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Posted on 03/04/2010 3:52:17 PM PST by TaraP
WASHINGTON -– The silence in the great hall of the Congress was deafening as imam Abdullah Antepli started delivering the opening prayer for the House of Representatives on Wednesday, March 3.
"Asalam alaikum… peace be with you," Antepli, the Muslim chaplain at Duke University, told the attendees who stood and bowed their heads in respect.
"O God of all nations, look with favor upon this esteemed Congress. Guard these important decision-makers with your divine light," he said.
"Be the source of strength and comfort. Enable them to serve you and glorify your names by serving the citizens of this great nation and to the entire humanity regardless of their gender, ethnicity or religion."
This was only the third time a Muslim religious leader was invited to deliver the opening prayers of the Congress since the tradition began in 1789 with the first Continental Congress.
It was such a humbling moment," Antepli, who joined Duke University as its first ever Muslim chaplain in 2008, told IslamOnline.net.
He believes that inviting him to deliver the Congress opening prayer sends a message at a time Muslims and Islam are at the center of attention in America.
"The news that a Muslim imam is delivering opening prayer for the Congress came as a breath of fresh air," says Antepli.
"It lifted some of the burden off the hearts and minds of many Muslims who have been wounded by post 9/11 realities in the US."
Though there are no official figures, America is estimated to be home to nearly 7-8 million Muslims.
Many believe they have become sensitized to an erosion of their civil rights since 9/11 attacks.
Proud
Members of the Muslim community and leaders of Muslim organizations came to attend Antepli’s prayer. Congressman David Price of North Carolina praised Antepli, the founder and executive board member of the Muslim Chaplains Association and a member of the National Association of College and University Chaplains.
"Throughout his two years as Muslim chaplain in Duke University he has done great achievements in terms of spreading understanding and diversity," he told the session.
"It is a great honor to have him here delivering the opening prayer."
The Congress hall was full of members of the Muslim community and leaders of Muslim organizations who came to attend the prayer delivered by Antepli.
Aisha Yasin says she was thrilled to know a Muslim is going to give the prayer this time.
"It is quite amazing," she told IOL correspondent who attended the ceremony.
"It is a great feeling to have a Muslim imam delivering such tradition deeply rooted in the American history."
Dr. Mohamed El Sanousi, director of community outreach and communications for the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), was equally impressed.
"It is very significant for the community to have this sense of pride to feel included in the society," he told IOL.
"It gives a message that despite all that is happening, and what is written in the media about Muslims, still there is hope," said the community leader.
"Muslims are part of the fabric of the American society and will not be ignored."
This needed a barf alert.
And I’m sure that the muslim countries open their sessions once in a while with a prayer to Jesus. I’ll bet that nobama says a prayer every morning in the White House while on his prayer rug to Jesus too.
If I had been a Congresscritter, I would have arrived late for this session (more respectful than walking out, and I like to be polite).
Were Muslims on the Mayflower?
Were any of the Founding Father’s Muslims?
Funny you can’t say Jesus Christ, but Allah Akbar is A-Okay....
*The Devil has come down on us*
Woe to those on the earth...
Muslims
You want to be included, fine, do something about your
mad dogs.
Talk is cheap, we want action.
They really are trying to force a showdown.
Including that part where they bombed the trade center twice and all those other attacks on Americans????
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Indeed, what a time we're living in!
How Friggin' Appropriate. (will the prayer be said by the Teleprompter in Chief???)
I blame Grover Norquist.
“Asalam alaikum… peace be with you,”. Interesting. Muhammed even stole Jewish prayers. In Hebrew, it is Sholem Alechem.
News for our congressional leadership: Allah is not God.
Oh, BS. What a bunch of whiney cr*pola. If they want to stop thinking of themselves as victims and start thinking of themselves as Americans, they can start by acting like Americans and rooting out the islamofascists in their midst.
“...and please kill all those f-ing infidels.”
Ragheads. Trying to pass themselves off as humans. I can put a bow on my trash and call it a present, but it still stinks.
More and more it looks like America is going to be ground zero for the war against the muzzie take over of the planet. America is getting really tired of this BS from Congress, the zero, to the media enablers.... breaking point is coming soon for real Americans....
Thanks!
Hope you have enough for all of us!
and dear allah,
we pray for the day that prayers are lifed to Jesus to open a day in the government of a muslim country...
amen
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