The purpose of the photo used in this post is two-fold.
First, on this Memorial Day Week-end, I want to remember all of the soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in the service of our country…their country. Remembering those soldiers, living and deceased, who have served in the many wars we’ve engaged in since the birth of this great country, is an important part of our national moral imperative.
Secondly, the photo to the left depicts a young twenty-year old that died in combat. He happened to be a Muslim.
This iconic photo of his mother clinging to his grave tells us a story. That story is, forget all you thought you knew about “ALL Muslims being terrorists” .
That young man fought for his country just as bravely as any Christian or Jewish soldier would. There are thousands more in our military branches that are doing the same thing daily. There have been hundreds of Muslims wounded and killed in both Iraq and Afghanistan. They are/were American citizens who fought bravely and sometimes died, like many Americans have done during times of conflict. 
All too often we condemn an entire group of people for the actions of intolerable radicals, especially those outside of the Christian or Jewish religion. The fact is, Christians had the KKK (which at their peak, numbered in the millions.) Jews had the Gush Emunim Underground (sometimes called the Jewish Terror Organization). The common thread among all of these groups is “intolerance” and a belief that their religion is the only “true religion”.
One of the main reasons people left Europe and voyaged over to the “new world” was “religious freedom”. The First Amendment of The Constitution of The United States provides every citizen that freedom:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
The point is, trying to stop a religious group from practicing their religion is just wrong. This country is made up of people from around the globe who practice all types of religions. Some practice none at all. In the United States of America, Religious persecution is against the law. Period.
The following article shows that Fox News’ Gretchen Carlson and her guest Pamela Geller have a disregard for the First Amendment’s Free Exercise of Religion clause.
News Hounds
It’s not just seditious Arizona ethnic studies curriculums that the American right wing is freaking out over. There sees to be a visceral reaction to the proposed Islamc Center which will be built near 9-11 “Ground Zero.” As the mouthpiece for the American right, Fox & Friends has been less than subtle in advancing the right wing meme that the construction of this center, which includes a mosque, is an insult to “real” Americans. Last week, Brian Kilmeade asked if the construction of the mosque was a way for Muslims to “gloat.” One of Kilmeade’s guests, Andrew McCarthy, who recently told Sean Hannity that liberals are working with radical Muslims to instate Sharia law, responded that it was “Islamic Supremacism” (wonder if he has a problem with America’s community of white supremacists?) The day before this incendiary “question,” Kilmeade said that the Cultural Center was an “outrage” and accused Muslims of “taunting 9-11 victims.” And Thursday, during her interview with the ultra right wing Islamophobe, Pamela Geller, Gretchen Carlson worked in the requisite smear of those evil NY City Muslims who are being just so uppity.
Timothy McVeigh committed an act of domestic terrorism – yet his Christian religion was never brought into the discussion. 9-11 was perpetrated by men who committed, like McVeigh, a political act of terrorism – yet their religion is constantly part of the discussion – a discussion on Fox & Friends that broad brushes an entire faith. That Muslims were also killed in the 9-11 attack seems to be missing from the equation. But now that the American Society for Islamic Advancement wants to build a cultural center two blocks from “Ground Zero” the gang at Fox & Friends has their propaganda guns loaded.This edifice will include a mosque, as well an art center, a swimming pool, and public spaces. But this is not acceptable to the philosophical descendants of the Inquisition mind set (a time of Christian cultural hostility directed towards Jews and Muslims who converted to Christianity) who see this building as a victory monument to 9-11. In addition to Fox & Friends, “World Net Daily” and the “Washington Times” have voiced their outrage. Read more….
The picture above on the right, shows where a 13-story mosque and Islamic cultural center is planned to replace the building in Lower Manhattan in New York, that once housed a Burlington Coat Factory store, that was damaged by airplane debris on Sept. 11, 2001. /AP
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