Posted on 09/04/2004 3:18:35 PM PDT by Land_of_Lincoln_John
ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) They stop abruptly when they see the 5-foot-tall photo of President Bush, with ``muslimsforbush.com'' above his head.
Then come the outbursts.
``Disgusting,'' said one onlooker. ``Take that down,'' said another.
At the largest annual convention of American Muslims in this Chicago suburb, a pro-Bush booth has stirred anger among attendees who believe the president's actions since Sept. 11, 2001, have hurt more innocent Muslims than terrorists.
``I think President Bush has misled not only the United States, but the world,'' said Noor Maciael, an educator who called the booth ``disgusting'' and planned to vote for Democrat John Kerry. ``He has put us in a situation where the whole world is hating this country.''
The display was funded by Muhammad Ali Hasan and his mother, Seeme, who recently created the group ``Muslims for Bush.'' Seeme Hasan said in a phone interview that she and her husband Malik, a Colorado physician who earned his wealth in the health care industry, have donated more than $1 million to Bush and Republican causes since the 2000 campaign.
``The reason we are doing this is that Muslims don't have a lobbyist,'' Seeme Hasan said. ``We want to be there. We are going to give contributions at the highest level.''
Bush has other supporters in the Muslim community. Some are Iraqi-Americans overjoyed that Saddam Hussein has been ousted. Others are entrepreneurs who view the GOP as more friendly to business interests. And many devout Muslims prefer the Republicans' conservative stand on social issues such as gay marriage.
But many Muslims at the nonpartisan Islamic Society of North America convention were not grateful for the Hasans' activism.
An older man gawked at the photo of the president with his arms wrapped around Muhammad and Seeme Hasan, and said, ``I'm numb. I'm speechless.'' He then joined a group that had cornered a conference official, demanding that the display be taken down. A volunteer staffing the booth said some people were taking campaign material and throwing it out.
Asma Gull Hasan, the elder Hasan's daughter, who was also at the booth, said she had expected negative remarks. However, she said she was encouraged that some passers-by had quietly told her they would vote for the president.
Bush has a complex relationship with American Muslims.
He declared Islam a peaceful religion when some other U.S. leaders were condemning the faith, and honored Muslim holidays in the White House.
After Sept. 11, the president made a gesture of enormous significance for the community when he visited a Washington-area mosque and warned the public that anger over the suicide hijackings should not be directed toward U.S. Muslims.
However, his subsequent policies have caused deep resentment.
Muslim leaders say the domestic war on terror and the USA Patriot Act, which extended controversial law enforcement powers, have cast so wide a net that all Muslims and their institutions have become suspect. Many also saw the war in Iraq as the extension of a misguided U.S. policy in the Mideast that ferments terrorism instead of stopping it.
Leading American Muslim organizations endorsed Bush in 2000 over Democrat Al Gore, expecting the Texas governor would be more sympathetic to their concerns. But Muslims have said since that they regretted their decision.
Surveys of U.S. Muslims indicate a majority will vote for Kerry, even though they fear he will not go far enough in repealing parts of the Patriot Act. Volunteers at a Kerry booth at the convention, in a far corner of the vendors' hall away from the Bush display, were busily distributing campaign stickers.
Both candidates have been reaching out to Muslim voters. Muslims are concentrated in some battleground states, such as Ohio, Michigan and Florida, and they hope their presence in those areas will help them gain political visibility.
Muhammad Hasan said that since the convention began Friday evening, critics who have approached him have been more open to hearing his views. He said he was not discouraged by the response so far.
``I have a lot of faith in the fact that the Muslim vote is up for grabs,'' he said.
On the Net:
http://www.muslimsforbush.com/
Back to the Muslim Bush supporters. They've got a lot of guts to take this kind of heat.
Just noticed it was a duplicate...other story used a diff. headline. Sorry!
There are close to a Billion Muslims in the world right now. 99% of them are not like the morons we see daily in Iraq, Afghanistan and Chechnya. Most are peaceful.
Believe me, there are quite a few more happy here in Iraq now that Saddam is gone. Why does Najaf and Fallujah get so much attention from the Press? There isnt anything else going on here, thats why.
