Old! Bold! Islamophobe!

I just saw this on the news and figured I'd post it here for comments....

Quote:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Virginia congressman will not apologize for writing that without immigration overhaul "there will be many more Muslims elected to office demanding the use of the Quran," his spokesman said.

Republican Rep. Virgil Goode's letter to constituents also warns that without immigration overhaul "we will have many more Muslims in the United States."

Spokesman Linwood Duncan said Goode's letter was written in response to complaints his office received about Minnesota Rep.-elect Keith Ellison's request to be sworn in using the Quran.

Ellison is the first Muslim to be elected to Congress.

Goode's office released the letter to CNN Wednesday.

In it, Goode wrote, "When I raise my hand to take the oath on Swearing In Day, I will have the Bible in my other hand. I do not subscribe to using the Quran in any way.

"The Muslim representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Quran.

"We need to stop illegal immigration totally and reduce legal immigration and end the diversity visas policy pushed hard by President Clinton and allowing many persons from the Middle East to come to this country.

"I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped."

He added, "The Ten Commandments and 'In God We Trust' are on the wall in my office. A Muslim student came by the office and asked why I did not have anything on my wall about the Quran.

"My response was clear, 'As long as I have the honor of representing the citizens of the 5th District of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives, the Quran is not going to be on the wall of my office.' "

The Council on American-Islamic Relations asked Goode to apologize.

"Rep. Goode's Islamophobic remarks send a message of intolerance that is unworthy of anyone elected to public office," the council's Corey Saylor said in a statement. "There can be no reasonable defense for such bigotry."

Duncan told CNN that Goode stands by his comments.

What the article doesn't expand upon is that unlike what Virgil Goode is hinting at, Keith Ellison is *NOT* an immigrant. He's an African-American who can trace his roots back into slavery days - or, to put it in simple terms: an American Muslim. I think the rules state that anybody can be sworn in on anything. The default is the Bible, but - in the case of Ellison - anyone of a different religion can swear in on what they want as long as they bring a copy of what it is they want to be sworn in on. In this case, Ellison did that and brought a copy of the Quran. he wasn't asking EVERYBODY do that. It was something he wanted to do. There was also talk on the news about how he isn't the first congressman of different religion elected to office. There are also two buddhist representatives being sworn in as well.

Is it just me or does this Virginian senator guy seem amazingly ignorant? I like how the guy comes across all "we don't want no darkies and people who don't believe what we believe in here! This is the Good Ol' Boy System!" and disguises it by pushing against illegals.

What do you think of this? I have a friend who was from Pakistan and after 9/11 she caught a lot of hell for being hindu (IE lump all people of middle easter descent into one category). Have you ever run into friends or have you yourself experienced something like this?

EDIT: I just thought of this, but I wonder if this leans a bit more towards Political Palace material...I used the letter thing to bring up the point in the last paragraph, but the way its worded (and the subject matter at hand since it's political in origin) kind of trumps that now that I look at it....If a mod thinks this should be moved go right ahead. Sorry about that.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

My mother told me about this today, and now reading what he said in your post...I am amazed at this...disgusting example of pure ignorance. What really irks me is this...double standard many politicians do and how they view America in their way. Apparently, Freedom of religion is for everyone, but Christianity will always be the ONLY religion that's represented for America, and the people living here. I don't see that as diversity, but rather egotistical rightousness of one's religion [which is a sin in Christianity]

I don't see why someone who is of Muslim religion and is in a political office of some sort should not have the right to be sworn in by his Quran. Who is this republican to judge and put down? This is a country of religious freedom, not oppression or religious elitism. I am appalled at this act of arrogance.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Good old fashioned discrimination at its best I say. Bigotry like this has always been around and will continue to do so. This is merely a case of a rather prominent person publicly and rather 'loudly' expressing their views, as biased and ignorant as they maybe.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Jesus christ. Heaven forbid there are more people of different faiths in the melting pot that is America.

Most amazing jew boots

Well it's in the Constitution that no religious test shall be issued to be in office. This guy is just an overreacting bigot.

I was speaking idiomatically.

The best part is that they don't swear in with ANY book. All the Bible shots are photo ops done later.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Denicalis

Jesus christ. Heaven forbid there are more people of different faiths in the melting pot that is America.

Well the "melting pot" scenario certainly didn't work for Rome!! In any case, if you want a Muslim society, why don't you visit Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, or Iraq and see how "free" you are in such a society..or better yet..look at France and all the rioting problems they are having with Muslim youths.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Windsong

Well the "melting pot" scenario certainly didn't work for Rome!!

Rome was not a democracy.

Quote:

In any case, if you want a Muslim society

No one said that but you.

Quote:

why don't you visit Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, or Iraq and see how "free" you are in such a society

Yes, by all means, so that the latest soundbyte isn't all you have to go on.

Quote:

..or better yet..look at France and all the rioting problems they are having with Muslim youths.

Illuminate me. Because for the life of me all I see is a high unemployment rate and very real discrimination against muslims and blacks.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Karasu

disgusting example of pure ignorance.

Ehhh... it's hard to throw stones at a bigot and not sound like one yourself. While I do think this guy's views are a touch too narrow - you have to see that this guy comes from a seperate, slower walk of life than many of us.

I can't say if this guy is actually "ignorant" per se - biased, certainly - but you have to be careful in what you say in a subject like this, lest you paint yourself to be the same as him.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Windsong

Well the "melting pot" scenario certainly didn't work for Rome!! In any case, if you want a Muslim society, why don't you visit Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, or Iraq and see how "free" you are in such a society..or better yet..look at France and all the rioting problems they are having with Muslim youths.

So you're saying isolationism is better because it didn't work for Rome.

Fair enough.

Isolationism certainly didn't work for China!!

See, I can make a retarded point, too.

I don't want a muslim society, and one dude swearing in on the koran does not make a muslim society. You're not especially bright, are you? We're saying the fact the dude is muslim doesn't make him any less qualified to do his job, asshat.

Also, France has rioting problems because they segregate and alienate their muslim population. You know, sort of like what you would have the country do. O wait... maybe YOU should look at France, mate.

Take a pull, mate. You're wasting my time.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Windsong

Well the "melting pot" scenario certainly didn't work for Rome!! In any case, if you want a Muslim society, why don't you visit Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, or Iraq and see how "free" you are in such a society..or better yet..look at France and all the rioting problems they are having with Muslim youths.

Just how many muslim people do you imagine would have to come to America before there would be a resident population large enough to have a noticeable voice? There are a lot of Christians in America, in case you've failed to noticed... any immigrant muslim population would be hopelessly outnumbered, and as such wouldn't be able to pose much of a problem in your society. That of course presumes that it is realistic to believe that they would pose a problem for your society.

I'm not going to argue with your obvious prejudice, but I will argue with you on a simple statistical basis. It would take years of immigration at a constantly high rate before America would have a substantial muslim population. Unless the current population decides to convert en masse, of course.

As has already been stated, Ellison is not an immigrant to the USA, but was instead born there. His family have lived in America since 1742, apparently. This 'problem' if you would call it that, is not about immigration. Apparently the problem is that you would rather Americans don't have freedom of religion, because like any other American, Ellison is free to choose whatever religion his faith moves him to chose. You can't stop that without rewriting the constitution, can you?

Even if the right wing extremists get their way on immigration, you can't stop Americans from choosing to become muslims. If it should ever happen that a large number of people do convert, then that's just something your society will have to learn to deal with.

Most amazing jew boots