You aren’t going to call what is below just Governor’s duties, are you??
OH NO! Will Governor Rick Perry of Texas be the PRO-SHARI’A candidate?
Posted: August 10, 2011 | Author: barenakedislam | Filed under: Say WHAT? | 60 Comments »
The Texas Governor has an unusually cozy relationship with the Muslim community.
ATTENTION BNI READERS: Please share this story with your Facebook or other online friends. It’s pretty much under the radar so far.
Grendel Report – Rick Perry has made a name for himself in the last few weeks by palling around with some radical evangelical Christian figures who are openly hostile to Islam, and have even, in one notable case, called for a ban on Muslim immigration to the U.S. But it turns out that the Texas governor has had surprisingly warm, constructive relations with at least one group of Muslims over the years.
Perry is a friend of the Aga Khan, the religious leader of the Ismailis, a sect of Shia Islam that claims a reported 15 to 20 million adherents worldwide. Sprouting from that friendship are at least two cooperation agreements between the state of Texas and Ismaili institutions, including a far-reaching program to educate Texas schoolchildren about Islam. That’s a partnership that has already prompted a bit of grumbling in far-right corners of the blogosphere and could conceivably become a primary issue if, as expected, Perry enters the presidential race.
The Aga Khan, who claims a direct lineage to the Prophet Mohammed, controls a vast international network of business and philanthropic ventures; he is not a reclusive spiritual thinker, but rather a fabulously rich jet-setter. Perry met the Aga Khan during a 2000 family trip to Paris (the Aga Khan owns a large estate, Aiglemont, north of the city), the Austin American-Statesman reported in 2008. Two years later, Perry spoke warmly at a dinner in Houston hosted by the Aga Khan. Over the years the governor attended other Ismaili events in Texas, culminating in a pair of formal agreements.
One, in 2009, provides for cooperation between Texas and the Aga Khan’s organizations in the “fields of education, health sciences, natural disaster preparedness and recovery, culture
Aga Khan & Rick Perry
and the environment.” Perry was quoted at the official Ismaili website as saying at the signing ceremony that “traditional Western education speaks little of the influence of Muslim scientists, scholars, throughout history, and for that matter the cultural treasures that stand today in testament to their wisdom.”
That sort of rhetoric presents a stark contrast to some other members of the GOP presidential field, who have variously called for resistance to Islamic cultural conquest and outright restrictions on Muslims in public life.
Perry also brokered a 2008 partnership between the University of Texas and Aga Khan University in Pakistan to expand cooperation on programs including the Muslim Histories and Culture Project, which trains high school teachers on Muslim history and culture curricula. “I have supported this program from the very beginning, because we must bridge the gap of understanding between East and West if we ever hope to experience a future of peace and prosperity,” Perry said at the signing ceremony.
Which part? “palling around with some radical evangelical Christian figures”
Not a very good source — pure emotional noise.
Hey Polypuss, what so you to the referring post, hmmm?
As far as the relationship being 'unusually cozy', these are the Muslims you want to be cozy with. Not the Muslim Brotherhood like Obama, or the House of Saud, like George Bush. You're comparing the hand of terror and the wallet of terror to the largest actual sect of what could be called moderate Muslims.
You're doing a great disservice to the discussion trying to spin Perry saying nice things to the Ismailis as some kind of nefarious thing.