Another Republican elected official has made some idiotic comments about Muslims.
Gee, what a shock. Of course it’s becoming a daily occurence here in the Sooner State.
In an interview with News Channel 4, State Rep. Lewis Moore (R-Arcadia) said:
“…look at the Muslim culture within our culture. We want people to assimilate into our culture…If they don’t want to, then there are 57 Muslim states. They’re under populated. They can move there.”
What culture would that be Mr. Moore? Would that be the redneck, bigoted culture of Oklahoma?
Certainly he can’t be referring to a Christian culture. If he were, does that would mean he wants all Jews, Buddhists and Hindus to leave the country too?
Moore’s comments stem from the recent criminal act of Alton Nolen, a self-professed Muslim in Moore, Oklahoma.
Rep. Moore goes on to claim that Sharia law is the problem.
What problem? Sharia is the cause of neurotic loners to commit violent acts? How would that explain all the violent acts committed in the past by non-Muslims?
Aside from that, I don’t think Rep. Moore understand what Sharia is. Sharia is a code of conduct, much like the Ten Commandments that Jews and Christians supposedly follow. Not all Christians follow the Ten Commandments. Not all Christians follow the teachings of their founder, Jesus Christ. So wouldn’t it make sense that not all Muslims follow Sharia?
Ryan Kiesel, executive director of the Oklahoma chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union had this to say about Moore’s comments:
“The idea that Oklahoma’s Muslim community is poised to turn on their neighbors and commit acts of violence in the name of religion is ridiculous. But by promoting that idea (Oklahoma’s elected officials) have created a very dangerous atmosphere for Muslims in our state….. (Many) Oklahomans, many of whom couldn’t point to Syria on a map…have come to believe we are under imminent threat of attack and every Muslim is a suspected member of a terrorist group.
We’ve gone well beyond marginalizing Muslims politically, and have begun to legitimize increasingly hostile statements and implicitly hostile acts towards our neighbors who happen to be Muslims.
Whether these politicians actually believe their own rhetoric or not, they are playing a dangerous game with real lives of real innocent citizens.”
I asked Adam Soltani, Executive Director of CAIR Oklahoma, what he thought about Rep. Moore’s unflattering comments.
“So basically, as an American Muslim, I am being told to ‘assimilate’ or leave my own country and move to a ‘Muslim state.’
I’ll be damned if I would ever allow a group of BIGOTED, ISLAMOPHOBIC lawmakers tell me what to do.
I am a proud American Muslim, and I will continue to live my life in the true image of Islam promoting peace, justice, love, compassion, and mercy.
As an American we are told there is ‘liberty and justice for all,’ assimilate or leave is not how we promote diversity, pluralism, and acceptance in America. Shame on Rep. Lewis Moore, Rep. John Bennett, and the entire Counterterrorism Caucus for this statement.
The Counterterrorism Caucus has grossly exaggerated the threats to terrorism on our state and continue to use their tactics of promoting fear and hysteria to promote their own political agenda.”
Mr. Soltani is absolutely right. What happened to liberty and justice for ALL? What happened to America is the melting pot of the world? When did Give me your tired, huddled masses yearning to breathe free become adapt or get the hell out? Already, Muslims in Oklahoma are receiving death threats, no thanks to the vile, bigoted statements of people like Moore and Bennett. We should note that some tolerant and open-minded Republicans have denounced the comments of Weston, Bennett and others in the GOP.
I would rather see Rep. Moore, along with Rep. Bennett and OKGOP Chair Dave Weston learn a little word called tolerance. Perhaps if they can’t learn to live with their fellow man, they should all pack up and leave themselves. Maybe they could get together a group of friends and find some deserted island to live on. A faraway place, hopefully, so the decent, peaceful groups of diverse people already here don’t have to listen to their detestable rhetoric.