THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume XIV, Issue # 135, June 25, 2012
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
U.S. CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN CALLS FOR HEARINGS ON
"RADICALIZATION" OF WHITE CHRISTIAN WOMEN
By Raymond Ibrahim
THE RADICALIZATION OF MUSLIMS IN THE U.S.A.: THE SERIOUS THREAT THAT RADICAL ISLAM POSES TO AMERICA -- WHY THE U.S. HOUSE HOMELAND
SECURITY COMMITTEE IS NOT HOLDING HEARINGS ON THE RADICALIZATION OF CHRISTIANS -- DO CHRISTIAN RADICALS IN AMERICA POSE THE SAME RISKS TO
THE U.S.A. AS DO RADICALIZED MUSLIM-AMERICANS?
FULL STORY:
During a Homeland Security Committee hearing last week on the "Radicalization of Muslim-Americans," Texas Congressman Al Green (Democrat) criticized the
hearings as biased and unfair to Muslims, suggesting that the only way to justify them is if Congress would also conduct a "hearing on the radicalization of
Christians."
Though his position may seem balanced, in fact, it reveals a dangerous mix of irrationality, moral relativism, and emotionalism — all disastrous traits in a U.S.
Congressman. Consider some of Green's assertions:
"I don't think that most people oppose hearings on radicalization. I do not,
not — N-O-T — oppose hearings on radicalization. I do oppose hearings
that don't focus on the entirety of radicalization…. [W]hy not have a
hearing on the radicalization of Christians?... People who see the hearings
and never hear about the hearing on the radicalization of Christianity have
to ask themselves: Why is this missing?"
Fair question — Why not have a hearing on the radicalization of Christians? Before responding, we must acknowledge that the word "radicalization" simply
means "to go to the root or origin of something," in this case, religion: a Muslim radical goes to the root teachings of Islam; a Christian radical goes to the root
teachings of Christianity. Accordingly, there are certainly "Christian radicals" in America. The question is, do they pose the same risks to America as Muslim
radicals?
Green and all moral relativists naturally do not want to pursue such a question, opting to pretend that any form of "radicalization" — regardless of the "root
teachings" — is evil. They are certainly not interested in determining the fundamentals of Christianity and Islam, and whether they are equally prone to violence,
terrorism, conquest, etc. While this is not the place to contrast modern Christianity's apolitical and largely passive nature with modern Islam's political and
largely aggressive nature — a theme elaborated here — suffice it to say that, while thousands of modern-day Muslim leaders are on record quoting Islamic
scriptures to justify violence and hate, one is hard pressed to find examples of modern Christian leaders preaching violence and hate — and justifying it through
scripture.
The Saudi Grand Mufti, the highest religious official of Saudi Arabia, Islam's holiest nation, called on the destruction of all regional churches, quoting Islamic
texts. Can Green find an example of an equally authoritative Christian leader calling for the destruction of mosques — and supporting it through the Bible?
Green went on to ask:
"Why don't we go to the next step and ask, how it is that a blue-eyed,
blonde-haired, white female in the United States of America can
become radicalized to the point of wanting to do harm to this
country? We don't have that type of hearing. That's the problem."
Thus, not only does the Congressman irrationally conflate the teachings of all religions together, he also conflates religion with race (and gender) implying that
the only reason there are hearings on Muslim radicalization is because Muslims are not white, whereas those "equally-dangerous" blue-eyed, blond-haired
female Christian "radicals" are apparently getting a free pass to terrorize America.
This logic is flawed on many levels. Islam is not a race; there are Muslims of all colors, just like there are Christians of all colors. Moreover, there are indeed
"blue-eyed, blond-haired" terrorists in the world, including females — yet these, too, are overwhelmingly Muslim. It is dishonest for Green to try to take the
focus off of Islamic radicalization and pin it on that all-purpose bogeyman, "racism."
Regardless, this argument of Islam as a race is popular and was, for example, used by Congresswoman Jackie Speier, who also called these hearings "racist."
Likewise, a former American soldier discussing the Fort Hood shootings lamented that "When a white guy shoots up a post office, they call that going postal.
But when a Muslim [namely, Nidal Hasan] does it, they call it jihad."
Notice the confusion; as if a "white guy" and a "Muslim" represent different races. Of course, if a person of any color goes on a random shooting spree, it
would be racist to pin it on his race. But if a person of any color goes on a shooting spree — while waving the Koran, screaming the jihadi paean
"Allahu Akbar!" or otherwise rationalizing his actions in Islamic terms, as did Nidal Hasan — then we are talking about a shooting spree motivated by a
learned ideology or worldview that has nothing to do with the murderer's race.
