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Military Religious Freedom Head Blasts NY Mosque Opponents
Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation
- ”This is an incredible outrage. Our allied commander in World War II was a German. His last name was Eisenhower, I looked it up. But no one ever came up to him and said, ‘you can’t lead because you’re German’. -
Just contaced and off the phone with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF)’s executive director, Mikey Weinstein, described by Harper’s magazine as the “Constitutional conscience of the U.S. military.”
Weinstein is appalled at the bigotry and cowardice of those who would deny Muslims their First Amendment and “human rights” to open a community center and a mosque in New York City.
“This is shameful, scandalous, outrageous effort that is un-American and idiotic. Here’s their reasoning: Muslims go to mosques. The 9/11 killers were Muslim. So all Islam is evil, and mosques are evil. They do not differentiate,” said an angry Weinstein.
“Look, Mike, our Foundation is not political. This should not be a political issue this is a human rights issue. We have 180 clients who are Muslims serving in the American military and it’s the same scandalous affair there as well,” said Weinstein. ”At least these people in New York objecting to this human right do not have command-and-control authority over nuclear weapons and laser-guided missiles like our military. But this is the same mentality we fight against. Our military is incredibly Islamphobic and unfortunately so are some people who call themselves ‘American.’”
His voice dripping with sardonic sarcasm, Weinstein continued, “This is an incredible outrage. Our allied commander in World War II was a German. His last name was Eisenhower, I looked it up. But no one ever came up to him and said, ‘you can’t lead because you’re German’. The anti-Mosque mentality is horrible but it’s nothing new.”
Weinstein, 1977 Honor Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy that is still a center of discrimination against non-Christians by dominionist religions, said, “It is a disgrace any American thinks there should not be a mosque there in New York. It is a disgrace that Americans would think this in opposition to the Constitution, but this reflects much of the American military’s view, the culture is there. There is nothing worse we could be doing to act as an accelerant and lubricant to transforming young Islamic men and women around the world into insurrectionists and jihadists than to say to a Muslim, ‘you are not entitled to freedom’. This is the work of fundamentalist Christians and ultra-extreme, rightwing Jews.”
Editor’s Note: Thank you Mikey Weinstein. I truly was beginning to think our country was getting in short supply of passionate voices standing up for freedom and against bigotry and hate.
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Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=45611
Posted by Yanira Farray on Aug 19 2010, With 0 Reads, Filed under Corruption, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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Mikey tells it like ir is and he is one of the few to publicly be on the correct side of this issue, ironically, the side of the Constitution of the United States of America. He joins the President, Mayor Michael Bloomberg of NYC, Ted Olson, whose wife was killed on 9/11,and -gasp- even Joe Scarboroughl while political expediency rear it’s ugly head in the form of Harry Reid, abandoning all morality, crawling on his belly to assuage those who will vote for the moonbat sharron angle anyhow … it is a close race folk as to who receives the Forrest Gump “SYUPID IS AS STUPID DOES AWARD for 2010 … and the fialists so far are: sarah palin, john mccain, michaelle bachmann, sharron angle, rand paul … oh, and let’s not overlook rhe dopey, dihonest duo of glenn beck and david barton !
I was dissapointed in Howard Dean.
I think he knows better.
I’m surprised that MRFF’s executive director, Mikey Weinstein would fall victim to “if you oppose the mosque then your a bigot and a racist” crowd. Afterall, what does the military fight for, the right for all to speak freely whether you agree with them or not.
Opposition to the mosque has nothing to do with bigotry but everything to do with the magnitued of what happened on Sept 11th.
To put this in perspective, most KKK members claim to be christian and are allowed to build a church anyplace they please. But there would be a huge public outcry if the KKK attacked a black dominated community or worship center killing several people while they burned it to the ground and then want to build a KKK woreship center on that same site.
The KKK will still retain the right to build worship centers anyplace they chose, but choosing a site where some of their members committed an unspeakable act defies any logic. Should the KKK or any group that commits a similar crime have their rights taken away, no. But failing to acknowlegde the sacredness such behaviors create in the minds of those affected is foolish.
Exactly who are the muslims referring to when they claim that this center should be built to help us heal. Their refusal to discuss this healing gesture with the direct victims of 9/11 brings to question any such claim. (After the huge controversy started they did finally start talking with the victims)
If you seek religious tolerance for yourself, then you must also give it. It must flow both ways.
So you are comparing the Muslim faith to a hate group? The persons responsible for 9/11 were terrorists that happened to be Muslim. Just like Christianity (Baptist, Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, etc.) there are many types of Muslims. Christianity has its share of extremists that kill in the name of religion – Dr Tiller performed legal abortions was killed by a Christian religious fanatic, Protestants and Catholics in Ireland, the Crusades – just to name a few. Over 300 Muslims were killed on 9/11, their families and community feel the pain just as much as other Americans. Because they are Muslim does not make them less American and they certainly don’t deserve to be lumped in with the extremists of the Muslim faith or with hate groups such as the KKK.
Kim, I did not compare the muslim faith to a hate group.
But every religious group has fringe hate groups whether chritians or muslims. KKK members and muslim terrorists hold the same narrow minded idealogy perspective and unless you are accepted into their particular circle you’re worthless in their eyse.
I hope you would consider terrorist a hate group? Your comment sounds like you group all muslims together. From your perspective, any criticism of terrorist is nothing but bigotry aimed at all muslims.
I’m guessing you don’t live here, or you wouldn’t be so blitheringly ignorant as to believe that the proposed building is going up on the former WTC site. Uh, it’s been ten years and that site is still a big hole in the ground; like they’re really going to rush a mosque in there. The building is quite some blocks away; a yokel like you couldn’t find it with Google Maps and a trail of breadcrumbs.
In fact, I would be be surprised if a big ole’ expert on Islam like yourself even knows any Muslims.
I know some, because I live in a big, diverse city. For example, the fella I buy my newspapers from, who came to America because he wanted a better life for his daughters. Or every other cabbie in town.
Or my former across-the-hall neighbor, who worked the Burn Unit at Harlem Hospital; after 9/11, he barely left the hospital for weeks, trying to keep the victims alive, doing things that people like you haven’t the skill, the compassion, or quite frankly, the balls to do.
But insulting these good people while yammering about what they “should” do, like you’re some arbiter of taste–that, you’re great at.
From your perspective, any criticism of terrorist is nothing but bigotry aimed at all muslims. [sic]
No, but strangely enough, pretty much all criticism of Muslims from bigots blathers on about terrorists. Yours, for example.
“if you oppose the mosque then your [sic] a bigot and a racist
There might be another way to interpret an individual’s opposition, but as you’ve amply proved, that is the way to bet.
Afterall, what does the military fight for, the right for all to speak freely whether you agree with them or not.
Who or what here is keeping you from writing freely?
Oh, wait . . . you meant you believe yourself entitled to not have anyone think you’re a bigot.
I agree with you, every religion does have hate groups; however, you’re judging an entire people and religion by the actions of these “fringe hate groups” and not by the actions and character of the very people you judge and condemn.
“I hope you would consider terrorist a hate group? Your comment sounds like you group all Muslims together. From your perspective, any criticism of terrorist is nothing but bigotry aimed at all Muslims.”
Gilbert, you’re the one who’s grouping all Muslims into one group, a terrorists group. You obviously know nothing of Islam and I expect you ever will.
“The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about”- Wayne Dyer
And while Gilbert argues disingenuous semantics, the angels (who are not Muslim, Christian or Jewish) weep.
While many people who are not Moslem will disagree, a lot of people opposed the Constitution, it barely passed into law, it is entirely reasonable to say, if you have read the first half of the Koran, that “Islam is a military exercise disguised as a religion.”
This is the truth Islam brings. It is difficult for the truth to destroy ignorance but truth does oppose ignorance. Read the Koran before you discard it, I did not say burn it. You will find intolerance, hate and violence expressed against freedom of conscience; which lies at the center of the First Amendment and the entire Bill of Rights. Without this freedom the Bill of Rights is a dead letter. The Koran stand foursquare against the Bill of Rights. Moslems swear allegiance to the Koran calling it their Holy Book. Their Holy Book violates our Bill of Rights which grants an absolute guarantee to the “right of conscience” to everyone who in turn freely grants that same right to all others. The Koran contradicts the “right of conscience” more than one saying no one has a right to freely choose a religion as this right is not recognized by the Koran.
This is why people should oppose the ground zero mosque … and do much more to safeguard the American Bill of Rights from the assault on it promulgated by the Koran. You can oppose this view but you cannot oppose this view and be right. This is America and in America we guarantee freedom of conscience to everyone who has a conscience. Believing you have the right by force to deny this right to everyone else, something the Koran states and restates, many books have reported this heretofore, is like shouting “fire” in a crowded theater or gunning someone down on a street. Your freedom ends where you acts deny that freedom to others. Those who practice Islam under the Koran are subject to religious intolerance, hate and violence espoused in the Koran itself and therefore have forfeit the right to freedom of conscience in the same way that a common criminal does by denying the rights and freedom of another or other persons. It is not an expression of will only, it is an expression of will backed up by intent and violent acts that have erupted over and over again here in America. This is not some abstract thesis lacking material fact!
While many people who are not Moslem will disagree, a lot of people opposed the Constitution, it barely passed into law, it is entirely reasonable to say, if you have read the first half of the Koran, that “Islam is a military exercise disguised as a religion.”
This is the truth Islam brings. It is difficult for the truth to destroy ignorance but truth does oppose ignorance. Read the Koran before you discard it, I did not say burn it. You will find intolerance, hate and violence expressed against freedom of conscience; which lies at the center of the First Amendment and the entire Bill of Rights. Without this freedom the Bill of Rights is a dead letter. The Koran stands foursquare against the Bill of Rights. Moslems swear allegiance to the Koran calling it their Holy Book. Their Holy Book violates our Bill of Rights which grants an absolute guarantee to the “right of conscience” to everyone who in turn freely grants that same right to all others. The Koran contradicts the “right of conscience” more than once saying no one has a right to freely choose a religion as this right is not recognized by the Koran.
This is why people should oppose the ground zero mosque … and do much more to safeguard the American Bill of Rights from the assault on it promulgated by the Koran. You can oppose this view but you cannot oppose this view and be right. This is America and in America we guarantee freedom of conscience to everyone who has a conscience. Believing you have the right by force to deny this right to everyone else, something the Koran states and restates, many books have reported this heretofore, is like shouting “fire” in a crowded theater or gunning someone down on a street. Your freedom ends where your acts deny that freedom to others. Those who practice Islam under the Koran are subject to religious intolerance, hate and violence espoused in the Koran itself and therefore have forfeit the right to freedom of conscience in the same way that a common criminal does by denying the rights and freedom of another or other persons. It is not an expression of will only, it is an expression of will backed up by intent and violent acts that have erupted over and over again here in America. This is not some abstract thesis lacking material fact!