Fox News posted an article today about the State-Department-sponsored overseas tour by Feisal Abdul Rauf, the imam behind the plan to build a mosque near Ground Zero.
The article explains:
"The State Department confirmed Tuesday that the administration is sponsoring Feisal Abdul Rauf's trip to Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, which is described as part of a program to send Muslims abroad to educate other countries about the role of religion in the United States. Rauf made similar trips during the Bush administration."
This is not a good use of taxpayer money, regardless of whether or not it has been done before.
The American Center for Law and Justice has said it will file a protest letter with the State Department demanding the government halt its sponsorship of the trip.
The article states:
"Rauf has emerged as a controversial figure because of his refusal to acknowledge Hamas as a terrorist organization, which is how the U.S. government classifies the group. The imam told "60 Minutes" in 2001 that U.S. foreign policy could be considered an "accessory" to the 9/11 attacks, though he said in the same interview, "Fanaticism and terrorism have no place in Islam.""
I understand that the goal of the State Department is to bring harmony between America and other nations, but at some point we need to realize the characteristics of some of the people we are dealing with in the Muslim world. There may be moderate, peace-loving Muslims, but there are also Muslims who kill doctors bringing sight to poor Afghanis and celebrate the act. To deny that some of the people we are dealing with are not peace-living is naive at best and stupid at least.
I resent the fact that my tax dollars are paying for this trip. I have no doubt that Mr. Rauf will use this trip as a fund-raiser to finance his mosque. The State Department has no business sponsoring this trip.
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