Bush hails Islam to quell anti-US feelings (praises Islam as a religion of liberty and tolerance)

Daily Telegraph ^ | October 23, 2003 | Alex Spillius

[Korth]

President George W Bush went to Bali, site of the worst terrorist atrocity since the September 11 attacks, yesterday to praise Islam as a religion of liberty and tolerance.

Mr Bush's trip was an attempt to tackle anti-American sentiment in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation.

At a press conference in Bali, where 202 people were killed when Islamic extremists linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qa'eda network blew up two packed nightclubs a year ago, Mr Bush said: "Terrorists who claim Islam as their inspiration defile one of the world's greatest faiths.

"Murder has no place in any religious tradition."

Mr Bush said he wanted to correct what he felt was a misconception that the war on terrorism was a cover for a war against Islam or that Americans thought all Muslims were terrorists.

He paid tribute to the victims of the Bali bombings and praised his host, President Megawati Sukarnoputri of Indonesia, for hunting down terrorists.

Three of the Bali bombers have been sentenced to death but critics have accused Indonesia's secular government of failing to explain the dangers of radical Islam to its people and to tackle militancy at its roots, especially in radical Muslim boarding schools.

Owing to security concerns, Mr Bush spent only four hours on the resort island and chose to remain at a hotel five minutes' drive from the airport where his meetings were held.

Flights were postponed throughout his visit and as he spoke, just yards from the Indian Ocean, warships could be seen patrolling offshore. Five thousand heavily armed police and troops backed up by sniffer dogs and bomb squad units were deployed.

The brevity of his trip underlined how much more dangerous Indonesia and South-East Asia have become since the boom era of the 1980s and early 1990s. When Ronald Reagan visited, he stayed three nights in Bali, hosted by the dictator Suharto.

Mr Bush made a point of meeting leaders of two moderate Muslim organisations which represent about 50 million of the 210 million population.

They pointed out that American policies in the Middle East were a root cause of terrorism and asked him to listen more to the rest of the world. "We told him US foreign policy should seek a new paradigm if the US wants to be respected by the world community and be safe," said Syafii Maarif, head of one of the groups, Muhammadiyah.

"It was an open and lively meeting which we did not expect."

Thousands of protesters - including Mrs Megawati's sister - gathered at an independence monument in the centre of the capital, Jakarta, to demonstrate against Mr Bush's visit,

Mr Bush arrived last night in Australia, the last stop on his six-day, six-nation tour.

[Monty22]

Why not dedicate a new mosque at the site of the WTC?

[Naspino]

Give the guy a break. Talk softly and carry a big stick. You sure are peaceful. BAM! I sure like them robes. KABOOM!

[Prime Choice]

One question: why are we bending over backwards to placate them when they spend so much time and effort demonizing us?

I don't get it. You won't catch me sweet-talking anyone who'll stab me in the back without hesitation.

[John Beresford Tipton]

Is President Megawati related to Redi-Kilowatt?

[pgkdan]

Mr Bush said: "Terrorists who claim Islam as their inspiration defile one of the world's greatest faiths. "Murder has no place in any religious tradition."

Good grief...I HATE hearing him spout this BS! I know there must an underlying strategy that forces the President to utter this lie, but I still HATE hearing it.

[Norse]

It isn't a lie. Islam has been in the past and can be a religion of peace and tolerance. During the days of the Ottoman Empire, Christians and Jews alike would flee Christian Europe to live and work in the Ottoman Empire, because they had more religious and economic freedom there. There is nothing wrong with praising what Islam has been, is to many Muslims today, and can be nationally in the future.

[SouthernFreebird]

This stuff is starting to p!ss me off. How many dead people the world over does it take before people see Islam is deadly for non-Islamics.

Bush is starting to smell from all the arab and Mexican butt kissing.

[Question_Assumptions]

If it was to remember the Muslims that died in the WTC (the workers, not the murderers), that wouldn't be a bad idea, along with a chapel, synagogue, etc. Don't forget that Osama murders Muslims, too.

[veronica]

BTTT.

[CWOJackson]

Well spoken.

[BubbaBasher]

According to my recent search for the truth, Mohammed was an illiterate, lying, murdering, pedifile with a terminal disease that made him hallucinate. He was neither a prophet or a peace loving man.

[eyespysomething]

And they were second class citizens, more than welcome to renounce their faith and become Moslems to attain first class citizen status.

[Monty22]

Norse, you are buying some pretty bad propaganda there. You'd make a good Saudi spokesman.

[TADSLOS]

Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

[tessalu]

Islam is about as tolerant as hell. Islamic countries even put to death a Muslim who decides to follow Jesus Christ.
Islam hates Jesus as much as Satan did when he was kicked out of heaven with 1/3 of the heavenly host. So why lie?

[Desron13]

One question: why are we bending over backwards to placate them when they spend so much time and effort demonizing us? I don't get it. You won't catch me sweet-talking anyone who'll stab me in the back without hesitation.

I agree. This is starting to drive me absolutely NUTS! Islam is not a religion of peace. It's not even a religion in any rational sense of the word. It's a freaking induced mental disorder. Most of them I see in the news every freaking night either seem totally dedicated to the absolute destruction of Western Civilization or are blathering some pap about "not all Muslims are raving homicidal maniacs". Enough already! Rant Off.

[Prime Choice]

Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

If we were any closer to them, we'd be behind them.

[B Knotts]

Ha!

How, pray tell, did the Ottomans gain their empire?

Did they play tiddly winks against the King of Bulgaria?

[Revolting cat!]

Is President Megawati related to Redi-Kilowatt?

No, but he is a relative of both James Watt and Carmen Electra!