Bush Takes on Christian Right Over Anti-Islam Words

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush on Wednesday took on the Christian right core of his political base, denouncing anti-Islamic remarks made by religious leaders including evangelist Pat Robertson.

Bush said such anti-Islamic comments were at odds with the views of most Americans.

"Some of the comments that have been uttered about Islam do not reflect the sentiments of my government or the sentiments of most Americans," Bush told reporters as he began a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

"By far, the vast majority of American citizens respect the Islamic people and the Muslim faith. After all, there are millions of peaceful-loving Muslim Americans," Bush said.

"Ours is a country based upon tolerance ... And we're not going to let the war on terror or terrorists cause us to change our values."

Bush did not identify conservative Christian leaders as his target, but White House officials said he was prompted by the anti-Islamic remarks of some of them, particularly religious broadcaster Pat Robertson, who reportedly said this week Muslims were "worse than the Nazis."

Spokeswoman Angell Watts of Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network said she had no immediate comment.

A representative of a Muslim-American civil rights group, which had stepped up calls for Bush to repudiate such remarks, welcomed Bush's words.

"Obviously, we'd like to hear him repudiate these people by name, but we appreciate that he's moving in that direction," said Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

"It's encouraging to see that the president is finally addressing the issue of Islamophobia in America by addressing a specific attacks on Islam. This is a new stance, and it's one that we would encourage and support," Hooper said.

Bush's efforts to discourage a backlash over the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, which were blamed on Islamic militant Osama bin Laden, have come increasingly into conflict with antipathy to Islam shown by some conservative Christians, a core of his support.

Robertson, a popular conservative commentator who sought the Republican presidential nomination in 1988, was criticized by CAIR and the American Jewish Committee for reportedly saying on his network Monday, "Adolf Hitler was bad, but what the Muslims want to do to the Jews is worse."

Jerry Falwell, a Baptist minister and leading voice of the Christian right, in an October television interview described the prophet Mohammad as a "terrorist."

Evangelist Franklin Graham, who gave the sermon at Bush's inaugural service in 2001, has also been criticized for comments on Islam. Asked about Bush's comments on Wednesday, Graham spokesman Mark DeMoss said Graham was traveling abroad.

"He has not added to any comment he's made on the subject in months, because he's getting tired of getting asked about it, and any time he answers about it he gives the impression he's crusading on this issue and he's not," DeMoss said.

We have to consider and discuss what WOULD happen if President Bush both believed and stated that "islam is an evil religion of terror, murder and repression of all who love ANY freedom... it is also committed to the destruction of the Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Branch Davidian religions; not to mention any sect of its own murder obsessed and divisive household of cultlike sects..."

What would MANY Americans DO if he came out and said "Islam is EVIL, and its followers are all crazed, murdering cult members?"

What would happen in the World.

Of course I KNOW he is WRONG if he truly believes Islam means "peace" instead of "forced submission" as it is really translated properly. I do wonder at times what it would be like in the World, if the planet's last great hope for religious liberty, proclaimed 1/4 of the worlds religious adherents to be illegal, people murdering cultists?

Would there be mass pogroms and purgings, concentration camps and planet wide warfare?

Look around us. It's already here, and that is with us claiming islam is peaceful. At some point, we are going to have to realize that islam is a false, murder-death satanic cult, with crazed followers who are intent on killing us all, if we don't reject Jesus Christ, in favor of their false prophet... and lying satanic verses.

I think we would be better off if bush just came out and said it... over ninety percent of the world's trouble spots are instigationally attached to islam... a religion that must be, like nazism, repressed, expunged and purged from the face of the earth.

Islam only understand the sword. If we don't put it to them, they will CERTAINLY do it to us at the very EARLIEST opportunity.

God help us, if Bush does not realize this... because we are very likely beyond help, if he doesn't.

I posted this in May of this year. I believe it represents the president's private thinking on Islam. Of course, as president, he can never express it nor should he.

See http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/687015/posts

Bush Middle East Policy Explained

Are you having a difficult time in understanding the Bush administration's Middle East policy? You are not alone, my friend. Many people across the political spectrum just don't get it either. They see it as inconsistent, flip/flop, disjointed, etc. Well, I see it for the brilliance that it is. Allow me to explain.

Bush is walking a tightrope between our true desire to support Israel and the absolute necessity to appear objective to the Arab nations and Muslims, in general. Contrary to his public statements, Bush does not believe Islam is a religion of peace. While he sees the spread of Islam as a great concern, he also understands that an "us versus them" tact will only exacerbate a very serious problem and subject all free nations of the world to the relentless terrorist attacks that Israel continues to face. Sometimes our policy appears very inconsistent in our support of Israel, but trust that Bush will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our only true ally in the region if push comes to shove.

In truth, Islam is indefensible as a faith- a complete sham foisted on a simple people, 800 million of whom can't read the Quran in the only language considered valid- Arabic (conveniently Mohammed's own dialect, no less). Mohammed was a violent, epileptic fit-inspired, plagiarizing, male chauvinistic, racist black slave holding (this will surprise the Black Muslims), child molester (Aisha, age 9) with an insatiable thirst for power, women, fame, and fortune and certainly no prophet of God.

Bush understands that only a gradual education of the Muslim masses will turn the tide. To do this, we cannot close our borders to immigrants from Muslim nations as many have called for, but invite them and expose them to a truly free nation founded on Judeo-Christian values and principles (well, it used to be before the liberals started mucking with things). We literally have to love them into the freedoms of democracy, capitalism, and the one true God.

Bush has been playing the events since 9/11 strategically correct by applying the principles of Dale Carnegie as written in How to Win Friends and Influence People. He has 1) made Arabs/Muslims feel important and has done so in a sincere manner, 2) shown respect for their opinions, 3) tried honestly to see things from their point of view, 4) been sympathetic with their ideas and desires, 5) appealed to their nobler motives, 6) thrown down challenges, 7) given praise and honest appreciation, 8) called attention to their mistakes indirectly, 9) let them save face, 10) praised their slightest improvements, 11) give them a fine reputation to live up to, 12) made them believe that any deficiencies in their behavior are easy to correct, and 13) avoided direct conflict as much as humanly possible.

Bush is not yielding to the Arab nations for their oil, as many believe. Our own technology will soon take us beyond the need for their oil. We will be left with the same dilemma- an ever-growing group of people that are being taught through their faith that those who reject Islam should be slaughtered. Bush is honestly trying to save them from themselves and the rest of us in the process. He understands that coalition forces cannot win an "us versus them" conflict without killing millions of innocent Muslims who blindly follow the teachings of Islam unto death. Until such time as Arab nations and Muslims mature spiritually, intellectually, economically, and politically this tact is a necessity. Bush is a saint with the wisdom of Solomon. Support him with your words and prayers!

I don't think you've got a clue as to what most Americans think.

No, but you do.

Bush is standing as a counter to the foaming-at-the-mouth haters of Islam, some of whom are right on this very website.

Damn right! Stand up and be counted!

Robertson ought to be ashamed of himself for likening the majority of Muslims to "Nazis."

Yeah, what's he got against Nazis?

George Bush is trying to keep the lid on.

So was Neville Chamberlain. So did Vidkun Quisling.

He could do worse than start right here.

Yeah, he could do nothing at all. Or worse yet, try to appease people who have sworn eternal vengeance against us.

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