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Edited on Wed Aug-25-10 03:26 PM by Blue Meany
Much of the right wing discourse attacking the Islamic cultural center in NY has incorporated guilt-by-association, innuendo, and quotes taken out of context to portray the Imam as some kind of a radical Islamist. I wonder what would happen if the right-wing was treated the same way.
Two of the anti-mosque leaders, David Yerushalmi and Pamela Geller, both have some pretty radical views, along with long-term ties to mainstream Republicans. Geller has called for bombing Tehran, Mecca and Medina in retaliation for attacks on the US; killing American Muslims (since "they" killed "us") and has voiced support for white supremacist organizations. Yerushalmi, is president and founder of Society of Americans for National Existence (SANE)an anti-Islamic group that has made racist statements, questioned whether Blacks and women should have the vote, and advocated banning Islam in the US, arguing in their proposed legislation "Whereas, adherence to Islam as a Muslim is prima facie evidence of an act in support of the overthrow of the U.S. Government through the abrogation, destruction, or violation of the U.S. Constitution and the imposition of Shari'a on the American People...It shall be a felony punishable by 20 years in prison to knowingly act in furtherance of, or to support the, adherence to Islam." Yerushalmi, as a lawyer, has litigated a number of lawsuits against Muslim groups and has engaged in a scare-mongering campaign against Sharia-compliant financial and insurance products, which Geller has translated into hysteria about a supposed conspiracy to impose Sharia law on us.
Yerushalmi has ties with Newt Gingrich going back to early 1990s, when he employed his wife, Marianne Gingrich in his company, the Israel Export Development Co. Numerous other Republican leaders also have ties with these radicals. If they were Democrats, the press would be all over them demanding that they denounce (or voice support for) these positions. So why isn't anyone asking: 1) Do you support banning Islam (or abolshing freedom of religion) in this country? 2) Do you support bombing Mecca in retaliation for 9/11? 3) What is your relationships with anti-Muslim radicals Yeruhalmi and Geller and do you support their positions? 4) Do you agree that Blacks and women should perhaps not be allowed to vote? 5) Do you agree that it's justified to kill American Muslims in retaliation for 9/11?
Democrats, at least, should be raising the issue of their ties with un-American radicals and making them answer these questions.
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