The Republican War on Islam

In a recent article on the proposed Koran burning, I explained the Republican silence on the issue: “They fear offending the very people whose hatred they have so carefully cultivated for political advantage.”  Really, this never should have become an issue, but whenever a right wing idiot goes beyond the pale, the Republican Ministry of Propaganda, Fox News, jumps in to support them.  Once the right broadcast it, others had to respond.  Before we examine how the Republican Party has caused this tragic outpouring of hatred, here’s the latest:

The anti-Muslim leader of a tiny Florida church at the center of a global debate says he’s rethinking his decision to cancel burning copies of the Qur’an.

Pastor Terry Jones and his congregation of fewer than 50 members had planned to burn the Muslim holy books Saturday, the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Thursday afternoon he announced he was backing off — the book burning was canceled — saying the leader of the planned Islamic center near Ground Zero in New York City decided to move the mosque and that it was a "sign from God."

"He has agreed to move the location. That, of course, cannot happen overnight, but he has agreed to move that. We felt that that would be a sign that God wanted us to do it. The American people do not want the mosque there, and the Muslims do not want us to burn the Qur’an," Pastor Jones said.

But a local Muslim leader says he only offered to set up a meeting between Jones and New York mosque leaders. Imam Muhammad Musri told reporters he never told Jones the New York cultural center would be moved — nor does he have any authority on or involvement in that project.

The Islamic leader on that New York project, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, said he was happy about Jones’s decision to stop the Qur’an burning but added he has no intention of moving the mosque.

"My major concern with moving it is that the headline in the Muslim world will be Islam is under attack in America," Imam Rauf said.

Thursday evening, Jones back-pedaled, saying he was lied to and is rethinking his decision to cancel the book burning… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <WBAY>

Now, Jones never connected his vile campaign with the Muslim Community Center in New York.  I trust he would never have thought of it, but Sarah “Drill Baby Dingbat” Palin and John “Agent Orange” Boehner, backed into a corner over this, tried to score political points by hatefully equating building a place of worship with burning holy books.

Along with pointing out other Republican abuses of 9/11, Rachel Maddow exposes the Republican war on Islam.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

We still don’t know whether Jones will actually follow through.  Damage has already been done, because Islam’s Tea Party is already in full propaganda mode over the intent alone.  Jones is just a small-minded Republican wing-nut.  He would not get any attention at all, had not the Republican Party made such hatred “respectable” in Republican circles though their own rhetorical war on Islam, carefully cultivating hatred in their insane quest for power.

They have sown the wind.  Who shall reap the whirlwind?