I wish every other Republican, other than Sen. Florence Shapiro would have done the same thing.
Posted on 04/05/2007 5:48:53 AM PDT by Arrowhead1952
Houston senator didn't want his attendance 'to appear to be an endorsement'
Nothing is more routine on the floor of the Texas Senate than the morning prayer. Unless the prayer is delivered during Passover, four days before Easter, by a Muslim cleric whose background is questioned by conservative radio talk show hosts, one of whom happens to be a senator.
The senator, Dan Patrick, who has from his first day in office challenged tradition, may have become the first senator ever to leave the floor in protest of the prayer. The invocation itself was a first for the Senate, delivered by Imam Yusuf Kavakci, with the Dallas Central Mosque.
Before he could stand before the Senate, Kavakci faced accusations by conservative groups such as the Texas Eagle Forum, suggesting that he was a member of a radical Muslim religious sect, a charge he has denied.
Radio talk shows in Houston took calls from listeners who said it was sacrilege for the Texas Senate to welcome a Muslim to pray during a holy time for Christians and Jews.
In a Houston Chronicle story Wednesday, Jared Woodfill, chairman of the Harris County Republican Party said, "I'm shocked that the day before Easter recess that a Muslim is leading the prayer. They should be having a celebration about the death and resurrection of Christ."
Patrick, R-Houston, brought those concerns to the Senate floor on Wednesday. Conspicuous in his absence during the prayer, Patrick later returned and was granted a rare personal privilege to explain himself at the end of the day's session.
"We witnessed something this morning that was extraordinary," Patrick said. "The imam is fortunate to be in this great country, a nation that is so tolerant of others' dream and faiths."
The senator told the assembly that the world must be puzzled by a country that would allow someone to bring a Quran into the Senate while it prohibits a child from carrying a Bible into a public school.
Afterward, Patrick told reporters that he chose to step out during Kavakci's prayer because "I didn't want my attendance on the floor to appear to be an endorsement. I think that it's important that we are tolerant of all faiths. That doesn't mean we have to endorse all faiths."
Sen. Florence Shapiro, who introduced Kavakci, one of her constituents, with a lengthy résumé that includes serving on several interfaith boards and the Peace Institute Advisory Board at Richland College, said she was at first puzzled and then bemused by Patrick's actions. Shapiro, who is Jewish, said she has during her eight Senate sessions prayed along with hundreds of Christian ministers of the day.
Shapiro, R-Plano, said it was appropriate for a scholar with the Dallas Central Mosque, which serves more than 150,000 Muslims in the Dallas area, to lead prayer on a day to honor the more than 400,000 Muslims who live in Texas.
In her introduction, Shapiro said, "Our country prides itself on freedoms, the most relevant today is freedom of religion. Allowing a Muslim to express his freedom demonstrates what we all have in common in the United States. We are all Americans."
Three months ago, Kavakci asked Shapiro if he could deliver the prayer on Muslim Legislative Day, the third year hundreds of Muslims have been invited to the Capitol for a day of education about state government. Shapiro said she has known the cleric for four years.
Shapiro said she had been unable to meet with Patrick before the start of Wednesday's session but had heard from other senators that Patrick warned them that perhaps Kavakci was the not the person he was being presented as.
Patrick met with Shapiro in a hall outside the chamber as the Senate parliamentarian worked on his request for personal privilege.
"All he said was, 'I'm not mad at you,' " Shapiro said. "I said, 'I'm not mad at you, either.' "
I wish every other Republican, other than Sen. Florence Shapiro would have done the same thing.
Dallas: A tribute to the great Islamic visionary, Ayatollah Khomeini
Did the cleric pray for this?
Saudi Arabia - Conversion by a Muslim to another religion is punishable by death. Bibles are illegal. Churches are illegal. It is punishable by death for a non-mulsim to enter the “holy” muslim cities of Medina and Mecca.
Yemen - Bans proselytizing by non-Muslims and forbids conversions. The Government does not allow the building of new non-Muslim places of worship.
Kuwait - Registration and licensing of religious groups. Members of religions not sanctioned in the Koran may not build places of worship. Prohibits organized religious education for religions other than Islam.
Egypt - Islam is the official state religion and primary source of legislation. Accordingly, religious practices that conflict with Islamic law are prohibited. Muslims may face legal problems if they convert to another faith. Requires non-Muslims to obtain what is now a presidential decree to build a place of worship.
