By Chuck Baldwin

November 19, 2002

It is doubtful that most conservative Christians noticed, or would even be concerned, but President Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell have recently denounced conservative Christian leaders for remarks characterized as disparaging to the religion of Islam.

In a clear refutation of Christian leaders Bush said, "Some of the comments that have been uttered about Islam do not reflect the sentiments of my government. Islam is a peaceful religion, a religion that respects others. Ours is a country of tolerance, and we respect the faith and we welcome people of all faiths in America." He further said, "By far, the vast majority of American citizens respect the Muslim faith."

The London Guardian reported, "Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, condemned America's Christian right yesterday for propagating hatred against Muslims, in what appeared to be a coordinated White House campaign to confront anti-Islamic rhetoric from a constituency that includes some the Bush administration's staunchest supporters."

Speaking of remarks made by Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and others, Powell said, "This kind of hatred must be rejected." According to The Guardian, "The administration's increased willingness to confront the Christian right reflects the Republican's sweeping victories in last week's mid-term elections, reducing Mr. Bush's reliance on the extreme fringes of his support base."

To emphasize his support for Islam, Bush again invited Muslims to the White House that he might join them in celebrating Ramadan.

Interestingly, while Bush is publicly denouncing Christian leaders and embracing Islam, at least one military analyst is warning that Islamist jihad warriors could be infiltrating the U.S. military as a launching pad for future acts of terrorism.

World Net Daily reported, "Jihadists, those looking to infiltrate America and turn U.S. citizens into pawns of terrorist warfare, may be looking to penetrate lower echelons within the U.S. military."

WND quoted military analyst and writer Tom Knowlton as saying, "On November 5, 2002 Abdul Raheem Al Arshad Ali, a former Marine and Gulf War veteran, became the third suspected terrorist associated with the Dar-us-Salaam mosque in Seattle (now renamed the Dar ul Islam Masjid mosgue) to be arrested for alleged ties to al-Qaida."

Furthermore, a November 14 article in CNS News stated, "A burgeoning black Muslim movement in America includes many who converted to the religion while behind bars and who are ready-made terrorists as soon as they leave prison, according to several Islamic and terrorism experts."

President Bush overlooks 1,500 years of Muslim violence against Christians and Jews, the attacks of September 11, 2001, ongoing persecution perpetrated by Islamic governments throughout the world, the recent murders by Muslim snipers in and around Washington, D.C., plus continued surreptitious and sinister activity being conducted by Muslims within our own country to rebuke Christian leaders.

Many believe Bush is doing this for the purpose of impugning the importance of Christians to the future policies and agenda of his administration. Bush obviously believes that Republican victories at the polls served as a repudiation of conservative Christian principles and is sending the message loudly and clearly that conservative Christians need not expect him to submit to their appeals. It will be more than interesting to see how long it takes for Christians to get the message.

© Chuck Baldwin

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