The self-appointed censors in this society have
struck again, attacking Texas Governor and presidential candidate
George W. Bush for making statements seemingly favorable of the Nation
of Islam on a Sunday news talk show.
Across the American political landscape Muslims of
every description have often been made to appear as easy and open
targets both domestically and internationally.
Even though some of the self-styled "terrorism
experts" have been publicly discredited and forced to retract
some of their false accusations against Muslims in various localities,
like the proverbial "bad penny," they and their "Islamophobic"
hate messages keep popping up in official, erstwhile
"respectable" venues, as in testimony before Congressional
committees.
On the other hand, whenever an Islamic spokesman is
subjected to a fair examination by a mass-media outlet, those who
would perennially bash Islam attack the news media outlet, reasoning
that the news outlets are more susceptible to public intimidation.
This is what happened in October 1998, when full-page advertisements
were purchased to condemn NBC�s "Meet The Press" for
interviewing the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan as a guest on that
program. Now, following his appearance on "Fox-News Sunday"
Governor Bush has been singled out.
"Is the Nation of Islam a faith-based
organization?" program host Tony Snow asked Gov. Bush during an
interview Jan. 30.
"I think it is. I think it�s based upon some
universal principles," the Republican presidential front-runner
replied. "It�s certainly not the religion I accepted. But I
believe that the folks�the Muslims who accept, you know, love your
neighbor like you�d like to be loved yourself, and whose hearts are
set right to help a neighbor in need," he continued.
"So you wouldn�t mind having taxpayer money
go to the Nation of Islam?" Mr. Snow interrupted. "Well, let�s
make sure you understand something," Mr. Bush continued. "I
don�t like taxpayer money to support any religion. What I like is
taxpayers� money to support people who are seeking some kind of
better answer to their lives. I don�t believe government ought to
fund religion. I believe government can and should fund people who are
trying to help, and programs that help change people�s lives."
Now comes Ira N. Forman, executive director of the
National Jewish Democratic Council, who "excoriated (Governor)
Bush for agreeing that under his charitable choice plan, the Nation of
Islam would be able to provide various social services using tax
dollars," according to a press release.
Sadly, Mr. Forman has either pre-judged the Nation
of Islam without an examination of the practices of its God-fearing,
self-respecting, law-abiding adherents or he is consciously a mischief
maker.
In the same way as some whites, and even some
American Jews in the past have quietly expressed their distaste for
the "double standard" and "veiled censorship" that
groups such as Mr. Forman�s have employed in condemning those who
have given the Nation a balanced public evaluation, this latest attack
should be similarly condemned and isolated for being just what it is:
bigoted, divisive, and hypocritical.
The illogical conclusion to such irresponsible
attacks by Muslim-bashers such as Mr. Forman, would be to elevate his
sport to Olympic-medal-status, along with Frog-Jumping, and
Watermelon-Seed-Spitting. Happily, however, such folly is not to be.
The accomplishments of the Muslims, the
improvements in the lives of countless millions of Blacks who have
"Heeded the Call to Islam," and the contributions to
American society at-large by Muslims during the last 70 years need
only be recounted in order to ratify the sound judgment of Gov. Bush
on this subject and to refute the hackneyed canards of
cheap-shot-artists like Mr. Forman.