Restoring the Sacred

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Moderate Muslims and Progressive Catholics


That's Steven Emerson, who is doing the Lord's work as the founder of The Investigative Project on Terrorism. He was a guest on Bill Bennett's radio show this morning talking about Radical Islam, and the phony reasons being put forth by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf for the building of a Mosque at Ground Zero. Mr. Emerson's Blog can always be accessed through My Blog List on the right side of this Blog. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a feed so new posts do not appear as soon as they are published. You have to click on the link to see what's new on the site.

For prior posts on Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who is about to embark - at your expense - on a U. S. State Department tour of those friendly, religiously tolerant Middle Eastern countries, none of which has condemned the massacre on 9/11, go here and here.

Emerson, while talking with Bill Bennett, made many laudatory remarks about an American Muslim doctor, Zuhdi Jasser, of Arizona. Here's a photo of Dr. Jasser with yet another gift to the country from the state of Minnesota (as if Al Franken wasn't enough), Representative Keith Ellison, the first Muslim to serve in the U. S. House of Representatives. Jasser is on the right.



These two gentlemen engaged in a rather lively debate on the subject of Islam. The debate was recorded in nine parts on You Tube, and is worth the time to watch. You can watch the first part here. Suffer through the first few minutes of Congressman Trent Franks of Arizona, who sponsored the debate; you won't regret it.

Dr. Jasser comes across as being exactly what he is touted to be: a moderate Muslim, but Pamela Geller isn't sure about him. She published this post about him on her Blog, Atlas Shrugs, back in May 2009.

Zuhdi Jasser impressed me as being completely sincere in his beliefs and, just as importantly, in his loyalties (he served as a medical officer for 11 years in the U. S. Navy). Somehow, though, I can't forget the words of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister of Turkey: "There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that’s it.”

I think Erdogan and Rep. Ellison are right about Islam, and Dr. Jasser is wrong. "Muslims" who do not believe in Sharia Law are not moderate Muslims; they're just NOT Muslims. Dr. Jasser, not only does not believe in Sharia; he believes in "separation of Mosque and state." I think Dr. Jasser is very much like today's so-called Progressive Catholics who have no problem with abortion or same-sex marriage (among other things). They're not "Progressive Catholics;" they're simply NOT Catholics.