BUSH HOSTED RAMADAN DINNER AAT WHITE HOUSE (Mired in controversy)

Yahoo ^ | 10/28/2003 | Staff

[JesseHousman]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - George W. Bush hosted a Ramadan dinner with US Islamic leaders, as the White House was besieged with demands to fire an army general whom made comments some say makes the US-led war on terror out to be a war on Islam.

General William Boykin's comments surfaced two weeks ago, in which he likened the US battle against terror to a battle between Christiandom and the Muslim world, placing the Bush administration in an uncomfortable position.

While the Pentagon (news - web sites) has opened its own investigation, it has also said that it does not expect to ask Boykin to resign. He continued to serve as a undersecretary of defense for intelligence, in charge of tracking down Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) among others.

Bush invited Muslim leaders to an Iftar, the evening feast that breaks the dawn-to-dusk fast Muslims observe during the month of Ramadan. He organized the first White House Iftar after bin Laden and al-Qaeda launched the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington.

"America is a land of many faiths and we honor, and welcome and value the Muslim faith," Bush said in opening remarks before the meal.

At a mid-day press conference earlier Tuesday, Bush said that the controversial Boykin "doesn't reflect my point of view or the view of this administration."

"Our war is not against the Muslim faith."

"Americans think terrorists are evil people who have hijacked a great religion," Bush said, responding to a reporter's question.

Such statements, however, did not quell the Boykin controversy.

"The obvious response to the Boykin case is to say that because he is now under-secretary of defense for intelligence, he should be relieved of his post," The Washington Post said in an editorial Tuesday.

Boykin made his questionable speeches while wearing his military uniform before conservative Christian groups whom Bush will woo as part of his 2004 reelection campaign.

"It is highly likely that Bush himself, a genuinely devout Christian by all accounts, agrees with at least some, perhaps much, of what Boykin said," the Post speculated.

The US president had just returned from a tour of Asia, which included a three-hour stopover in Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population. He also met with several leaders of Muslim countries at the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC (news - web sites)) forum.

"Muslims are completely wrong to think that the US is engaged in a war against Islam," New York Times columnist Paul Krugman said.

"But that misperception flourishes in part because the domestic political strategy of the Bush administration -- no longer able to claim the Iraq (news - web sites) war was a triumph, and with little but red ink to show for its economic plans -- looks more and more like a crusade."

[a_Turk]

>> One of the problems with Islam is that the more devout tend to become more violent or anti-social

Not my experience..

>> You may contend that all of these warped maniacs are misreading the Koran, but if that's the case there are millions of misreadings going on as we speak. Not tens, hundreds or even thousands. Millions.

And you counted them? What percentage of the total would that be according to the statistics you've read?

>> for the most part a large majority or devout Muslims are sympathetic to the Islamo-sickies at worst, or endorse such actions at best.

Paranoia. Actions speak louder than words, and the overwhelming majority is peacefully minding their own business.

>> they want to wipe us out.

Paranoia.

>> I for one am damn near ready to let the "wiping out" being.

Well, then you've stopped being a Christian.

>> You're wrong about the Palistinian children. .... They're not children ...they're larvae.

Ouch..

>> Let me be blunt. Some of us are carrying real anger right now, of the biblical type.

Then perhaps it's time to kill the infidel (read terrorists) wherever we find them?

[SJackson]

Well, no. We think that it's a religion whose fundamentalists find aid and comfort among the so-called mainstream…My point? We (and they) need more outspoken Muslims and Arabs to loudly and frequently offer unqualified condemnation of the extremists and do everything possible to separate from them. Americans have been remarkably tolerant, more so than I thought we'd be in the aftermath of 9/11, but doing what I just suggested would go a loooong way toward proving Bush right.

You’re absolutely right. A differentiation certainly needs to made between “peace loving” Muslims and “fundamentalists”. Unfortunately the “fundamentalists” are, in fact, Muslim, and they’ve not been “outed” by the Muslim community to an extent that allows us to tell them apart. Maybe GWB should invent a new word, as he did with ”homicide-bombers”, then let Muslims choose their side.

[Lady Heron]

Once you widdle away all the BS, Islam is Judaism with a belief in Jesus Christ the Messiah, who couldn't be killed and was elevated to heaven by God.

That is just bull! Muslims do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah just a minor phrophet and a good man, but Mohamed was the last and greatest who had the true word not rewritten incorrectly and distorted like the Bible. Once again a muslim not quite telling the truth to present the religion in a better light hoping to dupe non-muslims.

Here we go the lie mixed in with partial truth of what muslims believe."who couldn't be killed and was elevated to heaven by God", thats right Christians you were lied to in the Bible Jesus did not die on the cross per their belief thus islam it is not any way a belief in Christianity. Nor is islam in any way a belief in Judaism because the Old Testement also lies any only Mad Mo knows the truth.

[Kuksool]

***Ping. Oh wait, you've been banned again!!!!***

LOL! Let's see if the Toddler cuts and paste your statement on the Biker Bar.

[SJackson]

The goal is to wedge the extremists out of Islam. The fact is, this sort of thing puts extraordinary pressure on the the Islamic leaders that sit with Bush. No doubt they go back to the Islamic Centers and are berated with cries of "Why did you dine with that infidel?" from the more extremist young men in their congregation.

I think you’re naïve. Hopefully this event was well vetted, but if there were supporters of terror attending, they return to their Islamic Centers to accolades for the access they’ve achieved. Kind of like the Muslim Chaplains at Guantanamo. I seriously doubt they'll be criticized for serving in the infidel's army.

[AmishDude]

Cheers for what? For attending a presidential photo-op? Or maybe you think they're stealing some silverware.

