US spending $16,000 for imam's Mideast tour [ As Nancy calls for Investigation of Mosque Critics]

AP ^ | Aug 18 2010 | AP

[NoLibZone]

WASHINGTON (AP) - American taxpayers will pay the imam behind plans for a mosque near the Manhattan site of the Sept. 11 attacks $3,000 in fees for a three-nation outreach trip to the Middle East that will cost roughly $16,000, the State Department said Wednesday.

The department said Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf will get a daily $200 honorarium for the 15-day tour to Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which is intended to promote religious tolerance.

Airfare is included, as well as the standard federal government per diem for expenses and lodging in each of the cities he will visit, spokesman P.J. Crowley said. Those per diem rates range from nearly $400 to nearly $500, according to official documents.

The imam's organization, The Cordoba Initiative, referred questions on the matter to the State Department.

[Republic]

Do you have an answer for this?

Are MY tax dollars being used to pay for this man's private journey to increase religious tolerance?

For real?

WHO STAMPED THE OK on this?

DO I have a right to know WHO is abusing my tax dollars?

What in the HELL IS GOING ON HERE!

[Soul of the South]

Another sinful waste of taxpayer money. Yet our brilliant leader had to put together a commission to recommend budget savings which won’t report back until after the November election.

I’d rather pick 5 taxpayers (note I said taxpayers) at random and give them the task of going through the federal budget and balancing it within one week. No doubt this $16,000 would be saved immediately.

[rawhide]

Boy oh boy! This imam guy is laughing his a$$ off right now at the United States!

[Karliner]

Screw the lying raghead(s) let's cal a spade a sspade here. Cordoba House? Everyone know the slaughters of cordoba, and the dhimmi ways, killed if not obsquious to shar'ai law. There is no difference in 1400 years of HX; still building victory mosques, still lying, still the same fanatic cult

Come and get me Pelosi you snot nosed menopausal little two faced lunatic wench, I'm waiting.

[Nachum]

The list, ping

[Always Independent]

Whay aren’t the atheists suing to stop this. Isn’t this the gov’t promoting religion? Unconstitutional?

[dalebert]

Nancy should be investigated...

[dalebert]

they cant rebuild the church that was lost at ground zero but a mosque can be built.

[crosshairs]

Where’s the ACLU. Tax money being used for a “religion”.

[CitizenM]

From the article: "We value his participation as a religious figure here in the United States who can help people overseas understand the role that religion plays in our society," he said.

Ha...wonder if our government ever paid Billy Graham a per diem and covered the costs for him to tour around the world to talk about religion in America??? Or any of our religious leaders. I think I know the answer to that one.

[cookcounty]

Hey, how about paying Billy Graham to go on a tour raising money to build a Baptist church across the street from the Grand Mosque in Mecca?

Just to show we can all get along?

[cookcounty]

Beat me to it!

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

Obama has made separation of church and state QUITE CLEAR.

__SEE VIDEO BELOW__

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zGMuN_Ep38

Taxpayers are funding this Imam Unity Mosque thing so what happened to Mister separation of church and state OBAMA?
Why aren’t taxpayers funding Pat Robertson in the name of unity?

Obama’s anti-Christianity is showing.

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

The MSM covering this for Obama and Pelosi is DISGUSTING.

The MSM need to all join Obama’s campaign officially.
Thank God people are wide awake to the MSM bias.

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

see post # 33

[hattend]

WHO STAMPED THE OK on this?

State Department >>> Hillary Clinton >>> Barack Hussein Obama. Mmmm...mmm...mmm

[skeeter]

The Left slithers from the 'seperation of church & state' argument to the 'freedom of speech' argument as easily as sliding on a pair of pants, depending upon the religion.

We REALLY need to start holding them accountable for their hypocricy.

[massgopguy]

Sorry, but Infidels aren’t allowed in the Mosque. So the CIA will have to wait outside.

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

Pelosi says it is ok so move along.