I have, and I have also been asking Texans on this board for their opinions as well. It’s about split. The ONE BIG THING that has made me a little more than queasy is his affiliation with the head honcho muslim, aga khan. THAT bothers me. A LOT.
My FAVORITE Texan said he would prefer Perry to stay in Texas, not be president, because Texans have kept him under control. Not my words. His. I took that to heart. Is that wrong?
Well, consider this. Imam Aga Khan is NOT Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei of Iran. He is a businessman out of Bahrain who does business with Exxon/Mobil of Texas which has helped us keep our gasoline prices in Texas lower than most every body elses since about forever.
Number two, Imam Aga Khan has used his development company to establish houses of education and allows women to participate because he believes the more educated women are, the more respect they will get in the Islamic world. He uses his wealth to build health service for his people. He’s also established micro-finance institutions for women in Northern Pakistan which they have had in Bahrain for years.
If, and I say, IF, very cynically, there is something of a more ‘moderate’ Islam, Imam Khan is representative of it. Simply because he’s a businessman first, before he’s an Imam.
Rick Perry is the Governor of our state, they were building a mosque in Houston which is in his state and invited him. Had he turned them down, what would that have accomplished. If he stood up dissed all of Islam while he was there what would that have accomplished, especially in the face of what this lone Imam is trying to do within his world to make a more prosperous and educated population in it, instead of an ignorant bunch of people mired only in their dogma. This Imam, whose programs Perry had visited, and Governor Perry both know that business is what makes a capitalist world go round.