Posted on 11/13/2002 4:24:18 PM PST by Willie Green
For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.
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."
"He (Bush) wanted a clear statement," a senior White House official said.
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.
BID TO DISCOURAGE BACKLASH
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.
So, that WAS what Bush wore at that little, Islamic White House soire held last week, for Muslims?
Muslims who happen to be American citizens have sworn eternal vigilance against "us"?
I must have missed it.
George Bush is trying to keep the lid on. He could do worse than start right here.
Well said,
Bush is also reminding people that he is President of ALL Americans, in a country that stands for religious freedom for ALL, including Muslims.
He's trying to stamp out the fires all this follish and divisive rhetoric causes, and trying to prevent further unecessary hostility and polarization....because it is tactically wise for him in the war on terrorism.
I think Bush is handling this extremely well.
And yeah, you must have missed Taliban Johnny and the Beltway snipers. They were in all the papers.
Not American citizens, Jack.
Bush is talking about American citizens who are Muslim.
You're a bit confused yourself.
I must also say, that when you want your policies to be understood, you have to explain them in a clear, firm and completely understood manner. You can't tiptoe through the toolies and hope that your ideals will win out.
Bush is human. Humans do make mistakes. Bush is no different than other humans in that respect. I don't think my comments above were a damning to him. They were reasoned and accurate from my point of view.
I am sorry that I am unable to buy off on the version you posted, but it was interesting reading. However, I don't have a problem with praying for him or supporting him when I can.
Not true. Some Christians have, and do commit atrocities in the name of Christianity.
Many people fled Europe because of religous oppression and persecution by so-called Christians who claimed to have the authority of God.
Bombing abortion clinics, killing Doctors, attacking and killing minorities and gays...the KKK claim that their racist hate is Bible-based. Then there were the Crusades.
My point is that it's a fallacy to oppose Islam simply by blaming it for terrorism etc.
Because people can and do make the same argument against Biblical Christianity.
I would agree though that Christ is the only way to God ( as He claimed) and the Islam is a way to Hell.
Williams is not, nor is Malvo.
Lindh was a kid.
Anyway, there are three million Muslim American citizens and you gave me one.
How would an "in your face" approach work with some of the most antagonistic and defensive people groups on the planet? When you can answer that question, you will understand why Bush is using this tact.
Why in God's name would anyone want to reach out to these vermin, to try to "understand them" and see things from their point of view? These filthy b st rds murdered 4,000 of our countrymen for no appreciable reason.
You don't negotiate with a cancer. And you certainly don't try to win its friendship!
There was a quote some months ago that said something to the effect that Muslims children 1,000 years from now should be told the story of these days, the horrors of the Dark Times, when steel angels rained down spears of fire upon the land. A thousand years from now, the word "America" should strike terror into the hearts of Muslims.
That is the way to deal with our enemies. Leave the touchy-feely stuff to Sally Jesse Raphael.
Hopefully not all will immigrate. Prayerfully, a number will return to their homelands as Christians and industrial leaders and teach that faith to their countrymen. Let's give God a chance. He is, after all, God.
Dear Mr. President
Islam is not a religion of peace. They are a religion of terror and death. The only people they care for are themselves.
I don't see any reason to trust American Muslims any more than their foreign counterparts. I'm not likely to throw a Ramadan party because our kinder, gentler president assures me Islam is a religion of peace. Seems to me I've heard that line before, and it's no more believable now than it was then.
Now I wouldn't put it quite as well--- - but I would say the statement has a petty good change of being true - based on past history. After all, past history is all we have to us to make any projections. It would be so wonderful if it didn't happen. But I have yet to see the President stand up to Fox.
What's your evidence for that?
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