Posted on 03/04/2003 2:34:57 AM PST by sarcasm
OLYMPIA -- He prayed for the politicians, the state's prosperity and peace for all ethnicities and religions.
But when a Muslim cleric offered the opening prayer before the state House of Representatives yesterday, at least two lawmakers stepped off the chamber floor.
"It's an issue of patriotism," Rep. Lois McMahan, a conservative Republican from Gig Harbor, said of her decision to stand in the back of the room.
"The Islamic religion is so . . . part and parcel with the attack on America. I just didn't want to be there, be a part of that," she said. "Even though the mainstream Islamic religion doesn't profess to hate America, nonetheless it spawns the groups that hate America."
Rep. Cary Condotta, a Republican from East Wenatchee, also left the floor. He said the timing was not a coincidence, but he declined to comment further on why he left, except to say he was talking to another lawmaker and "let's just say I wasn't particularly interested."
A prayer is given at the beginning of each Senate and House session, and attendance is hit or miss, particularly on Mondays.
The interfaith organization Associated Ministries of Thurston County schedules the daily chaplain, said Cynthia Zehnder, clerk of the 98-member chamber. They have selected clerics representing a broad range of faiths, she said.
Imam Mohamad Joban, of the Islamic Center of Olympia, presented yesterday's brief opening prayer.
In part, he said: "We open this session of House of Representatives in the name of Allah the one God Abraham, God of Moses, God of Jesus, and God of Mohammed, peace be upon them all. . . . We ask Allah or God to bless the state of Washington so it may continue to prosper and become a symbol of peace and tranquility for people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds. We pray that Allah may guide this House in making good decisions for the people of Washington.
"At this time, we also pray that America may succeed in the war against terrorism. We pray to God that the war may end with world peace and tranquility."
Joban said the walkout was not hurtful, but ignorant.
"They're unable to distinguish between Islam as religion and way of life, and bad Muslims," said Joban, who has also given the opening prayer to the Senate. "They are easily able to distinguish between Christianity and bad Christians.
"They need to understand that like (President) Bush said . . . Islam is a peaceful religion."
Kathy Erlandson, director of Associated Ministries of Thurston County, found the small walkout disappointing, but not surprising.
"It makes me embarrassed to know that some of our legislators can't even treat someone with that common respect," she said. "He's an American citizen and he's praying for their work, then how can it be an act of patriotism to walk away?"
McMahan said she does not oppose having a Muslim cleric deliver the prayer.
Her departure was not a protest, but a personal decision not to participate because "the religion is the focal point of the hate-America sentiment in the world."
"My god is not Mohammed," McMahan added.
Joban said that if he were invited to give the opening prayer, he would do it again.
"Even if half of them leave it's OK for me," Joban said. "As a Muslim we have to respect what people believe and . . . we have to forgive something because of ignorance.
"The Holy Quran says that (one should) always respond to bad action with good and those who used to be enemies become friends."
There are no 'rules' governing this, except those you would impose.
I hope the party leaders make it very difficult for them.
And if they do, I hope there are thousands of citizens who will make it very difficult for them.
We don't need "Republicans" like this.
We need lots more just like them, who will have the courage to put this stupid political correctness/diversity-for-the-sake-of-diversity crap to bed permanently.
Let them join some other party.
Maybe you should join the Democrats. They love the Islamists.
"Make a scene"???? My God, son.......are you THAT sensitive all of a sudden? If memory serves......and please correct me if I'm wrong........I think you're an ardent atheist. If I'm correct, what do you give a s**t if a Christian walks out on a Muslim? That's sheer hypocrisy. Don't EVEN pretend to lecture here on "respect for others' religions".
Like I said........your lack of conviction doesn't sway me. I view it as a personal problem.
Read; WTC1, AlKhobar Towers, Military Advisory Group in Riyadh, Two Embassy bombings, USS Cole, 9/11, 7/4/02 shooting at the El Al ticket counter at LAX. Im not even bringing up Beirut in 1983 (Marine Barracks) and then again in 1984,(US Embassy),1986 Pan Am attack in Karachi, 1988 Pan Am 103.......all in the name of Allah, not God. While it might be legal to have an Imam lead the prayer at the Washington State legislature, it certainly is foolish, to have to listen to someone of that religion pray for Peace, just to be in keeping with PC. Keep in mind I only named a fraction of the terror attacks against us by the followers of Allah, doing it in his name.
*Childish
*Doofus
*Nitwit
*(Your) jibberish
*Get a clue
*Bigot
*(Your) palaver
*Simpleton
*(Those of us on FR are) idiots
Later, on another thread you said, "Since you choose to attack ME instead of responding to my arguments, may I assume you concede?"
I respectfully ask you to consider that question yourself.
It's so odd that this is occurring in AMERICA.Talk about politically correct being out of control......no shame up there,huh? Whose bright idea was this?How many followers of Islam are in the State of Wash. Legislature? I'm really surprised this hasn't occurred in the California Legislature yet.It's inevitable though.I'd laugh if this wasn't so sad.
What about Satanism? That's a religion. How much respect needs to be shown Wicca by Christians? Or other pagan religions?
Besides Islam is more like Nazism ----it's a fascist political ideology at least as much as it is a religion. If Hitler said they were doing what they did out of religious conviction, would we have to then show respect Nazis?
Oh? Does "Satanism" promote the golden rule? You do know that all the world's great religions have some version of the golden rule, don't you?
Does it promote the nuclear family? Selflessness above selfishness?
IOW, does it promote principles that the world's religions typically consider essential?
Ther is as much resemblance between Islam and Satanism as between Christianity and Satanism.
Actually, they had gone before the public and begged and pleaded for the opportunity to be there. None of them can say they were ignorant in their expectations of what was going to happen.
We used to have this jerk in Northern Virginia - from the People's Republic of Alexandria to be exact - Bernie Cohen. He once complained in a letter to the editor (Washington Star) that he was always offended at the sound of Christian prayer.
He was referring to the custom of bringing in various ministers, etc. to the Virginia legislature to pray (presumably for their forgiveness). Most were Christian, and sometimes a Jewish guy would be there, and maybe a Buddhist, and so forth. But it was ONLY Christian prayer that bothered old Bernie.
All men and women of goodwill felt Bernie to be a bigot - and possibly even a bit dangerous, but they did not confuse Bernie with all Jews.
Neither does Islam ---the nuclear family isn't 4 wives and as many concubines and sex slaves as you can afford to buy. Bin Laden was one of 52 children and his mother was a concubine ----that's not what we call a nuclear family.
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