Why did no one object to the "Pentagon mosque"?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

(Washington Times - 2007)

As the Pentagon celebrated Ramadan, the White House is in preparations for an iftar feast tomorrow, said Lt. Cmdr. Saifulislam, who will be participating at the White House events.

President and Mrs. Bush host an iftar dinner every year because they want people around the world to know how much they respect Islam and the many Muslims living in the U.S. who are free to worship as they want, and are an integral part of our society," said Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the White House National Security Council.

With the Pew Hispanic Center estimating the U.S. Muslim population in 2007 at 2.35 million people and growing, it's no surprise to see the Muslim population play an important role in all facets of government, said Defense Department officials.

Defense officials could not readily provide current estimates on the number of Muslim service members, but said the department works diligently to provide spiritual counseling and guidance to service members of all faiths.

"We live in a great nation," said master of ceremonies Air Force Lt. Col. Timothy Oldenburg, a Muslim. "Yes, it is our First Amendment right do that — to practice our religion the way we feel, to worship God and to come to the Pentagon and celebrate Ramadan."

.....

Cmdr. Saifulislam said he has presided over funerals of young Muslim service members who have given their lives in the fight against terrorism.

For the Pentagon, as with the rest of the country, the process of mending fences since the September 11 attacks has not always been easy but necessary, he added.

"I think there is a misconception at times," said Cmdr. Saifulislam. "I have attended many funerals of American Muslims who have died in Iraq. If you take the time to get to know somebody, your attitude toward them changes."

The first Muslim U.S. congressman — Rep. Keith Ellison, Minnesota Democrat — also attended the iftar, along with Imam Sheik Rashid Lamptey, executive director of the Muslim Association of Virginia. Sheik Lamptey also served as the deputy imam of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society in Virginia.

As the night's festivities concluded, Col. Oldenburg presented Sheik Lamptey with an American flag that flew over the Pentagon on Sept. 7.

"It is not a choice for us to know each other," said Cmdr. Saifulislam regarding the diversity in the U.S. and military. "It is a necessity for us to know each other."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2007/oct/3/pentagon-observes32muslim-holy-month/print/

.....

But since this was under Bush's watch and not under the current Kenyan Muslim that resides in the White House, it didn't rattle the cages of the paranoid and prejudice.

[Ban Hammer 13,364]

because you didn't tell us about it back then, slacker!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

For the same reason no one protests the war(s) since Obama was elected. Political hacks make no sense. Republican political hacks are just as much swine as Democrat political hacks. Big surprise.

[Nagishkaw 510]

[Obama 2012 1,714]

because we care less about Federal workers.....

[thongd4me 69]

The question itself suggests that the "Pentagon mosque" required an objection,

if only for the reason to be equally reactionary to those who reacted with indignation

at the construction of a mosque near the World Trade Center site.

Since the US appears to be founded on and operates according to the "rule of law"

rather than mob rule, so far there is no provision for exceptions where it says that

all religions will be tolerated. The fact that there may be reasonable excuses for

such exceptions to be enacted (religions tolerated EXCEPT those that avocate

the overthrow of the US government and abolishment of other religions) ignores

the fact that so far we do not have exceptions to toleration of all religions.

The fact that a crazy person proclaims himself to be acting as a Christian or

Jew does not require condemnation of Christians or Jews, so my reply to

"why did no one object" would be, OK then you have to prove that all Muslim

leaders and their followers were behind those attacks and then you have to

write laws codifying how they are to be treated and allowed or denied the

activities considered to be normal regarding their religion. Once you do that,

we become open through prescedent to circumscribing the activities of

any other religious group, which would be a nice new can of worms indeed.

I can see the outrage at Bloomberg's statements that tolerance should be the rule here,

but the alternative is going to a place that may cause more problems than it solves.

[alienlovechild 75]

President and Mrs. Bush host an iftar dinner every year because they want people around the world to know how much they respect Islam and the many Muslims living in the U.S. who are free to worship as they want, and are an integral part of our society," said Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the White House National Security Council.

But since this was under Bush's watch and not under the current Kenyan Muslim that resides in the White House, it didn't rattle the cages of the paranoid and prejudice.

So you're expecting posters to be against allowing Islamic services at the Pentagon yet upset no one was against it? Guess what, there's been a Islamic prayer room at the military academies for a few years and the DOD has been trying recruit more people with language skills for CENTCOM.

[Captain Oates 911]

Since the US appears to be founded on and operates according to the "rule of law"

rather than mob rule,

The exception is when a foreign company suffers an industrial accident - then the leader of the mob comes out of the white house and publicly sacks the CEO of that company without even speaking to him, and without a court hearing.

[^_^ 5,021]

Corporate executives don't get court hearings before they are sacked by their boards, you senile git.

[Captain Oates 911]

Corporate executives don't get court hearings before they are sacked by their boards, you senile git.

how immature

have you got a job yet ?

[^_^ 5,021]

how immature

have you got a job yet ?

yes they pay me to find old people lost on the interwebs. i think i've found one.

[Peikko 1,575]

yes they pay me to find old people lost on the interwebs. i think i've found one.

[natty bumppo 297]

yes they pay me to find old people lost on the interwebs. i think i've found one.

payday!

Edited August 6, 2010 by frank bama

[Captain Oates 911]

yes they pay me to find old people lost on the interwebs. i think i've found one.

If you knew anything about anything, you would know that CEO's are indeed sacked by their company, but the president has not been invited onto the board of BP.

Also it is normal to establish guilt, even for a company, via the legal process.

I note your disrespect for older people - I assume you apply it to your parents too.

Don't ever bother applying to help senile people - you would not be suitable as you use the word as a term of abuse.

[thongd4me 69]

The exception is when a foreign company suffers an industrial accident - then the leader of the mob comes out of the white house and publicly sacks the CEO of that company without even speaking to him, and without a court hearing.

Yes it was an industrial accident and you may have made a fair assessment,

but because of the magnitude of the damage caused by this incident, the

same fate would have befallen any US company. The "worst case" provisions

for such accidents were embarassingly underestimated (the ability to

recover lost product at the top of the list), but those provisions were probably

no better or worse than those of any other major company. BP had the bad

luck to have this happen on it's site and consequently has to take the heat for that.

Edited August 6, 2010 by thongd4me