Posted on 09/06/2004 6:49:16 AM PDT by Dubya
ROSEMONT, Ill. - As Democrats and Republicans sought their support, American Muslim leaders wrapped up their community's largest convention Sunday, still debating whether to endorse a presidential candidate.
And despite bitter feelings over how President Bush has conducted the war on terrorism, Muslim leaders said an endorsement for the Demcratic challenger, Sen. John Kerry, is not guaranteed.
Independent Ralph Nader traveled here Saturday and made an aggressive pitch for support in a private meeting.
"We are still deliberating amongst ourselves," said Salam al-Marayati, head of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, a public policy group based in Los Angeles. A decision is expected next month from the American Muslim Taskforce, an umbrella group for major Muslim organizations.
American Muslims hold special importance this election year because they have strong communities in battleground states such as Michigan, Ohio and Florida.
In 2000, leaders of major Muslim organizations made their first endorsement in a presidential race, choosing Bush over Democrat Al Gore. Bush had indicated that he was sympathetic to their concerns about using secret evidence in immigration hearings.
After Sept. 11, 2001, Bush enacted anti-terrorism policies that many Muslims felt violated their constitutional rights.
Some Muslim leaders say the Kerry campaign has missed opportunities to capitalize on Muslim resentment of the president.
At the convention this weekend, organized by the nonpartisan Islamic Society of North America, several speakers said Kerry has been too timid on civil rights issues. They said his pledge to repeal parts of the USA Patriot Act, which gave the government broad new powers to monitor citizens, did not go far enough.
The Bush administration has defended the Patriot Act as crucial to national security.
"I haven't seen John Kerry delivering on his early promises," said Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an anti-defamation group based in Washington. ONLINE: American Muslim Taskforce, www.americanmuslimvoter.net Islamic Society of North America, www.isna.net Council on American-Islamic Relations, www.cair-net.org
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/JEFF ROBERSON
Army chaplain Capt. Yusuf Yee, left, and Navy chaplain Lt. Abuhanna Saifulislam talk during a panel discussion among Muslim military chaplains Sunday at the Islamic Society of North America convention in Rosemont, Ill.
Qur’an 9:5 “Fight and kill the disbelievers wherever you find them, take them captive, harass them, lie in wait and ambush them using every stratagem of war.”
Bukhari:V4B52N50“The Prophet said, ‘A single endeavor of fighting in Allah’s Cause is better than the world and whatever is in it.’”
Qur’an 9:112 “The Believers fight in Allah’s Cause, they slay and are slain, kill and are killed.”
Qur’an 9:29 “Fight those who do not believe until they all surrender, paying the protective tax in submission.”
Qur’an 8:39 “Fight them until all opposition ends and all submit to Allah.”
Qur’an 8:39“So fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief [non-Muslims]) and all submit to the religion of Allah alone (in the whole world).”
DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE MUSLUM RELIGION IS PEACEFUL, THAT IS HYPE. MUSLUMS WANT TO KILL US, PERIOD!
They're still debating what? The price of couscous perhaps, but certainly not if they're voting for Kerry. I'm still waiting to hear their outcry against the terrorists and hired Arab mercenaries at the Russian school.... hmm, I don't hear anything.... still waiting.... silence says a lot.
So sad that these American haters can be members of our Military.
Sounds like something Kerry would say.
It's the Muslim Crescent. Chaplains display their religious symbol there.
But it does give one pause to see it.
They are "talking among themselves" because they know their public endorsement will hurt Kerry. The AP is trying to make you think they are worried Kerry is anti-Moslem or too pro War On Terror. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Under Kerry the war, both forign and domestic, will be hobbled.
I hope you are right.
Right after I posted, I went "DOH". It's been some time since I was serving. There were only Christian chaplains when I was in. You can draw any conclusions you would like.
That is because life is still to easy on them. Make life a little more painful and they will squeal like the pigs they are.
Since all islamic countries are theocratic dictatorships, freedom, liberty and the political process is a concept moslems don't understand. They probably never will. All moslems should go back to the middle east cesspools where they came from. They would be more comfortable there.
