Religion of Peace Watch
Massive, unassimilated and violent communities of immigrants are already firmly entrenched throughout the cities of Old Europe. And now they're working on making the US a primative home away from home:
On the evening of July 11, 2004, Kristine Withers walked down 37th Avenue, a main drag in Jackson Heights, Queens, and passed what had become a familiar sight: a group of tables set up on the sidewalk by the Islamic Thinkers Society, a local group of militant Islamists. On the tables, copies of the Koran and books espousing the group’s strict religious beliefs shared space with tracts on Zionism, pamphlets on the dangers of homosexuality, and signs bearing messages like "Your Terrorists Are Our Heroes."
Ms. Withers, who identifies herself as a lesbian and a political conservative, was offended by the group’s message. The Islamic Thinkers Society had become a regular feature at local gay-pride parades, where they’ve called for the castration and death of gay men, according to several witnesses who spoke to The Observer. But Ms. Withers said it was as much the anti-American messages as the anti-gay ones that riled her up.
And remember - these are just extremists. Mainstream Islam is very tolerant of difference:
The head of the state’s gay lobbying group, the Empire State Pride Agenda, told The Observer that he counts no Islamic leaders among the 410 members of the clergy that have signed on to the group’s "Pride in My Pulpit" program. The campaign’s organizers "have hit a brick wall when it comes to finding support for our issues in the Muslim-faith community," said the executive director of the Pride Agenda, Alan Van Capelle.
Now, if I was Andrew Sullivan, I would be snarky and say something about an alliance between extremist Muslims and evangelical Christians. But the murderous hatred that emanates from these Islamists is qualitatively different than the Right's attack on gay civil rights (which of course is odious, but that's neither here nor there):
The group has also become a fixture at Queens gay events, holding signs with messages like "Allah Will Destroy Nations That Allow Homosexuality" and "Today: Homosexuality; Tomorrow: Pedophilia; What’s Next? Bestiality?" at the borough’s Pride Parade, which runs through Jackson Heights. Last year, screaming matches erupted between the two sides; this year, police kept them apart.
On the evening of July 11, 2004, Kristine Withers walked down 37th Avenue, a main drag in Jackson Heights, Queens, and passed what had become a familiar sight: a group of tables set up on the sidewalk by the Islamic Thinkers Society, a local group of militant Islamists. On the tables, copies of the Koran and books espousing the group’s strict religious beliefs shared space with tracts on Zionism, pamphlets on the dangers of homosexuality, and signs bearing messages like "Your Terrorists Are Our Heroes."
Ms. Withers, who identifies herself as a lesbian and a political conservative, was offended by the group’s message. The Islamic Thinkers Society had become a regular feature at local gay-pride parades, where they’ve called for the castration and death of gay men, according to several witnesses who spoke to The Observer. But Ms. Withers said it was as much the anti-American messages as the anti-gay ones that riled her up.
And remember - these are just extremists. Mainstream Islam is very tolerant of difference:
The head of the state’s gay lobbying group, the Empire State Pride Agenda, told The Observer that he counts no Islamic leaders among the 410 members of the clergy that have signed on to the group’s "Pride in My Pulpit" program. The campaign’s organizers "have hit a brick wall when it comes to finding support for our issues in the Muslim-faith community," said the executive director of the Pride Agenda, Alan Van Capelle.
Now, if I was Andrew Sullivan, I would be snarky and say something about an alliance between extremist Muslims and evangelical Christians. But the murderous hatred that emanates from these Islamists is qualitatively different than the Right's attack on gay civil rights (which of course is odious, but that's neither here nor there):
The group has also become a fixture at Queens gay events, holding signs with messages like "Allah Will Destroy Nations That Allow Homosexuality" and "Today: Homosexuality; Tomorrow: Pedophilia; What’s Next? Bestiality?" at the borough’s Pride Parade, which runs through Jackson Heights. Last year, screaming matches erupted between the two sides; this year, police kept them apart.
