beards, women in hijab and those who dare to remember Allah aloud. Instead of complaining about the country that has given you a chance for a decent life, you should all start denouncing terrorism loudly and unequivocally and start praying for Allah to give the true Islam to the Arab countries and release them from the oppression of royal dictators and the misguided teachings of the Wahabi clerics. I personally know of an Egyptian Muslim who, freely and legally, wears a beard in America, but must shave it to visit his family in Egypt!
You complain of “profiling” of Arab Muslim men by our law enforcement, while on the T.V. News, both US and Arab, daily we watch Arab Muslim men spouting anti-American hate, and calling for the murder of American citizens in the name of Islam. In a case like this, who should our law enforcement question, Canadian schoolgirls?
You complain of being forced to accept the consequences of your illegal entry into this country, while in your own countries, you are required to carry identity cards and cannot even leave without the consent of your governments. I, as an American, am not allowed to go to Mecca for Haj* without the consent of the Saudi family, and my movements within the country are severely limited. I can’t enter your country without the proper papers, why should America not be the same?
You have come to America for freedom and prosperity. Either the freedom to practice Islam and wear Islamic garb, a right protected in this country, or the freedom to escape Islam, shave your beard and throw off your hijab. Allah gives you free will to choose, America gives you the same choice. Here, in America, you are free to build mosques, in some of your countries you were forbidden to read Quaran and teach Islam to your children. Here your daughters can go to the university and study, in some of your countries they were not allowed to leave the house. Here you can find the material success that Allah says is your due, in some of your countries the daily poverty grinds your family to the level of beasts. Here you have opportunity, clean water, sewage systems, electricity, freedom of movement and education. You drive cars, stare at the big screen T.V., glue your ears to cell phones, answer your beepers in the mosque and hunch over you computer keyboards. Still you complain, the USA is corrupt, the USA is the great Satan, the USA is poisoning the minds of your families. You are like ill-bred child brothers...assallamu alaikum, your organization's name seems to pop up all over, especially , when some one is complaining about anti-muslim bias. I think you have the focus wrong, how are people (Americans) supposed to think well of Muslims when all over the world we are embroiled in anti-american rhetoric? Muslims are engaged in horrendous acts of terror throughout the world and the most repressive, brutal regimes are in so-called Islamic countries.
The facts are plain...militant ARAB men are in the forefront of this movement. the underlying, political causes are not, at this time, in discussion. The cry of ,"Allahu Ahkbar" has become the rallying cry of these murderers, THIS!...not the anti-muslim bias you try so hard to focus us on, is the problem. The anti-muslim bias after 9/11 has really been very slight when compared to the number of Muslims and Islamic institutions in the USA. In any so-called Muslim country the response to such an attrocious attack would not be the jailing of those suspected, but the slaughter of them and their families and aquaintances. I heard brother Ibrahim Hooper of C.A.I.R. on The Sean Hannity show, when he was asked directly,"does Islam condone terrorism?", he danced around and hemmed and hawed never answering the question with the emphatic NO!, that we, in our heart of hearts, know is the proper answer. I was ashamed of our brother, when he had a chance to defend Islam he chose instead to spin liberal rhetoric that, in essence, defended terrorism. What you call anti-muslim bias in America is really the understandable, natural consequence of muslim behavior in the world today,and the attack against America on 9/11/02. The following of the sunna and the Quar'an will never get the Muslim Umma in difficulty, Allah has promised us this. Instead of defending the terrorists, or spinning their attrocities as valid political action, use the power of your organization to defend Islam and bring the terrorists back to Islamic action. Insead of demanding an apology from american law enforcement doing it's job, demand an apology from the so-called muslims who are to blame for the current climate of mistrust towards Muslims.
your brother in Islam, Ibrahim ren, who, having escaped the home of drunken parents, still have not learned to be thankful and respectful to their rescuers. You should thank Allah for the bounties he has given to you in this clean and beautiful land of America. If you can’t, why are you here? Go back to your own brutal repressive countries. If not, have the courage to stand up for America, the country that has opened its borders to you and your families. Denounce the Mad Mullahs, the shaky sheiks, and the scholars for dollars! Denounce the murderers who hide behind Islam and defame the beautiful religion of Allah! Denounce and reject the Saudi terrorists who give a deliberate, heretical, misinterpretation of Allah’s holy Quaran to further their own evil plans and fill their coffers. Tell the Saudi princes to build a few less palaces and help the hungry people of the world, even half as much as does the USA. Stand up for the truth and justice of Islam and show the world something besides terror and madness. Expose the Saudi wahabi fraud. Praise Allah!
*Haj = pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca a requirement for all Muslims
Signed by a patriotic, Muslim American Ibrahim Abdul Mu’Min i.mumin@verizon.net
end
I must say the comments posted back to him aren't very nice. But I liked his letter.