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BUSH HOSTED RAMADAN DINNER AAT WHITE HOUSE (Mired in controversy)
Yahoo ^ | 10/28/2003 | Staff

Posted on 10/29/2003 5:21:37 AM PST by 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."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bush43; iftar; kowtowing; ramadan; rmadan
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To: Dane
Just because you believe in the 10th Amendment and states' rights doesn't make you a Libertarian. Get a grip.
281 posted on 10/29/2003 12:22:23 PM PST by Sir Gawain (The Crusades never ended. Too bad only one side realizes that.)
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To: JesseHousman
Maybe GWB thought Ramadan was a patron at a particular hotel chain...
282 posted on 10/29/2003 12:23:19 PM PST by Spok
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To: SquirrelKing
Besides, if Clinton had a Ramadan dinner he would be praised as "America's First Muslim President".

And many here would be calling him a traitor for hosting the dinner.

If any of you care to respond by yelling about Clinton the traitor, that's fine, but at least try and address the point somewhere in your rant.

283 posted on 10/29/2003 12:23:35 PM PST by sakic
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To: JesseHousman
Funny, no ladies around, seemingly.

Was Laura Bush there?


284 posted on 10/29/2003 12:25:12 PM PST by swarthyguy
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To: Sir Gawain
Just because you believe in the 10th Amendment and states' rights doesn't make you a Libertarian. Get a grip

Thank you. I do beleive in the 10th amendment as stated in your above italicized passage, but you have said to me before that the 9th amendment overrides the 10th amendment.

285 posted on 10/29/2003 12:25:19 PM PST by Dane
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To: Dane
If you say so.
286 posted on 10/29/2003 12:29:45 PM PST by Sir Gawain (The Crusades never ended. Too bad only one side realizes that.)
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To: Sir Gawain
If you say so

That's it?

Come on, you can give a better answer than that. Which amendment has more credence, the 9th or 10th.

287 posted on 10/29/2003 12:31:56 PM PST by Dane
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To: Darlin'
You know me... always looking to start trouble. ;)
288 posted on 10/29/2003 12:34:41 PM PST by rintense
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To: sakic
And many here would be calling him a traitor for hosting the dinner.

The difference between Clinton and Bush is that

Bush actually (with the help of our brave military) went after and killed many of the terrorists

Clinton just pardoned them

289 posted on 10/29/2003 12:40:52 PM PST by Mo1 (http://www.favewavs.com/wavs/cartoons/spdemocrats.wav)
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To: sakic
The point, since you missed it, is that when you are walking on eggs, don't hop. They claim we make war against Islam [which we are not doing and despite it's claims against us NO ONE wants a religious war] while we show we can sit down and break bread with their leaders.

Granted, "he who sups with the devil best use a long spoon."

290 posted on 10/29/2003 12:48:45 PM PST by SquirrelKing
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To: Darlin'
Thank you for your comment on my # 273. I fail to see how some people don't understand tactics of strategy when fighting a new kind of war. And I mean diplomatic, psychological and sleight-of-hand strategy as well as that conducted on the battlefields.

President Bush, his advisors and his generals understand this very well.

Hell, I bet even the U.S. Islam clerics and leaders know he's been placating the Islam masses in this country to prevent subversion, but they haven't been able to call his bluff, although they're trying.

GW is a consumate poker player....he knows when to hold them and when to fold them.

In the case of American muslims, he knows how to mold them, also.

Leni

291 posted on 10/29/2003 12:51:16 PM PST by MinuteGal
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To: Cultural Jihad
They are both valid religions instituted by God

I'd like to thank you and God for clarifying that for me.

292 posted on 10/29/2003 12:56:30 PM PST by kanawa (kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight)
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To: AAABEST
I noticed that as in your usual (lack) of style, you attack the individual, and fail miserably to address the issues.

It seems that the one with the (beating a dead horse) talking points is you.

Regards...

P.S. Thanks for helping me make my point about the lack of intelligence...I couldn't have provided a better example if I had tried.

293 posted on 10/29/2003 1:10:36 PM PST by Luis Gonzalez (Those who think they know, really piss off those of us who truly do.)
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To: AAABEST; E Rocc
"They're not children ...they're larvae."

Is this a direct quote from Mein Kampf AAA, or are you paraphrasing again?

294 posted on 10/29/2003 1:16:28 PM PST by Luis Gonzalez (Those who think they know, really piss off those of us who truly do.)
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To: AAABEST
Oh, I forgot...

There you go, steady your hands now...

295 posted on 10/29/2003 1:19:27 PM PST by Luis Gonzalez (Those who think they know, really piss off those of us who truly do.)
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To: JesseHousman
From historical records, not from American Patrol.
296 posted on 10/29/2003 1:21:10 PM PST by Luis Gonzalez (Those who think they know, really piss off those of us who truly do.)
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To: FITZ
But there is also no ability to carry out the sort of Jihad that you are all claiming is going on within the ranks of Islam.

What you have, are well-funded radicals trying to give the impression that they speak for all of Islam.

If they did speak for all of Islam, we'd be fighting nearly a billion people world-wide.

We are not, are we?
297 posted on 10/29/2003 1:23:48 PM PST by Luis Gonzalez (Those who think they know, really piss off those of us who truly do.)
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To: a_Turk
I was speaking of a Caliphate that directed all of Islam, not one to a specific country.
298 posted on 10/29/2003 1:26:13 PM PST by Luis Gonzalez (Those who think they know, really piss off those of us who truly do.)
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To: rintense
"First of all, separation of church and state isn't ANYWHERE in the Constitution. All the Constitution says is that the government shall not endorse any one religion."

I NEVER said it was in the Constitution. I NEVER mentioned the Constitution. WHY are YOU bringing up the Constitution?

"And the President isn't doing that. He celebrates all major religions, factualized by his Christmas, Easter, Yom Kippur, etc. messages to all Americans."

It's been Christian and Jewsish. NEVER this crap. It's insulting. It's insane to celebrate with people whose religion includes HATING and wanting to kill ALL Jews and Christians. If in doubt - EDUCATE YOURSELF on the lovely Koran.

299 posted on 10/29/2003 1:35:49 PM PST by nmh
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To: E Rocc
Am I wrong to think that this type of comment about any other religious or ethnic group wouldn't be left up?

Some of us don't consider Islam a "religious group", especially when your "holy" book teaches you that we're infidels who should be killed. Why should any Christian respect such crap from a crap-mouthed criminal fraud?

When they start acting Godly and contributing to the world maybe that will change. From what I've witnessed so far, it's nothing more than a scorge on civilization and a vehicle of evil.

Leaving religion aside, most of these people would be smelly primitive sand nomads (not that they're much better than that now) if we hadn't set up their oil infrastructure and given them billions and billions of our busines. Then the backwards ingrates want us dead anyway.

Maybe there's hope for ya'll. After all God did love Ishmael, even though he warned us thousands of years ago about his decendents. Every word came true.

300 posted on 10/29/2003 1:40:04 PM PST by AAABEST
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