Treat Muslims with Respect, Bush Says

Yahoo! News ^ | 9-17-01

[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.

[dalebert]

Bush is right again.

[cmsgop]

Jerk Chicken wings from the Caribbean...,br>
Now Your Talking!!!!!!!!!!

[likeitis]

Correction to my reply. Should have said typical citizens were descendants instead of ancestors of those who fought in the World Wars. Guess I'm just not politically correct enough to get it right.

[ventana]

Bush did a CYA today. But let history, the facts, and the Koran speak for themselves. V's wife.

[ventana]

Only our enemies have made this a religious war. But the Chinese might use them, manipulate their religiouis fervor, for the Chinese's own end. V's wife.

[NC_Libertarian]

Bump.

[SuziQ]

Funny though, I've been hearing about the backlash all over the country, but not much in the five boroughs.

It is interesting, but I keep hearing about the same ones over and over. Maybe the media is trying to make it look like it is going on all over, but I don't think it is!

There will always be some flounder head who will go off the deep end and blame ALL foreigners for the problem, but you can't help that. I think Americans by and large have been respectful of the Arab-Americans who they know, but are worried about someone they don't.

It behooves us to be concerned about recent immigrants because they might be the ones running these terrorist cells, but I don't believe the long time Arab Americans can be counted among those. Of course I can't say for sure, look at all the Irish-American idiots in Boston who still support the IRA!

[likeitis]

I'm sorry, but everytime I see the towers being smashed by those airplanes and see the buildings crumbling, my tolerance just keeps fading away. I remember as a child the talk about the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor and people were afraid of anyone Japanese. It is nothing less than human to be afraid and suspicious of anyone who resembles those who have just torn our country upside down and then have the nerve to laugh about it. Sorry, that takes a lot of TOLERANCE that I just don't have at the moment. So don't try to picture those of us who feel this way as being Skinheads or Facists. We just don't feel like being very "nice" at the moment. We're human. Are you??

[jackbill]

Has anyone heard any of the Moslem clerics in this country tell us, or their people, that they do not support the Jihad? Have you heard any of them clarify what the Koran really says? Isn't it perhaps time that they do?

We have seen program after program telling us that "not all Moslems wish us dead", but we haven't heard the Moslem clerics say it. At least I haven't heard one word on the subject.

[imperator2]

I am all for repecting Moslems, but let not political correctness deter us for sorting out and finding the fifth columnist among us now.

Every Arab that came to this country in the past five years must be scrutinized. Check especially in the armed forces, and in nuclear facilities.

The Jihadist has inflitrated this country and its institutions. Let's get them now before they act again!!!!

[Hot Tabasco]

FWIW, I hired a little Pakistani guy about 20 years ago at our plant in Detroit. I have been at our corporate headquarters now for 3 years and any time I am in the plant and he sees me he ALWAYS makes it a point to come to me and ask me how I am doing. He is one of the greatest, hard working guys at the plant and I love him for it.......

[likeitis]

I bet your "citizen" friend has received more advantages in this country than most of us have that were born here. No wonder he loves the U.S. Did he buy his own business with his own money or did he receive one of those "low interest" loans -- something that most ordinary citizens in this country can't obtain. Seems like all those "foreigners" have businesses of their own.