Conservative Feud Grows Over Muslims White House Staffers

Halafire Media Network ^ | february 24, 2003 | alt.muslim

[Calpernia]

Conservative Feud Grows Over Muslims White House Staffers

It is a little-known fact that one or more Muslims have been on the White House staff continuously for the past 10 years, working behind the scenes in various capacities. All of these people worked their way up the ladder, overcoming suspicion and doubt and getting various security clearances along the way. Especially after 9/11, Muslims in the White House have had to prove themselves time and time again, as if being Muslim and a loyal American was an oxymoron. This week, conservative strategist Grover Norquist, who has worked to integrate Muslims into the Republican party, slammed conservative pundit Frank Gaffney, accusing him of smearing the names of two Muslim White House staffers and unfairly charging Norquist with giving White House access to "radical Muslims." Gaffney, who has long been a critic of Muslim contacts with the White House, offered no specific charges against the two staffers, but did try to link them (six-degrees-of-separation style) to Hamas & Hezbollah. Norquist sent a letter to Gaffney accusing him of questioning the loyalty of Ali Tulbah, an associate director of Cabinet affairs in the White House, and former public liason officer Suhail Khan. "This is the second time that a Muslim working for President George W. Bush has been subjected to an attack by you because of his faith," wrote Mr. Norquist. "You have made similarly dishonest allegations against Suhail Khan while he worked inside the White House." While at the White House, Khan served as a liason between the White House and Muslim communities, helping recruit Muslim support for the war on terror. He also helped honor Muslim police and firefighter heroes of 9/11. Tulbah has helped put together "best practices" guidelines for Muslim charities to insure no money goes to support terrorism. Norquist scoffed at suggestions that Muslim staffers would be conduits for terror, saying that they have "a higher security clearance than Frank Gaffney will ever have."

[E Rocc]

Sounds like radical Islam, eh? Well, it is from the leaders of the Reconstructionist Christian movement.

Christianity is as diverse as Islam. The latter has the Taliban, the former Rushdoony. The latter has Al Qaeda, the former the "Army of God". Either can be an honestly held and peaceful faith, or distorted into justification for the most vile evil. The difference usually kicks in when an attempt is made to force "unbelievers" to conform.

Personally, I prefer to judge individuals based on their own words and their own deeds. The last time I looked, this was still one of the precepts of conservatism. We've never believed in collectivism, religious, economic, or political.

-Eric

[Sabertooth]

Yes but that is not true for all Muslims. That's the point.

Revival, and fundamentlism, don't touch everyone, that's true. However, it's my observation that those dynamics are always at work within religions. For that reason, Islam will always be a danger.

Ultimately, I do not believe we can avoid the "Clash of Civilizations" model of this conflict. Islam is too large, the fields of fundamentalism and revival too fertile, for a surgical extraction by the West. The Koran says what it says, and those believing it and taking it seriously will always be hostile to us.

[AppyPappy]

I believe that as Muslims are exposed to Western attitudes, their radicalism will soften. That is true of most cults which is why they try to limit exposure to free thought.

[Calpernia]

>>>You use of the words Islamists and Muslim as synonyms is incorrect and sophistry.

Why? Show me the correct use of the terms rather than tell me I'm wrong.

>>>What is it you propse to do with American citizens who are Muslim?

I have no idea. Hence is why we have these forums.

[E Rocc]

I believe that as Muslims are exposed to Western attitudes, their radicalism will soften.

This is why American Muslims are far less radical than those living in Middle Eastern nations. Also, those who emigrate here are less likely to be fundamentalists to begin with.

-Eric