The Muslim American Society Boston chapter sent this gem around this morning via e-mail, taken from a Nigerian newspaper:
"Contrary to the widely held opinion in the Muslim world concerning America’s view on Islam, the United States of America has respect, care and acknowledgement of Muslims contribution in America civilization.
This assertion was made by Mr. Russell Hanks, the political counsellor in the Embassy of the United States of American in Nigeria.
The counsellor who made the disclosure at a dinner parts organized by the US embassy for selected Muslims for breaking their fast on Tuesday, stated that the very foundation of democracy laid by America’s founding fathers was based on Islamic influence essentially from the Middle East."
Please, not before breakfast! Whiskey tango foxtrot? Come again? In Nigeria? Where Northern Muslim Nigerians are imposing sharia law on non-Muslims, persecuting Christians and stoning adulterous women? Jeffeson, Madison, Franklin, Washington - they based their work on Islamic principles from the Middle East? What on earth is he talking about? What's with our State Department? More from Hanks:
"He said the programme was organized for Muslims in this very important month of Ramadan because of the respect the embassy accords to Muslims and their religion."
Refresh my memory, please. When was the last time the U.S. State Department or any U.S. embassy lauded Buddhists or Hindus or Catholics or Sikhs? I'm not coming up with anything. No other religion gets this pandering. Why the grovelling? Mr. Banks, this is ridiculous. Our nation's forefathers were quite religious, but they were all Christian. The dhimmitude will get you nowhere. Please explain yourself.
Update: The U.S.embassy website has pics of the event, but attributes a quote similar to what's in the newspaper article to Ambassador Campbell, not Russell Hanks. I'd really like to get my hands on a transcript of that speech. Maybe it will be posted here in a few days..... Russell Hanks is apparently the Political Affairs Officer at the embassy. I sent them an e-mail asking if Mr. Banks really made such a statement, and if so, why? We'll see if I hear back.
Frigging outrageous. These people need to be removed immediately.
Posted by: Purple Avenger | October 17, 2006 at 11:57 PM