AMIR TAHERI: THE ISLAMIC URGE TO VOTE

New York Post ^ | October 11, 2004 | AMIR TAHERI

[OESY]

It is a rather surprising byproduct of the War on Terror: For the first time, a consensus seems to be emerging among Islamic authorities worldwide that Muslims in the West should participate in democratic politics.

Before taking credit for this, President Bush might note that these authorities tend to favor votes for his opponent. But... Kerry's pleasure in that must be tempered by the awareness that those authorities favor him only because they are quite sure he will permit the undoing of Bush's work in Afghanistan and Iraq....

British Muslims have used that fatwa to inflict defeat on candidates from Tony Blair's Labor Party in a number of recent local and by-elections.... Blair would be forced to abandon his alliance with the United States in the War on Terror....

The debate has generated much excitement among American Muslims, who are reportedly registering to vote in record numbers. According to the latest polls by John Zogby, almost 60 percent of them intend to vote for Kerry.

Arab newspapers are full of editorials urging American Muslims to "throw Bush out of the White House" as a prelude to "kicking the United States out of Iraq and Afghanistan."

"We may not be able to throw the American army out of Afghanistan and Iraq," says Hassan Nasr-Allah, leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah (Party of God). "But we can throw George W. Bush out of the White House."

Muslim support for Kerry is not inspired by any love for the senator but by the perception that he would withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan , thus allowing the establishment of Islamic regimes in Baghdad and Kabul.

"Both Kerry and Bush represent corruption and tyranny," says theologian Farid al-Nasar. "Neither is acceptable to true believers. The difference is that Bush is aggressive, and Kerry is not."

[prion]

According to the latest polls by John Zogby, almost 60 percent of them intend to vote for Kerry.

Huh. That's actually not nearly as bad as I expected.

[Anvilhead]

"Both Kerry and Bush represent corruption and tyranny," says theologian Farid al-Nasar. "Neither is acceptable to true believers. The difference is that Bush is aggressive, and Kerry is not."

They fear Bush. Good.

[nuconvert]

This should be shown to all the 'fence-sitters'