Your right !Send them back.This will never happen because our country has become blinded by being politically correct. The democrat party has, and is a blight on our country.This party has joined hands with the Communists and socialists all over the world to destroy our goverment.How could a man like John Kerry who's picture is hanging in North Vietnam on the wall of hero's be considered a person who should run the most powerful country in the world.The socialists are destroying our country from within.God Bless George W Bush.
You have said it very well.
President Bush' quotes on Muslims and Islam. He knows there's a strong difference between the radical few and the majority, you sure you support our President?
A VIBRANT FAITH
“Islam is a vibrant faith. Millions of our fellow citizens are Muslim. We respect the faith. We honor its traditions.”
- President Bush, October 11, 2002
A Beautiful Mosque
For half a century, this beautiful mosque has served as a place of worship for Muslims and has helped to advance understanding between people of different faiths. Millions of our fellow Americans practice the Muslim faith. They lead lives of honesty and justice and compassion.
- President Bush, December 5th, 2002
President Bush's Roundtable with Muslim Leaders -
"All Americans must recognize that the face of terror is not the true faith -- face of Islam. Islam is a faith that brings comfort to a billion people around the world. It's a faith that has made brothers and sisters of every race. It's a faith based upon love, not hate."
- President Bush,
September 10th, 2002
ISLAM IS LOVE
“Islam is a faith that brings comfort to a billion people around the world. It's a faith that has made brothers and sisters of every race. It's a faith based upon love, not hate.”
- President Bush, September 10, 2002
ISLAMIC NATIONS DESERVE FREEDOM
“The peoples of the Islamic nations want and deserve the same freedoms and opportunities as people in every nation. And their governments should listen to their hopes.”
- President Bush, June 1, 2002
A WAR AGAINST EVIL
“All of us here today understand this: We do not fight Islam, we fight against evil.”
- President Bush, November 6, 2001
NOT AT WAR AGAINST ISLAM
“Because this great nation of many religions understands, our war is not against Islam, or against faith practiced by the Muslim people.”
- President Bush, January 5, 2002
ISLAM BENEFITS THE WORLD
“That word has guided billions of believers across the centuries, and those believers built a culture of learning and literature and science. All the world continues to benefit from this faith and its achievements.”
- President Bush, November 19, 2001
ISLAM IS OF CHARITY
“The Islam that we know is a faith devoted to the worship of one God, as revealed through The Holy Qur’an. It teaches the value and the importance of charity, mercy, and peace.”
- President Bush, November 15, 2001
BUSH SUPPORTS ALL FAITHS
"We respect people of all faiths and welcome the free practice of religion; our enemy wants to dictate how to think and how to worship even to their fellow Muslims."
- President Bush, November 8, 2001
AMERICA REJECTS BIGOTRY
“We reject every act of hatred against people of Arab background or Muslim faith… America values and welcomes peaceful people of all faiths -- Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and many others.”
- President Bush, April 30, 2002
AMERICA’S MUSLIMS
“There are thousands of Muslims who proudly call themselves Americans, and they know what I know -- that the Muslim faith is based upon peace and love and compassion.”
- President Bush, September 28, 2001
AMERICA DOES NOT FIGHT RELIGIONS
“Americans understand we fight not a religion; ours is not a campaign against the Muslim faith. Ours is a campaign against evil.”
- President Bush, September 27, 2001
TERRORISTS HIJACKING ISLAM
“The terrorists are traitors to their own faith, trying, in effect, to hijack Islam itself. The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends; it is not our many Arab friends.”
- President Bush, September 20, 2001
ISLAM IS PEACE
“The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent peace. They represent evil and war.”
- President Bush, September 17, 2001
WAR ON TERROR, NOT MUSLIMS
“I've made it clear, Madam President, that the war against terrorism is not a war against Muslims, nor is it a war against Arabs. It's a war against evil people who conduct crimes against innocent people.”
- President Bush, September 19, 2001
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