Algeria - The law prohibits public assembly for purposes of practicing a faith other than Islam. Non-Islamic proselytizing is illegal, and the Government restricts the importation of non-Islamic literature for distribution. The country has passed the “Regulation of Religious Practice” law, which stipulates a punishment of two to five years’ imprisonment and heavy fines for anyone convicted of urging a Muslim to change his religion.
Syria - The constitution requires the president to be a Muslim and specifies that Islamic jurisprudence is a principal source of legislation. Sharing your Christian faith is discouraged as “posing a threat to the relations among religious groups” and carries a penalty of up to life in prison. A Christian is not allowed to proselytize – ever. Churches who want to hold an extra service must get a government permit. Sermons are routinely monitored, as is church fundraising.
Jordan - Has the death penalty for any Muslim selling land to a Jew.
Sudan - Conversion by a Muslim to another religion is punishable by death.
Pakistan - Conversion by a Muslim to another religion is punishable by death. Bans proselytizing by non-Muslims. Christians regularly put in prison for charges of blasphemy. Islam is the state religion, and in a court of law the testimony of a Christian carries less weight than that of a Muslim. Section 295(c) of the Penal Code calls for a death sentence for anyone who defiles the name of the Prophet Muhammad and requires the testimony of four Muslims for a conviction. This fosters an environment in which Muslims can feel free to use intimidation and violence against religious minorities for personal gain.
Qatar - Islamic instruction is compulsory in public schools. The government regulates the publication, importation, and distribution of non-Islamic religious literature. The government continues to prohibit proselytizing of Muslims by non-Muslims.
Malaysia - Under Malaysian law, any convert to Christianity must apply to a shariah (Muslim law) court to legally renounce Islam. Many Christians prefer to remain silent converts rather than take their battle to the shariah courts, where apostasy or conversion out of Islam is punishable by whipping, fines, imprisonment and—in the most extreme application—death.
The Maldives - In the island paradise visited by tens of thousands of tourists each year, Christianity is simply not tolerated. While local Christians – said to number around 300 out of a total population of 300,000 – do get together to worship, they do so at the risk of imprisonment or worse if discovered by the Muslim authorities. Bibles are banned, and tourists can be arrested for trying to bring them into the country.
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/hr/
Scroll 2/3 of the way down to the bit entitled DMN: Stop Saudi Jihad Proselytizing
121 democrats voted against an amemendment to the Transportation Safety Bill that would have exempted passengers who reported suspicious behavior on airlines from lawsuits such as the one for the “flying Imans”.
Thank you for the post. Today is a fast day in my home because it is Holy Thursday, and I make my family fast. You just made my fast easier because I just got stomach sick. I bet Nancy Pelosi and crew just love this guy.The voters should be so proud, they sent this guy to the senate.
Building a society within a society is jihad. The Caliphate sepercedes ANY AND ALL constitutions.
Interesting reading on the topic in this thread here...
http://www.islam-watch.org/NoSharia/PreventEuropeIslamization4.htm
Many, many thanks to NoSharia
TX Sen. Dan Patrick ping.
Good for him.
What the H-e-double-l was Shaprio thinking of? What the H-e-double-l was an Imam doing praying during government business of a CHRISTIAN nation?
Looks like some Americans want to just hand over the good ole USA to the terrorist.
And, Shaprio talks about tolerance. Do we make others accept our Christian religion like the Muslim nations make others obey theirs? Take for instance the British woman who was captured by Iran. They made her cover her head in accordance with their religious laws. Do we do anything like that here? I don’t think so.
This is never a Christian nation. If we were truly a Christian nation, we wouldn't have the troubles we have today.
Well, that’s true even though our forefathers established this as a Christian nation.
IMO, we’ve become too tolerant. We’re like parents of a very troubled child who throw up their hands and declare they “just don’t know what to do with that child.” So, they do nothing.
I think we shoud start. No turbans, no muSLIME scarf, no mosques or korans allowed. If they don't like it, they can just LEAVE.
“...whose background is questioned by conservative radio talk show hosts...”
Ah, there’s that selective use of adjectives by the unbiased media, again.
How do LIBERAL newspapers, LIBERAL local news shows, LIBERAL magazines, and LIBERAL network TV anchors feel about the INman’s background?
Personally, I agree with you.
If they want to wear that stuff in “their version of a church” or during their religious celebrations (like traveling to Mecca) then go for it. But otherwise, nope!
When they force non-muslim women to wear scarves they are forcing their religion on others. We are not allowed to do that.
They don’t even allow a Bible in their countries. I think we should ban the koran from our soil too.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.