Friday, July 06, 2007

Disgraceful Photo of Bush White House Staff in Appeasement Attire

On several occasions, some of my liberal detractors and commenters have accused me of never questioning authority when it comes to Bush and Company. (They certainly don't know me very well.) The truth is there are many things that I'm not in step with in this Administration. Conversely, there are plenty of policies I am.

But of all the things I've seen and read lately, nothing disgusts me more than this disgaceful photo of Karen Hughes and other White House staff in the hijab, bowing and scraping at the font of political correctness. This photo was shot at the rededication of the Islamic Center on Massachusetts Avenue last week less than a mile from the White House.

I ask you, if we had a Christian Center in Tehran, would Ahmadinejad's staff come to our center and show the same kind of courtesy to us? For starters, any Christian center in Iran would have been ransacked and destroyed. And the Christians would be run out of the country or murdered.

Here is a link to their webpage and the chanting that goes on there.

Oh please.

Make no mistake, the Muslims are not looking for respect here, but total conversion and submission to Allah., both personally, culturally and most frighteningly---politically. Making nice with them is only seen as a sign of weakness to those who would subdue and bring us all under Sharia law.

It's shameful.

Bryan Preston has the full story and commentary over at Hot Air with links to other commentary. It's a very slippery slope we're on with trying to listen to and understand those that would destroy our civilization.

President Bush needs to take lessons from Australian Prime Minister John Majors and a speech he made last year:

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks. A day after a group of mainstram Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia and her Queen at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his Ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state, and its laws were made by parliament.

"If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you", he said on National Television. "I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia : one the Australian law and another Islamic law that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better option", Costello said.

Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the other country.

Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should " clear off."

"Basically people who don't want to be Australians, and who don't want to live by Australian values and understand them, well then, they can basically clear off", he said.

Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques.

Howard said, "IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians."

"However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the 'politically correct' crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Australia .However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand."

"This idea of Australia being a multi-cultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. And as Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle."

"This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom. We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society ... Learn the language!"

"Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture. We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us."

"If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don't like "A Fair Go", then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. By all means, keep your culture, but do not force it on others."

"This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs,or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advan tage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'."

"If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted."

*******

Howard said it, meant it and defends his right to say it and mean it.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Of all the things to get upset with the Bush administration over, it's the fact that when visiting an Islamic center, the WH visitors respected the religious practices of their hosts? Please. Check out the pictures of the First Lady when she visited the Vatican. She covered her head with a scarf. Why? Because it's a sign of respect.

I covered my head when visting Mosques in Cairo. I honestly had no idea that it meant the end of western civilization as we know it. Here I thought it was just respecting the cultural mores of another religion.

Hopefully the President will see fit to offer me a pardon for my unforgivable sin of being mature enough to respect the religious differences of people around me.

If this picture is the best you can do with respect to disagreeing with the Bush administration, I shudder to think what else you have a gripe about. Being too liberal on global warming? Not enough domestic spying? Too few US Attorneys fired for being insufficiently "pro-Bushies" (DOJ term, not mine)? The fact we have not yet invaded Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea and France simultaneously?

Webutante said...

Normally I'd agree with you, vienna, after all I'm a southern belle of sorts and was taught to respect other peoples traditions.

I have covered my head to attend various things over the years.

But I stand by my post 1000% here. These people are seeking not just religious conversion but political and regime change here in the United States. They would like nothing more than to replace our Constitutional law with Sharia.

What in the world is this White House staff thinking??

It's disgusting and disgraceful and the Muslim on Mass. Avenue must be very happy with this photo...

Rita Loca said...

No head scarves for me! No one bothers asking me if they are wearing something offensive. I try to not offend, within reason, but come on...this is more religious than political.

Anonymous said...

It's a simple matter of respect. You go to a holy place of any religion and you respect their traditions. What you're saying Web is that if you went to a conservative Orthodox Jewish service, you would insist on sitting where ever you please? Or if your husband went to a Jewish wedding, he would refuse to cover his head? Or if you went to a conservative Mass you'd prove your point by not wearing a veil? If that would make you feel better, I suppose that's fine, although you do it at the expense of insulting your guests.

Muslims will never be able to impose Sharia law here. Regardless of what Rusty Limbaugh or Sean Hannity or Michael Wiener Savage are telling you, there is absolutely no way Sharia will ever be the law of this land. No one on either side of the political aisle wants it. Not even Keith Ellison, Democrat of Minnesota, and the only Muslim elected to the US House of Representatives. If anything, most people would like this country and our leaders to to abide by the laws we already have.

One of the goals of the Sept 11th hijackers was to create such terror and havoc in the US that we would willingly submit to Islamic domination. The opposite happened. We were totally unified against the Taliban and al-Qaeda. The idea that somehow the terrorists are going to take over and all 300 million of us are going to roll over submissively is exactly what the terrorists want: the US living in perpetual fear. Stop being afraid. I for one refuse to live in fear, and will never, ever accept any law which makes me a second class citizen, or puts me and my family under a system of laws based on a religion I don't belong to, and I'm guessing about 99.9% of Americans are with me, regardless of what political side of the aisle they are on. After all, most Muslims don't even want to live under Sharia law, and some middle eastern countries are starting to change, as evidenced by the loosening of the Sharia laws in Egypt and Jordan, among other places.

Webutante said...

Actually, no, I'm not saying all of the above. I am well schooled and practiced in protocol and the amenities of respecting other people's beliefs and religion.

However, there is a limit for me in how far I am willing to go. And since 9-11, I am not willing to pay homage to Islam. Period.

Of course, I would not have attended the dedication of the Isalmic Center last week in the first place, even if invited. But had I gone, I would have attended well dressed and ladylike but without a scarf on my head. If that was offensive, and I was asked to leave, I would have left quietly. It's called letting the chips fall where they may.

How far are you willing to go in respecting other people's religion? I say you have to maintain your own self-respect and be true to your own beliefs first.

Also, with respect to fear: to me political correctness and appeasement is generated by a deep and unacknowledged fear not to confront and make waves. To me, going to the Islamic Center without head garb takes a lot more courage than automatically being the paragon of faux respect.

But you certainly have a right to your opinion about it all.

Van Harvey said...

Vienna VA said... "Muslims will never be able to impose Sharia law here. "

Why not?

"...most Muslims don't even want to live under Sharia law..."

Including in those places where it currently rules. It doesn't take a majority to impose the rules. It only takes an active, vocal minority to make demands and threaten violence to those who disagree with them - and a majority who will not only let them do so, but accept embarrassment over their disagreement in order to get along without making waves, just that and no more, and the vocal minority will rule.

Webutante said "... to me political correctness and appeasement is generated by a deep and unacknowledged fear not to confront and make waves."

Yep.

I'd heard that Howard had said something to the effect of "If you don't like the way we do it here, then leave", but I hadn't heard the full details. Sadly, I can't think of one of the current crop of candidates from either side who would say the same. If one would, they'd have a diehard supporter in me.

Anonymous said...

Web, it's not like wearing a scarf means you're converting. As soon as I left the Mosques I visited, I took it off. Why? Because it's not my religion. But I had enough respect for my guests - and for myself - to at least acknowledge their religious traditions. If that's not something you're able to do, then I would urge you never to visit any place where you would ever feel that you had to be less than 100% Christian at all times.

Vienna VA said... "Muslims will never be able to impose Sharia law here. "

So Van says "Why not?"

Uh, I don't know. I'm guessing because the 295 million people who live here and aren't Muslim won't accept it?

But if you really think we're one step away from full Sharia laws, then show me one piece of local, state or federal legislation passed anywhere within these 50 states at any time in the past 231 years which mandates any type of sharia law. This can include legislation regarding marriage, financial, property rights, and education laws, to name just a few. There are certainly other areas for you to investigate.
I look foward to reading your results.

And Web, when can we look forward to you discussing the unfairness the Victor Rita sentence?

Webutante said...

Radical Muslims won't need to pass any laws to take over this country....having perfected the weapon of righteous indignation and intimidation, they can scare us all into submission and "respect."

We will give them the keys to the kingdom through making nice. Just look at what it happening in Britain....it's shameful and also frightening.

******

Van, I agree with you totally. If there were a candidate who talked like John Majors, I'd be behind him 100%

Anonymous said...

Web, we can only be scared into submission if we allow that to happen. There is a huge difference between respecting their religious traditions, and allowing Sharia law to become the law of this land. If you really believe that wearing a head scarf is the first step to total submission to a Taliban style government in America, then there isn't really too much to say, except throw your support behind Tancredo. He dosen't seem to like anyone who isn't a white Christian.

Were you traumatized or something by the Muslim populations in the Rocky Mountain states and in Tennesse? I had no idea they were hot beds of Islamic fudamentalism. I mean, there's a fairly big population where I live and the only time I see any Muslims is when I eat at the Lebanese restaurant and say hello to the parents of my sons' classmates (they each had one Muslim student in their class). I know, I know, making nice will lead to my downfall. Or my submission. Or something. The really funny thing is that the Muslims I know (both here and abroad) all seem to want the same things I do - healthy and happy families, living their lives as they choose, worshiping their way. I mean, how un-American is that??

As far as England goes, my best friend and her family just moved back to the states after living there for a year. Her biggest complaint about living there was the pound versus dollar. It cost $150 to fill up her minivan. Meals out cost upwards of $200.

Webutante said...

I'm afraid we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

But I will say that if we all don't have a healthy fear of radical Islam and the creeping nature of it, we all need to have our heads examined.

Nuff said.

Anonymous said...

I don't like radical Islam anymore than you do. I just don't run around claiming the sky is falling and the Islamic fundamentalists are thisclose to taking over America because Karen Hughes put a scarf on her head while visiting an Islamic center.

I think a good way to send a clear message to the radical Islamists around the world is to find and kill Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. Too bad we took our eye off the ball in Afghanistan about 4 years ago.

Van Harvey said...

Afraid my fingers went into overdrive on the reply, rather than eat all Webutante's space, I put it as a post Culture on the face of it, on my site.