Posted on 05/11/2006 8:00:49 AM PDT by Kuksool
Republican 6th Congressional District candidate Peter Roskam is distancing himself from — but refusing to condemn — a conservative activist’s remarks that Muslims worship a bloodthirsty, vengeful God.
The state senator missed his scheduled speech last Thursday at a National Day of Prayer Program in Wheaton to vote in Springfield. Organizers substituted conservative activist Sandy Rios, who told the crowd that the Christian God is preferable because “he does not demand the blood of innocents to satisfy him.”
“There is no other God like that. No Hindu God; no other God. Allah is not like that. Allah is a God of vengeance,” Rios said.
Roskam said Monday that Rios’ “remarks don’t represent my views” and that he would not characterize the Muslim God as vengeful.
When asked if he considered Rios’ remarks hateful, Roskam replied: “It’s a free country. Sandy Rios is a former talk radio personality who used talk radio lingo at a National Day of Prayer speech.”
Pressed further, Roskam said: “Well, they’re not helpful, that’s for sure. You’d have to ask Sandy Rios what her motivations are.”
Asked if he personally found the comments reprehensible, Roskam said, “I’ve met many Muslims in the 6th Congressional District who are warm-hearted, service-oriented people.”
Tammy Duckworth, the Democratic candidate in the much-watched contest, condemned Rios’ comments as “hateful” and blasted Roskam for not speaking out last Thursday when his campaign was first asked to comment.
“Peter Roskam’s silence in the face of bigotry is not leadership,” Duckworth said in a statement. “And it clearly does not represent the views of the people of the 6th District of Illinois.”
Roskam said he was in Springfield last week and unaware of Rios’ speech.
“I’ve made it very clear her (Rios’) comments don’t represent my views,” Roskam said. “My sense is that Tammy Duckworth has a lot to answer for in terms of the viewpoints of people who are supporting her campaign. We’ll have a whole campaign to unpack which candidate best represents the 6th District.”
Roskam did say Rios’ remarks weren’t appropriate for the prayer event.
“From my point of view, the National Day of Prayer is a time to recognize the positive,” he said. “Those comments drive wedges at a time when we need to be bringing people together.”
Roskam said he talked to Rios to ask her about her speech and told her he didn’t share her views. Rios could not be reached Monday.
Rios, who provides a conservative viewpoint on Fox News Channel, is president of the Culture Campaign, a group that helps churches “re-enlist believers into the culture war.”
Last week, Sheik Abdool R. Kahn of the Islamic Foundation in Villa Park said Rios’ view of Islam is wrong.
“This concept that God in Islam is revengeful is a total blasphemy on God,” said Kahn, calling Islam a religion of “peace and mercy.”
IL-06 Update
I used to listen to Sandy on WYLL. I met her when I worked in Wheaton. She is truly a wonderful person and I believe that she didn't exactly have an ideal life. She has shown courage where the political class dare not recognize the Truth, never mind speak it.
She lost the union goons this week, too.
Roskam received the support of both the Teamsters Joint Council 25, which represents truck drivers, and Operating Engineers Local 150, which represents heavy machinery workers.
Duckworth received the support of the AFL-CIO.
From another post: "AP: Seven suspected Islamic terrorists have confessed to beheading three Christian schoolgirls on Indonesia's Sulawesi Island, police said on Wednesday."
Truth hurts.
Maybe you should read the Koran again, Sheik.
>>Republican 6th Congressional District candidate Peter Roskam is distancing himself from — but refusing to condemn — a conservative activist’s remarks that Muslims worship a bloodthirsty, vengeful God.<<
Actually, he should have EXPANDED the activist's statement to include the Christian god, too. Both the Old and the New Testament are namely chock full of passages describing an extremely wrathful, blood-thirsty, violent, capricious, and vengeful god. Just check your electronic biblical concordance for references to "blood," "wrath," etc. - you'll see what I mean.
Her remarks were true and on the money, but that doesn't mean that they were well-timed. There is a time and place for everything, and this wasn't it.
She wasn't telling the attendees anything they didn't already know and only succeeded in causing Roskam some embarrassing press.
Thankfully, Tammy Duckworth isn't likely to win. She barely got through the primary.
"There is a time and place for everything, and this wasn't it"
Well said. Sandy Rios is a friend and good person. But this comment is ill timed and a gross generalization. Barbaric Milosevic was a Christian as have been many bloody vengeful Christians. Both barbaric Christians and barbaric Muslims are distortions of their religion.
Unfortunately, the ill timed, ill phrased comment of Sandy Rios is too often typical of conservatives... at least in Illinois. We blame the MSM and RINOs for our failures.
We need to take personal responsibility. We are responsible for our own failures.
In addition to the Teamsters and Operating Engineers, Roskam will receive significant organized support from many other "building trades" unions. For example, expect significant support from IBEW members, led by members such as Bobby Fecarotta of Elk Grove Village and Bob Gofinski of Streamwood and the motorcycle helmet lobby.
There is no reason why Roskam cannot attract the same strong union support that Fitzgerald did in 1998.
In the adjacent McSweeney-Bean race, notice how the unions are split and can't agree there. Many in the unions want to stay pragmatic and relevant. The Dems don't offer much hope in that respect.
He should have distanced himself from the remarks.
It's not that he's wrong about all Muslims, some clearly do, but some clearly don't, and painting with that broad of brush is both stupid and politically untenable.
Really? The New Testament is chock full of this? Where is God commanding or doing this in the NT? As for capricious, you obviously do not understand its meaning; the God who is the same from age to age is pretty consistent.
"The Daily Herald, A historically Republican paper"
Spin should be left to the pros. You're feeble attempt is too amateurish.
Consistently the Daily Herald has been BIG GOVERNMENT and consistently it has been urging the Republicans to become Democrats. It has consistently done this on the front page of section one, front page of Lifestyle type sections, front page of Money/Business type sections. It has consistently been Dem everywhere except for 8 column inches on the editorial page.
In '98-99 when I again became active in in politics, I had a series of communications with the editor in which he blatantly said that except for one column on the editorial page, HIS paper would always support big government as the solution to every problem. He said that HIS paper would never report that big government was the problem, or that small government was the solution.
At least he was more honest and straight forward than a troll.
The only people she might've offended are Muslims and Liberals. Hardly a problem as far as I can tell.
Chill Out Nospine!!!! Where are your manners??? I agree the Daily Herald is a piece of crap, why the Hell are you calling me an amatuer? The Chicago Tribune is even worse, they are afraid of Mayor Dictator Daley just like the Toilet Herald. Ironically the City Liberal Sun Times are the only ones that espose CROOK country politicians like the Hired Trucks and Jan Schakowsky. At least RINO Cook county commissioner Carl Hansen lost his primary.
Christ says, according to Luke:
10:10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
10:11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
10:12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.
10:13 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
10:14 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.
10:15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
Well, I'd call threatening a whole town with being "thrust down to hell" pretty chilling, wouldn't you?
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