Posted on 07/20/2005 3:27:23 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
KUWAIT CITY - Muslims from Indonesia to the Middle East on Wednesday labeled as aggressive and irresponsible a U.S. congressman's suggestion that the United States could "take out" Islamic holy sites if Muslim attackers targeted America in a nuclear strike.
Some demanded an apology. Many said the comments fuel Islamic extremism and leave Muslims feeling Americans equate terrorists with all of Islam.
"American mentality imagines that a religion is attacking another religion, and here lies the danger," said Syrian political analyst Ahmed al-Haj Ali. He called it "frightening" to "retaliate against the birthplace of Islam for individual criminal acts or acts committed by groups that are condemned by Islam."
Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Colorado Republican, was asked on a radio talk show Friday how the United States should respond if terrorists struck several of its cities with nuclear weapons.
"Well, what if you said something like — if this happens in the United States, and we determine that it is the result of extremist, fundamentalist Muslims, you know, you could take out their holy sites," Tancredo answered.
When host Pat Campbell of WFLA-AM in Orlando, Fla. asked if he meant "bombing Mecca," the congressman responded: "Yeah."
Mecca and Medina, in Saudi Arabia, are Islam's holiest cities. All able-bodied Muslims are required to make a pilgrimage there at least once in their lives. Mecca is the birthplace of Islam's prophet Muhammad and home to the Kaaba, Islam's most sacred site, which Muslims around the world face when they perform daily prayers.
"I find it strange that such a comment comes from someone who represents a civilized people," said Hamed al-Abdullah, a Kuwait University political science teacher. The comment should be rejected by civic societies, the Congress and President Bush, he said.
U.S. State Department spokesman Adam Ereli called the congressman's statement "insulting and offensive." He said Americans "respect the dignity and sanctity of other religions."
In Egypt, the liberal al-Ghad Party condemned Tancredo's comments and demanded "an official apology to all Muslim nations, who love peace and reject arrogance and violence."
"It's aggressive and it is exceeding all limits and doesn't serve anything but extremism and terrorism," al-Ghad said in statement published in its mouthpiece newspaper by the same name.
Tancredo has refused to apologize, telling The Associated Press his comments had been taken out of context. He said he never said he wanted to bomb Mecca or Medina and added that it would be better to think of ways to prevent a terrorist attack, noting that he didn't want to "inflame this issue."
But some Muslims still felt Tancredo's remarks reflected a broader American opinion. "America is trying to market the idea of striking at Mecca in order to fight fundamentalism. This is crazy talk devoid of logic," said Sheik Hisham Hassani, a Syrian expert on fundamentalist groups. He accused Washington of sowing "sectarian discord that always begins with such utterances."
The leader of Indonesia's most influential group of Islamic clerics criticized the remarks as "irresponsible" and called on Americans to protest them. "How can an American congressman say something like that?" said Amidhan, who goes by one name. "It just reflects his inability as a politician."
"Does he understand anything about human rights? At least when the United States attacks Iraq, Muslims blame the government not the American people," Amidhan said.
Al-Abdullah, the Kuwaiti political scientist, put some blame on the way the question was put to the congressman. "These imaginary 'what if' questions are endless," he said.
He said what needed to be said and exactly that which most Americans have given thought... It's the so-called moderates that maintain a hands off approach to their radicals...so beit
I am a product of the 50s and still occasionally dream of being under my elementary school desk during a nuclear attack... Our position then was absolute and complete distruction of the enemy and it should be made crystal clear today as before; Muslims detonate a nuclear device on American soil and we turn every suspect country to glass....
Right here sweetie, miss me?
Anyway you all can have your knee jerk bull seession, but tom tancredo stepped in it, and made our troops job harder in the mid-east.
But you all go ahead and think of yourselves, I'll think of not putting extra burdens on our troops as tancredo does.
Just make sure the plane's belly is filled with agent orange....or even a nuke! :)
IT'S WORKING. THEY ARE SCARED. TIME FOR MORE POLITICANS TO GET ON BOARD.
They are, but you go ahead and back the person who gave the islamofascists propaganda points and made our troops jobs harder in the mideast, tom tancredo.
That is sick! Is that an Air France airliner?
Looks like we hit a nerve here. Looks like these Muslim wild men are very uptight about Mecca-Medina being wasted.
With a cargo capacity of 1/4 MILLION pounds, how about 200ea 2000 pounders? Now that would leave a smoking hole.
There isn't a single "Muslim nation" that can make that claim!
Nearly every one of the conflicts around the world today involve Muslims murdering, raping, cleansing, oppressing. Islam is the most violent, aggressive, militaristic creed that has ever gained adherence.
Haha...there he is!!!
Dane I'm still trying to understand your logic that tancredo is a puppet of Buchanan. Yet buchanan wants to placate the terrorists, as you say. However, Tancredo would respond to an attack with nukes. How is that placating? You've also stated that Buchanan hates israel, yet, if Tancredo is a puppet of Buchanan like you say, then why did he support israel?
http://www.issues2000.org/House/Tom_Tancredo_War_+_Peace.htm
Solidarity with Israel in its fight against terrorism.
Tancredo sponsored a Congressional Resolution expressing solidarity with Israel:
* [The United States] expresses solidarity with Israel as it takes necessary steps to provide security to its people by dismantling the terrorist infrastructure in the Palestinian areas; and
* Commits to Israel's right to self-defense and support for additional U.S. assistance.
* Condemns the recent wave of Palestinian suicide bombings and the ongoing support and coordination of terror by Yasir Arafat and other members of the Palestinian leadership.
* Demands that the Palestinian Authority fulfill its commitment to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in the Palestinian areas.
* Expresses concern that Arafat's actions are not those of a viable partner for peace.
* Urges all Arab states to declare their unqualified opposition to all forms of terrorism, particularly suicide bombing, and all parties in the region to pursue peace in the Middle East.
That is a correct "feeling" based on muslim behavior for the last 40 years.
I want to be as clear as possible: I believe all of islam nurtures, supports and tolerates terrorism.
My only uncertainty is how long it will take the rest of my fellow Americans to come to the same conclusion.
Based not on propaganda, but on observed behavior.
He's apparently taken some of my comments personally so he's spent his day ranting at me even though I have no intent of responding. I wouldn't be suprised if he thinks he can get rid of some of us from the forum.
I'm just not going to play. Frankly obedience to party isn't my strong suit.
Article matches for tancredo on Aljazeera.netOh, and under their "science and technology" section there is a featured article: "Handwashing with soap curbs diseases".
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Not really and why do wish to put more burdens on our troops in the mideast.
I guess your selfishness to up your self-esteem outweighs the logic of not putting extra burdens on our brave troops as tancredo's knee jerk rhetoric does.
A holiday that lasts a month! Some of the fasting and other practices might get old.
I see a Durbin and a Kennedy lashing out, much as you and some others, and I really question who is making our troops job harder and why.
Nah - that's one of those mooselimb airlines. Nothing sick about it - especially if the crew and passengers were going to meet their virgins willingly.
"So don't attack our cities"
SO SOON DO WE FORGET.
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