Posted on 08/21/2002 5:27:44 PM PDT by scratchgolfer
Bush has cooled toward American Muslims, groups say
Copyright © 2002 AP Online By RACHEL ZOLL, AP Religion Writer
Muslim leaders who President Bush publicly courted after the Sept. 11 terrorism attacks say he is ignoring them now, and some blame conservative Christians and pro-Israel lobbyists for the reversal.
Islamic support, which seemed so crucial as the nation embarked on its war on terrorism, is now losing ground to other concerns, U.S. Muslim leaders say.
"There were special interest groups involved immediately after those meetings last fall in trying to dissuade the administration from acting with us," says Salaam al-Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council in Los Angeles.
"There's sort of a right wing - whether Christian fundamentalists or pro-Israel groups - that tries to drive wedges between us and decision makers," he says.
Rebecca Needler, a spokeswoman for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a leading pro-Israel lobby group, called the claim "ridiculous." She declined to comment further.
Lezlee Westine, director of the White House Office of Public Liaison, says the administration has taken pains to consider the Muslim view.
Muslim leaders have been meeting with Cabinet members and have been included in briefings on foreign policy, civil rights and other issues, she says.
"There has been a consistent outreach to the community," says Westine, whose office is in charge of work with Muslims and other constituents. "We're including them in all of our activities."
But Muslim leaders contend they have not met with Bush since last year, when he visited a Washington-area mosque - where he proclaimed Islam a religion of peace - and met with Muslim activists at the White House.
The White House noted that it has celebrated Muslim holidays, such as Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan, while Secretary of State Colin Powell and Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill have met with Muslim leaders.
Muslim leaders say guests at the parties have been children and ambassadors from Muslim countries, and that Muslim advocates deal more often with lower-level representatives of government agencies than with Cabinet members.
Muslim leaders also say they have been further disappointed that Bush - the first presidential candidate they collectively endorsed - has failed to more strongly condemn attacks on Islam by Christian conservatives, a strong source of the president's support.
The son of evangelist Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, drew widespread criticism when he called Islam a "very evil and wicked religion." A pastor addressing the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in June called the Prophet Muhammad a "demon-possessed pedophile."
Bush greeted the Southern Baptist delegates via satellite from the White House, calling them "faithful followers of God and good citizens of America." He later said through a spokesman he disagreed with the pastor's comments.
It was not enough for many Muslims.
"The president's insistence that there was zero-tolerance for any backlash was commendable and saved lives and set the right tone, but I think there was a lot of political posturing the president was engaged in," said Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, a Washington advocacy group.
John Green, director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron in Ohio, said Bush is in a difficult position regarding Muslims, but has not withdrawn his support for them.
"It should be thought of more as a limitation" on Bush's dealings, Green said. "He is working hard to balance the demands of these groups and maintain some kind of rapport with them all. It isn't easy and it often leaves everyone unhappy."
Why should he meat with a group of peple who support the death of their fellow americans.
I have never seen Calypso louie denounce the attacks and his is the only muslim leader in the country I can name.
Maybe they should blame themselves.
I cannot think of a whole of noted Muslims who condemned without qualification the Sept. 11 attacks, the terror bombings in Israel, slavery in the Sudan, or persecution of religious minorities in Egypt or Saudi Arabia.
I am sure it has nothing to do with their lack of enthusiasm in condemning islamic terrorism
Compliment accepted.
So have a lot of folks...
Maybe American Muslims should ask themselves why.
Yep, blame everyone and everything except your own failure to cleanse your community of terrorist scum.
I believe it may be genetic. Sort of like, why do these people always lie about stuff. Think about it, when a Muslim spokesperson comes on to dispute something; who do you believe? The Muslim, or the other person?
It goes much deeper than that, and they are all beginning to realize it now.
Initially they all repeated the empty words, "Islam is a religion of Peace", and Bush gave them more than ample time to reflect and consider that the murder of 2823 Americans was not theoretical and warranted a deeper response than that.
It never came.
Endlessly repeating that the "occupation" blah blah blah... isn't nearly enough. They know it. Bush knows it. The American people know it.
No heartfelt regret was ever expressed because it was never there, it is not there now.
Thus, the true picture became clear for everyone. And the consequences unfold.
They had their opportunity but there was really nothing there to talk about. No cultural, religious or political common ground.
The consequences must unfold, because such a barbarity cannot go unanswered. Ever.
Yep, blame everyone and everything except your own failure to cleanse your community of terrorist scum.
What you are proposing is that they all kill themselves "peacefully"...since they ALL are Radical THUGEE-types that REALLY DESERVE to be WIPED off the planet once and for all!
They are incompatible with LIFE and FREEDOM!!!
Just ask Cynthia McKinney.
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