Posted on 09/17/2001 2:49:33 PM PDT by socal_parrot
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) said on Monday that American Muslims must be treated with respect after last week's attacks, saying ``the face of terror is not the true faith of Islam.''
``In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect,'' Bush said, standing in his stocking feet in the Islamic Center of Washington, a mosque in the heart of the nation's capital.
The president said he had heard reports that some Muslim American women who veil themselves are afraid to go out, fearing they will be harassed following last Tuesday's attacks on New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon (news - web sites).
Muslim American groups have reported a surge in anti-Muslim threats, harassment and assaults since the attacks.
``Those who feel like they can intimidate our fellow citizens to take out their anger don't represent the best of America, they represent the worst of humankind and they should be ashamed of that kind of behavior,'' Bush said.
The United States suspects Muslim militants of launching the attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, which killed several hundred people and have left more than 5,000 people dead or missing.
``These acts of violence against innocents violate the fundamental tenets of the Islamic faith and it's important for my fellow Americans to understand that,'' Bush said. ``The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam.''
Respecting Muslim custom, Bush, his White House aides and Secret Service agents removed their shoes before entering the mosque, which sits in a leafy neighborhood of the nation's capital surrounded by embassies.
At one point, the president quoted a translated verse from the Koran, saying: ``In the long run, evil in the extreme will be the end of those who do evil.''
Police in Dallas are investigating whether the weekend slaying of a Pakistani grocer was part of a string of backlash attacks against Muslims and Arab-Americans.
An Indian man running a gas station in Arizona was shot and killed on Saturday, prompting the Indian government to urge the United States to take steps to protect Sikhs, members of a religion based in northern India, in the United States.
Its very difficult to discern who IS or IS not a muslim or Arab American. Racist vigilantes plan on going around taking out people that may be Hindu or Buddists or even Israelis (Yeah...Israelis look "middle eastern")or Arab Christians. The best thing we can do is make sure the Muslim community here understands that the best thing they can do, is expose the terrorist element within should they be aware of it. Other than that, there is no reason to punish law abiding tax paying Arab/Muslim Americans with legitimate cause.
God bless ALL good Americans.
Frankly I believe that most "Moderate" Muslims are afraid to speak out, since to do so would be to invite Fatwa upon themselves. They know there are hundreds, if not thousands of Radical Muslims in the US who would joyously slice their throats for speaking "blasphemy."
When so many of the Moslems sects advocating the extermination of the USA and it's people, maybe we need to follow Reagan's saying: "Trust but Verify".
Turning a blind eye to the Moslem teachings is stupid. Any Moslem sect that doesn't advocate the overthrow of the USA should become more vocal in their opposition to the terrorists.
As I said, we need to deport all non-citizens who are from Arab/Islamic countries and are here on visas or green cards or whatever.
They are here at our sufferance--in effect "guests"--and our hospitality can be revoked at any time.
And, as I said, we must THEN begin scrutinizing all "naturalized citizens" from these nations--knowing that at least one of the terrorists was a "U.S. Citizen".
--Boris
As I said, we need to deport all non-citizens who are from Arab/Islamic countries and are here on visas or green cards or whatever.
They are here at our sufferance--in effect "guests"--and our hospitality can be revoked at any time.
And, as I said, we must THEN begin scrutinizing all "naturalized citizens" from these nations--knowing that at least one of the terrorists was a "U.S. Citizen".
--Boris
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