Mrs. Clinton's wrong message on religion
Monday, February 23, 2009
During Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's Asian tour, a Japanese student asked her how to "eliminate the prejudice towards the Islamic world" in the context of the war on terrorism. Mrs. Clinton responded that the struggle against terrorism is not the result of prejudice against the Muslim world, but a defense against violent extremism. So far so good. Then she added, "Every religion has people who misuse that religion. You know, I'm a Christian, and through the centuries we've had many people who have done terrible things in the name of Christianity. They have perverted the religion."
These pandering remarks send the wrong message...
...Rather than pandering, the United States should be sending a positive message to the world regarding the role of religion in our society. The United States is a plural nation with constitutionally guaranteed freedom of worship. In our country people of all faiths live side by side without strife. Religion plays an important role in American society, but in a way that respects the rights and obligations of all believers and, as President Obama likes to point out, the rights of the non-believers as well...
...Were Mrs. Clinton bolder still, she could use the example of Israel, in which freedom of worship is so respected that Israeli sharia courts have the same legal status as rabbinical courts in matters of personal status, such as cases of marriage and divorce. Furthermore, the holiest site in the world for Jews, the Temple Mount, is dominated by a gold-domed mosque. Will we ever see a synagogue in Mecca?
Mecca?
But that's off-limits for non-Muslims, no?
Oh, that's the point.
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