EDITORIAL: U.S. fight is against terror, not Muslims | TuscaloosaNews.com

EDITORIAL: U.S. fight is against terror, not Muslims | TuscaloosaNews.com

EDITORIAL: U.S. fight is against terror, not Muslims

Published: Sunday, September 5, 2010 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, September 4, 2010 at 11:41 p.m.

( page of 2 )

“Some of the comments that have been uttered about Islam do not reflect the sentiments of my government or the sentiments of most Americans. 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. 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.”

A ploy from that notorious “secret Muslim” President Barack Obama trying to justify the proposed community center and mosque near where the twin towers of the World Trade Center used to stand and head off more violence toward other Mosques around the country?

As a matter of fact, no: the quote is from George W. Bush in November 2001, while the wreckage of the towers were still smouldering from the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States by al-Qaida terrorists.

Bush, who also said, “I believe that Islam is a great religion that preaches peace,” was reacting to hateful comments directed toward all Muslims from some people of prominence, most notably the Rev. Pat Robertson, the television mogul and 1988 candidate for president, who had recently said “Adolph Hitter was bad, but what the Muslims want to do to the Jews is worse,” and the late Rev. Jerry Falwell who described the prophet Muhammad as a “terrorist.”

In the immediate wake of 9/11, Robertson and Falwell indulged in a blame-fest on Robertson’s 700 Club in which Falwell said, “we made God mad ... I really believe that the pagans and the abortionists and the feminists and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way, all of them who try to secularize America ... I point the finger in their face and say you helped this happen.”

Robertson, of course, concurred.