From beginning to end, Green — like his congressman colleague Keith Ellison, whose objection to these hearings culminated in a teary-eyed breakdown —
relied on emotionalism to make his point: he opened his statement by offering the Islamic greeting assalama alikum to Muslims present, dreamily observing:
"Isn't it wonderful that the grandson of a Christian minister can sit on the Homeland Security Committee and say assalama alikum?" — a meaningless point
that does not change the fact that, in Islam, Muslims are only allowed to say "Peace upon you" to fellow Muslims, never to non-Muslim infidels, who, by
nature, are deemed undeserving of Muslim well-wishing.
Finally, Green concluded his sanctimonious attack by saying:
"I do know what it feels like to look like a Muslim in the minds of
some people and to be demeaned in a public venue…. I look
forward to the day that we'll have that hearing that deals with the
radicalization of Christians in America."
Again, this is all meaningless race-related rhetoric and moral relativism, the sole value of which is to obfuscate the issue at hand: the real threat of
"radicalization of Muslim-Americans."
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
Ethnic & Racial Politics in the U.S.A.
The Islamist Fifth Column -- America's Internal Enemies:
Disloyalty, Subversion, Sedition, & Treason
Islamism & Jihadism -- The Threat of Radical Islam
Page Three
Page Two
Page One
Middle East -- Arabs, Arab States,
& Their Middle Eastern Neighbors
American Foreign Policy -- The Middle East
International Politics & World Disorder:
War, Peace, & Geopolitics in the Real World:
Foreign Affairs & U.S. National Security
Page Two
Page One
Islamist Terrorist Attacks on the U.S.A.
Osama bin Laden & the Islamist Declaration of War
Against the U.S.A. & Western Civilization
Islamist International Terrorism &
U.S. Intelligence Agencies
Counterterrorism & U.S. National Security
U.S. National Security Strategy
Raymond Ibrahim, a historian of Islam, Islamism and the Middle East, is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom
Center, an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum, a guest lecturer at the National Defense Intelligence College, and
the editor of The Al-Qa'ida Reader, a collection of tranlations of key texts and documents of the Islamist movement.
Ibrahim's translations of the religious texts and political propaganda comprising this collection help readers comprehend
the origins, development, history, and serious danger of the Islamist war doctrines of Usama bin Laden and Ayman
al-Zawahiri, the Founders of Al-Qa'ida.
The foregoing article by Raymond Ibrahim was originally published in Front Page Magazine, June 25, 2012, and
can be found on the Internet website maintained by the Middle East Forum, a foreign policy think tank which seeks to
define and promote American interests in the Middle East, defining U.S. interests to include fighting radical Islam,
working for Palestinian Arab acceptance of the State of Israel, improving the management of U.S. efforts to promote
constitutional democracy in the Middle East, reducing America's energy dependence on the Middle East, more robustly
asserting U.S. interests vis-à-vis Saudi Arabia, and countering the Iranian threat.
(URL: http://www.meforum.org/3270/congressman-al-green )
Republished with Permission of the Middle East Forum
Reprinted from the Middle East Forum News
mefnews@meforum.org (MEF NEWS)
June 25, 2012
Return to Top of Page
Go to the WEBSITE INDEX
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Public Issues & Political Controversies
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
Most Recent Articles
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Volume XIV, 2011
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Subject Matter Highlights
Return to POLITICAL EDUCATION Homepage
CONTACT & ACCESS INFORMATION
This is not a commercial website. The sole purpose of the website is to share with interested persons information regarding civics,
civic and social education, political science, government, politics, law, constitutional law and history, public policy and political
philosophy and history, as well as current and recent political developments, public issues, and political controversies.
POLITICAL EDUCATION, CONSERVATIVE ANALYSIS
POLITICS, SOCIETY, & THE SOVEREIGN STATE
Website of Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr.
Government, Politics, Public Policy, Legal Issues, Constitutional Law, Government & the Economy, Cultural Values, Foreign Affairs,
International Relations, Military Defense & National Security, Geopolitics, Terrorism & Homeland Security, American National Interests,
Political Systems & Processes, Political Institutions, Political Ideologies, & Political Philosophy
INDEX FOR THE ENTIRE WEBSITE
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Conservative & Free-Market Analysis of Government, Politics & Public Policy, Covering Political, Legal, Constitutional, Economic,
Cultural, Military, International, Strategic, & Geopolitical Issues
Conservative Government Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity