Yesterday, Robert Parham of the Baptist Center for Ethics (and EthicsDaily.com) penned an editorial titled Face Down the Fringe Faithful Who Want Religious Test for Military Service.
In his editorial, Parham wrote:
Demonization of American Muslims is under way among conservative American Christians who think wrongly that President Obama is showing his true colors as a Muslim and Muslims shouldn’t be in the military.
But this is not the first time that anxiety within right wing Christianity has objected to government service based on faith. Stopping the phobia from spreading from the fringes of faith into the mainstream demands that faith leaders speak up now.
Wade Burleson, a Southern Baptist pastor from Enid, Oklahoma, has responded to Parham’s editorial. In today’s blog post, Burleson cites approvingly Mossab Hassan who declared at Burleson’s church recently that “Moderate Muslims are most dangerous Muslims of all.”
Burleson concludes his post with this:
Again, you may not agree with Mossab Hassan, but I find it interesting that people in the culture of the United States are urging caution in bringing judgment upon moderate Islam over the shootings at Ft. Hood–implying that moderate Islam is different than fundamental Islamic radicals. Yet,a former radical Muslim leader in the terrorist organization Hamas, a man trained for years to kill his enemies, is unequivocally telling us that moderate Muslims are the most dangerous kind of Muslims because nobody knows how fast they will jump to the top rung of jihad.
I do find it a bit ironic that a guy who lives not far from Oklahoma City - the capital of a state known to be a hotbed of the Christian Identity militia movement - would make such a statement. In light of the actions of people like Eric Rudolph and the responses from the Randall Terrys and Wiley Drakes of the anti-abortion fringe, I suspect Burleson would respond just a bit differently if Hassan’s declaration was tweaked to assert that Moderate Christians are the most dangerous Christians of all. Ridiculous.
This is hardly the first time that Burleson has expressed anti-Muslim sentiment. In early October, Burleson wrote this comment in his original post on Mossab Hassan:
…The Koran is not A holy book, it is full of pleas for people to cut the throats and kill those who refuse to convert. It is Allah, the god of Islam that is the problem. Mohammed has lied to the people and Satan is behind the religion of hate…
Numerous additional anti-Muslim comments were made by other bloggers following this particular comment of Burleson’s. A couple are below:
I have been around Muslims most of my life and can tell you they are a paradox. And I loved them. I also witnessed the quick change when called to Revolution or Jihad. I saw it back in the late 70’s as a very young girl. They believe in a generous hospitality at the same time they would be more than willing to kill you if need be. It is something very hard for us to understand.
Her time frame of experience with them is as was mine in day-to-day experience. My opinion is as hers, word for word. I really do relate to this part of her comment and am fascinated that she said it. It is also what makes me know she was around Muslims back in the 70s. She said:
“They believe in a generous hospitality at the same time they would be more than willing to kill you if need be. It is something very hard for us to understand.”
That statement is just far too true. (although I do kinda understand why they were willing to kill. I don’t find it hard to understand) Or, at least that was my experience.
And back in May, Burleson posted a fear-mongering anti-Muslim YouTube video on his blog. Parham wrote an excellent editorial a week later titled Anti-Muslim Immigration Video Spreads Fear, Distorts Truth.
From Parham:
“Muslim Demographics” is a fear-mongering, fact-distorting video on YouTube posted by an anonymous source. The video has gone viral with almost 5 million views thanks to conservative Christians who are posting it on their blogs and e-mailing links to their church friends….What explains why conservative Christians have posted this video on their blogs and e-mailed links to their friends? Whatever happened to following the biblical admonition against rumor-spreading and for the call to truth-telling?
It must be noted that Burleson’s anti-Muslim attitude is part of his broader intolerance towards other people of faith and those with no faith. Back in April, Burleson opened up a session of the Oklahoma State Senate with a “prayer” demeaning a broad group of folks with different convictions - particularly atheists who Burleson characterized as second-class citizens. In this prayer, Burleson even made an attempt to link America’s atheists and humanists to evil totalitarian regimes (Hitler, Stalin, etc.). You can read my post titled Wade Burleson and Religious Intolerance here.
Burleson can continue his anti-Muslim rhetoric and his pattern of intolerance. That’s fine. I don’t particularly care. Burleson doesn’t do much to help the Baptist image, that’s for sure and that’s unfortunate.
I am bothered that *some* moderate Baptists in recent years have gone to great lengths to promote Wade Burleson - obviously without a full understanding of his more extreme positions. I think that some moderates get a”thrill going up [their] leg” Chris Matthews-style when Burleson gets on his anti-Patterson, anti-SBC kick. I don’t know. I can’t explain the fascination of *some* moderates with Burleson.
Clearly, these *some* that I speak of don’t read his blog on a regular basis or conveniently ignore his more extreme posts. Who knows. However, as I hinted at before, it was a mistake to invite someone with this public pattern of intolerant to be the keynote speaker at the Midwest Regional Meeting of the New Baptist Covenant (August 2009) - a “movement” which seeks to promote religious liberty and respect for religious diversity.
Frankly, I did not then (as I wrote here) and do not now see the logic in making an individual who preaches religious intolerance one of the leading voices in a movement advocating on behalf of tolerance and respect for diversity.
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The silver lining to the Fort Hood tragedy is that the gun regulation people have never had such a strong argument for their position. A psychiatrist, of all people, kills 13 people and wounds 30 others in a military base where highly trained soldiers are plenty as well as weapons. This shooting had more casualties than Columbine and almost as many as the University of Texas. If trained soldiers can’t take care of things faster than that in their own base how can anyone expect to believe that conceal and carry laws will do anything at all among the general populace?
To get back to the topic, you forgot to mention that Wade Burleson is also one of very few egalitarians in the SBC. That might be another reason why the “moderates” support him. I don’t care for his nationalism or politics, but I’ve got to work with what I’ve got in the convention and everything else is helpful about Burleson.
I think that we have to take measures to identify future jihad warriors, but I’m really scared of what we could lower ourselves to do in such efforts. Every time we’ve faced similar circumstances in the past we’ve overreacted (e.g., Japanese interment camps). But failure to react at all is not the solution.
Identifying the NEXT jihad terrorist is a difficult and delicate task—one calling for circumspection, restraint, and wisdom. But identifying the LAST jihad warrior is easy. There’s no doubt what Hassan was, and when I hear or see people who cannot identify him for what he was, it erodes my confidence in their ability to watch for the next one.
Pastor Wade’s post was titled with a question. And the views of Moderate muslims is that Mossab Hassan.
The one very good quality of Pastor Wade is he is willing to state his views and defend them. More importantly he dialogues with readers and willing to learn and change. That is most remarkable aspect. Though that element is common place for people in their youth, it is remarkable that he is willing do that publicly. That requires courage and is normally not found in most grown ups.
Big Daddy,
Do you think this was a wise move by the current administration? It is my opinion that it is just another example wherein politically correctness took priority over the security of this nation and possibly the world at-large.
What do you think? Read the profile below. I am interested in your opinion in light of your post.
Arif Alikhan:
Former Deputy Mayor of Homeland Security and Public Safety for the City of Los Angeles.
Was responsible for derailing the LAPD’s plan to monitor activities within the Los Angeles Muslim community.
Was appointed as assistant secretary for the Office of Policy Development in Barack Obama’s Department of Homeland Security in 2009.
Arif Alikhan is a Sunni Muslim born in Canada in 1968. Raised in California by Indian and Pakistani parents, he graduated from Loyola Law School and then clerked for U.S. District Judge Ronald Lew of California’s Central District.
He subsequently worked as a prosecutor in the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney’s office and taught law at the University of Southern California. He also spent time working for the U.S. Department of Justice as the overseer of a computer-hacking program, and then as vice chairman of the Department’s Intellectual Property Task Force.
In 2002 Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa appointed Alikhan as Deputy Mayor of Homeland Security and Public Safety for the City of Los Angeles, a position he held until 2006.
During his years in Los Angeles, Alikhan was responsible for derailing Police Department efforts to monitor activities within the city’s Muslim community, where numerous radical mosques and madrassas were known to exist, and where some of the 9/11 hijackers had received support from local residents.
Hostile toward Israel, Alikhan is affiliated with the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), which has referred to the terrorist organization Hezbollah as a “liberation movement.” Alikhan opposed President George W. Bush’s prosecution of the war on Islamic terror.
In April 2009, Janet Napolitano appointed Alikhan as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Policy Development in Barack Obama’s Department of Homeland Security. Hussam Ayloush, Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Los Angeles branch, praised the appointment:
“Congratulations to Mr. Alikhan on this well-deserved appointment. [His] new position reflects his and the community’s dedication to helping preserve the security of our country. The American Muslim community can be proud of him.”
Thirteen days prior to his Homeland Security appointment, Alikhan had participated in a MPAC fundraiser called “Be the Change,” to support what the organization described as its leadership-development programs.
Bart,
I actually do agree with this sentence from liberal-basher Kelly Boggs recent op-ed at BP:
Now, any of the aforementioned taken separately could mean little or nothing. However, taken together they give a strong indication that Hasan was motivated by his radical views of Islam…
C.B.,
I’ll have to read up from a few different sources and get back with you.
Thy Peace,
You are correct that the title of the post ended with a question mark. He did a bit more than simply ask a question though.
At my favorite local sports radio host often says, I was born at night but I wasn’t born last night.
I must also add that Burleson’s recent comments as chronicled in this post don’t exactly jive well with his comments at the New Baptist Covenant regarding Muslims.
Hypocrisy?
Remember that’s just a question! Or is it?
Granted, I know you’re like the Ultimate Burleson Loyalist and you read and interpret Burleson in the most charitable light possible even if the facts don’t support your quest to be kind.
I’ve seen, heard and experienced the ugly, awful, ignorant and downright hateful sides of a whole lot of people who carry the “Baptist” name. I suppose if I were to go by percentages, I’d have to say that I’ve met a higher percentage of people whose conduct reflects Christian principles among the Muslims I’ve encountered than among the Baptists I’ve encountered. But of course, human beings aren’t a matter of generalities and percentages. And that’s true regardless of whatever faith or non-faith label they attach to themselves.
You call it ridiculous that one would say “Moderate Christians are the most dangerous Christians of all.”
You stir up an interesting question. The more radical the commitment to Christ, the less likelihood to violate Christ’s commands, and the greater likelihood to take on Jesus’ characteristics, right?
Let’s strive to be more radical Christians, and less moderate.
Big Daddy,
Hypocrisy is definitely one of my sins. So you can remove any question mark.
In terms of this discussion, Mossab Hassan is careful to point out that there is a difference between loving Muslims and speaking out against Islamic ideology.
Christians are to love all Muslims, even those who wish our deaths. Mossab Hassan is pointing out that moderate Muslims, at least in their Islamic beliefs, serve the same god that radical Muslims serve–a god who calls for the death of all who will not submit.
The issue is not whether or not we should love all Muslims. Our Lord commands this. The issue is whether or not a former radical Muslim (Mossab Hassan) is right in pointing out that the ideology of death to infidels is the teaching of Islam, whether embraced by moderates now or later, it is still its teaching — at least according to him.
Blessings,
wade
There are at least two distinct camps this week:
GROUP A: Those who believe that moderate Muslims Americans are capable of being decent, law-abiding, patriotic Americans.
GROUP B: And those who do not.
The interesting thing is that Group B wants to push moderate Muslims into the category of radical terrorists.
And that is ALSO the goal of Islamic terrorists who want to bring moderate Muslims into their camp.
So it appears that Group B: our own dear fundamentalist right-wing extremists fringe Christians have joined forces with Islamic terroriests to redefine
moderate Muslim American citizens.
Interesting. But not surprising.
Only one example of how right wing fringe extremists of Islam and Christian persuasions are more similar to each other
then
right-wing fringe Christian extremists are to other Christians.
Could it be that Wade was invited to the New Baptist Covenant Midwest regional meeting more because of the Baptist political clout that came with having his name on the program, and thus the potential to draw a few more people to the gathering, than he was for his views?
[...] will likely be my last Wade Burleson-related post. This is probably two, too many. But in light of a recent comment exchange on his blog regarding the [...]
Big Daddy Weave,
Seriously?
Read #2. of the definition of intolerance.
Smile.
Surely the blogger who calls me out for alleged intolerance is not actually intolerant himself?
Just askin.
Wade