"...U.S. policy in the Mideast that ferments terrorism instead of stopping it."
Wrong word, AP. The word is "foments" not "ferments". Since the Muslims don't drink they would certainly oppose "fermenting" terrorism.
I hate it when professionals don't do their simple jobs correctly.
Before this whole terrorism business escalates into the 21st Century Crusades the so called "moderate" Muslims better start taking out their own trash!!!
I know everyone is getting fed up with having to do it for them!
Semper Fi,
Kelly
We need to let the Iraqis and the Marines clean house in Najaf and Fallujah. But as I previously posted, it's been over twenty years now and it's way past time for the Muslims to start "taking out their own trash."
Semper Fi,
Kelly
I wonder how large the political shift actually is. Note the complete lack of numbers...
99% of them are not like the morons we see daily in Iraq, Afghanistan and Chechnya. Most are peaceful. ""
Why are the "99%" NOT speaking out loud and clear for all the world to hear that they despise the "Muslims" who are committing these attrocities?
They have been way toooo quiet for my tastes. I see their silence as tacit approval of the actions ofthe "remaining 1%".
What's not discussed is the possibiliy, however remote, the some Muslims may have avoided the Gore/Lieberman because Joe is Jewish.
THEY ARE NOT!
It is a classic case of a majority of a civiliation being terrorized into silence. Look at it. That 1% contains all the terrorist @$$e$ and the dictators. These people see what happens when you speak out against whoever. That is why they are quiet.
You can call it approval by silence, but it isnt. That is reading into the situation way too much.
I hate it when professionals blast U.S. policy without ever explaining what U.S. policy they have a greivance with.
If the Iraq war was an extension of the U.S. Policy not to let the Muslims kill the Jews, then I'm all in agreement with continuing U.S. Policy even if it foments fermented terrorism.
they wont either.
They are throughly cowed. They are afraid of what the terrorists are going to do. That is why we have been slow to pick up support in Iraq. They think that once we leave they will have a return of a Saddam type dictator and that the terrorism will continue.
This war on terror we are in is a process. It is going to take Decades if not centuries to root out the mindset of fear that the people have over here....
I'm 99% sure that is not true.
- I wonder how many more Ameriacn dead it will take until we are forced to implement the final solution to the "Islamic" problem.
- The bottom line is that it will be necessary have to eradicate Islam and its subhuman adherents to preserve the human race.
- There is only one way to solve the "Islamic" problem and its what the left calls "genocide". It will be extremely difficult for these subhuman monsters to perpetrate anymore bestial acts if they are all dead. It will be no loss to the human race and make the world a better place. Eventuallty the ragheads will get what they have been asking for. (This post was on four different threads.)
The world heard the words "subhuman" and "final solution" used before. Seems they are crawling back out of the dark place that spawned them before.
So why is it just terrorism and not all out war against the entirity of the Arab/Muslim world?
Believe me it isnt. Not by a long shot. Why dont you come out over here to the Middle East and find out?
I believe the historical answer to your question is that country in the middle of Western Europe that brews decent beer?
Yes, I do see some people actually advocating that very same treatment to all the Muslims, just because of the actions of a few....
It's sad....people are commenting without knowing the entire situation.
How about I don't, I'm a woman and I like living. I'll stay right here in the USofA thankyoumuch.
You will never convince me that only 1 percent of Arabs want to kill the infidel. Especially on a day when I'm looking at pic of dead babies thanks to the arab/muslim/islamic mentality.
BTTT
You really think 1% controls 99%?
Even if the 1% each had an AK-47, unlimited ammo, and a 100 RPG's, and the 99% are unarmed, the 1% runs out of ammo long before the 99% are killed. It is simply absurd to believe 99% are 'controlled' by 1%. The 99%er's, by and large, agree and support the 1%, through their silence, their cash contributions, etc. Those in America, and western Europe are waiting until they have sufficient numbers to overwhelm the non-muslim majority.
"Remember Beirut" 23 Oct 1983
RIP: Major Macroglou, Capt. Bill Winter, and 239 other USMC,USN, USA YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN!
Semper Fi, USMC! DEATH TO TERRORISTS! ANY PLACE ANY TIME!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.