It's quite different from infiltrating the military camp at Gitmo.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/9335.htm

A very good article by Taheri. Maybe you agree.

[MississippiMan]

I most certainly didn't say or even hint that he should denounce anything. That's your skewed interpretation, and I suspect it reveals a deep bias that prevents you from intellectually honest observation of what's going on.

George W. Bush has indeed spent an inordinate amount of time since 9/11 endorsing and embracing Islam. I bet you can't even produce a set of remarks from a similar Christian or Jewish White House event, that remotely approaches the glowing review he heaps on Islam. If you can, post it.

MM

[a_Turk]

Aaah, the Lady Herring again.

Says in the Koran that Jesus was the Messiah and that God made Mary with child with His word.

Ignoramus.. But what do you expect from a bird..

[Hila]

GWB is not naive, nor turning the other cheek. He is trying desperately to secure the muslim vote to be re-elected. His Christian walk seems shallow, since he leads us to believe he can't trust that Heaven to keep him in office another four years. Bush's apeacement of the bloody religion is truly an affront to his very faith walk, he wills to ignore that islam is at war with all Americans and everyone who opposes a religion of tyranny.

[SJackson]

Cheers for what? For attending a presidential photo-op? Or maybe you think they're stealing some silverware. It's quite different from infiltrating the military camp at Gitmo.

No, it's not. Access is how groups like the American Muslim Council and Abudurahman Alamoudi not only achieve respectability, trusted friends, eligible to consult on things like, evaluateing Muslim Chaplain candidates. If Alamoudi had been acknowledged as a terrorist supporter, rather than the peaceful head of a benign organization, friend of Grover Nordquist, meeting with President Clinton and candidate Bush during the election cycle, those Chaplains might well not have been there.

Terrorist supporters have no business in the White House (not saying any were any, don't know the guest list). To think they return to their organization or nation to criticism for socializing with the President of the United States is silly.

[rintense]

Your post stated that the President is endorsing Islam. I suggest you go search the White House site and find the quotes from the President regarding other religions on your own. I know they are there. Perhaps it is you who needs to shed your own bias.

And as much as I'd like to be psycho-analyzed by you, my deep bias is nothing more than borderline hatred for those who would make it their point to kill innocent people in the name of any religion- that includes Islamic terrorists, Wahabbists, etc.,- and yes, that includes those who kill abortion doctors in the name of God.

[E Rocc]

You're wrong about the Palistinian children. They're useless to the world being that their elders (3/4 of whom hate us and want Israel destroyed) have wasted their lives by turning them into rabid little animals who whack themselves on the head with the Koran at "school" where their maps don't include Israel. They're not children ...they're larvae.

Am I wrong to think that this type of comment about any other religious or ethnic group wouldn't be left up?

-Eric

[Belial]

George W. Bush has indeed spent an inordinate amount of time since 9/11 endorsing and embracing Islam. I bet you can't even produce a set of remarks from a similar Christian or Jewish White House event, that remotely approaches the glowing review he heaps on Islam.

Your problem is that you are seeing his actions with no context. In that void of reality, I'm sure your emotions are all the context you need.

[Hila]

WH does this for other many religions, you say. BUT, those religions are not in our face, spewing their venom through actions here and abroad, that spell "death to the infidel Americans wherever they may be". Can't imagine your grouping islam with "all religions"; what recent report have you heard on Buddist - to name one of those other religions - killing American citizens??????????????????

[Aquinasfan]

How curious that the immutable word of Allah needs correction.

Amazing.

[MississippiMan]

This is a pointless debate. I see Bush's actions in perfect context, which makes them even more puzzling and disturbing. MM out.

[Belial]

BUT, those religions are not in our face, spewing their venom through actions here

Ever hear of Fred Phelps? Is he the face of Christianity?

Of course not. He represents a tiny percentage of bumpkins and losers who couldn't think their way out of a paperbag.

Islamic militants, contrary to what you may see on Fox News, are a tiny percentage of the adherents of Islam.

[SJackson]

Somewhat. Unfortunately Mahathir felt he was speaking for Muslim world, as did those who applauded his speach. GWB properly condemned it. And I'm willing to accept the proposition that he wasn't speaking for ALL Muslims, but GWB can't prove that point any more that I can. It has to be made by the Muslim community, and I'm sorry to say the criticism of Mahathir's views from that segment of even American society has been virtually nonexistant.

..............

Bigotry and the Muslim World.

Even America's Muslim allies and clients admired Mahathir's views. The foreign minister of Egypt -- a country that receives $2 billion a year in US aid -- pronounced the speech "a very, very wise assessment." Hamid Karzai, the US-installed president of Afghanistan, praised it as "an eye-opener to a lot of us and . . . what the Islamic world should do."

Mahathir's speech raised no storm of controversy among most Muslims because the Muslim world by and large has no problem with anti-Semitism. Even in the United States there was little shocked repudiation of Mahathir's venom by American Muslim leaders. A Nexis search turns up just one mild quibble: When CNN invited the head of CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations, to comment, he said only that he doesn't believe Jews run the world, "so I see that statement as a misguided opinion."

On Tuesday I asked six American Muslim organizations -- CAIR, the American Muslim Association, the Islamic Circle of North America, the Islamic Institute, the Islamic Society of North America, and the Muslim Public Affairs Council -- whether they had any reaction to Mahathir's words. Three never replied; two replied by saying they had no comment. Only MPAC condemned Mahathir for his "extremely offensive, anti-Semitic comments."

[Aquinasfan]

Check the web. I found 6 and 9 everywhere.