Republican Lawmaker Walks out on First Muslim Prayer Ever in Texas Senate

[babylonsister]

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/alerts/218

Republican Lawmaker Walks out on First Muslim Prayer Ever in Texas Senate
Submitted by BuzzFlash on Thu, 04/05/2007 - 5:41pm. Alerts

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT

Some Republicans sure hate Muslims. We all remember Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA) criticizing incoming congressman Keith Ellison - the first Muslim member of Congress - for wanting to use the Koran during an unofficial part of his swearing-in ceremony. But Texas State Sen. Dan Patrick has taken ignorance to a new level.

Patrick, the same fellow who recently proposed buying babies off of new mothers for $500 to discourage abortions, walked out on the first Muslim prayer ever held in the Texas Senate.

"I think that it's important that we are tolerant as a people of all faiths, but that doesn't mean we have to endorse all faiths, and that was my decision," he said later. "I surely believe that everyone should have the right to speak, but I didn't want my attendance on the floor to appear that I was endorsing that."

Imam Yusuf Kavakci, who was actually invited by a Jewish State Senator, said he can't understand why anyone would have a problem with his prayer or with the text he chose, on the mercy of God.

But Dan Patrick wasn't the only Republican to complain. "I'm shocked that the day before the Easter recess that a Muslim is leading the prayer," said Harris County GOP Chairman Jared Woodfill. "They should be having a celebration about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ."

That's what you get from a party led by George Bush, who has called his war a "crusade" and the enemy "Islamic fascists." With bigots like these, we can see why some Muslim nations are not always particularly friendly with us.

[rodeodance]

1. and these "leaders" arre suspose to be role models!!!

[DFW]

2. They claim to be role models

They talk to the man in the mirror and tell him , "yup you're the fairest one of all....."

[silverweb]

3. They shouldn't be praying in the Senate, anyway.

They could just pray their own prayers on their own time. End of conflict.

Just IMHO, of course.

[Mojambo]

6. Seems like a pretty simple solution

It's certainly the one I'd endorse.

[DavidDvorkin]

11. Bingo

Absolutely right.

[lefador]

4. Now they know how some of us feel when they push their Christianity...

... down our throats.

It is simple: keep God out of my state institutions. I pay my taxes like most devoted Christians, if I am not going to get the same level of protection as an agnostic, I should get a bigger refund or a lower tax rate.

I always thought that most Gay couples should use the same approach: If they don't get the same benefits/protection from the government institutions/laws, they should pay lower taxes. And we all know that money in this country talks....

[WindRavenX]

5. Silly bigots.

NT

[hvn_nbr_2]

7. So he admits it.

"I think that it's important that we are tolerant as a people of all faiths, but that doesn't mean we have to endorse all faiths, and that was my decision," he said later. "I surely believe that everyone should have the right to speak, but I didn't want my attendance on the floor to appear that I was endorsing that."

So all these "voluntary" public prayers really are an official government endorsement of one religion over another and over none, and they know it.

[kestrel91316]

9. EXCELLENT POINT:

".........So all these "voluntary" public prayers really are an official government endorsement of one religion over another and over none, and they know it........."

Yep. He sure tipped his hand.

[Blue_Tires]

10. sad how many politicians would fail a quiz on the Constitution

[kestrel91316]

8. I would prefer that NO prayer be done out loud, publically, in my

country's legislative bodies. But given how the Christians have been forcing it down everybody's throats for so long, I have no pbjection whatsoever to a little turnabout.

[LiberalFighter]

12. All the more reason to keep all religion out of government

[Vickers]

13. Garsh, maybe we should ban ALL prayers at public meetings, huh?

I mean, we wouldn't want to seem like we are ENDORSING a religion now, would we?

:sarcasm:

All of these people and their magic books...

[Czolgosz]

14. Dan Patrick is an unmitigated jackass of wholly untrammeled malevolence