Radical Religiosity Slanting Public Mindset For More War

By James Donahue

March 6, 2008

When MSNBC’s Tim Russert backed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama into a corner last week, causing him to reject and denounce the support of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan during a nationally televised debate, he appears to have triggered the start of a media blitz designed to keep the Democrats out of the White House for yet another term.

As Internet columnist Glenn Greenwald so eloquently put it, “Russert demanded that Obama jump through multiple hoops to prove that he has no connection to – and, in fact, “rejects” – the ideas espoused by Farrakhan deemed to be radical and hateful.”

Yet within the week, Republican presidential frontrunner John McCain stood before television cameras to accept a similar endorsement from the Rev. John Hagee – a white evangelical guilty of expressing equally fringe, radical and hateful statements from the Christian point of view. Without prodding by media reporters, McCain said he was both “proud” and “very honored” to have Hagee’s support.

It is important to note that both Hagee and Farrakhan are well recognized in the United States as outspoken leaders of radically opposing religious groups, both men have a significant following, and both possess the ability to sway a lot of votes in support of the candidates they endorse. Of the two, Farrakhan clearly has the most significant number of followers.

The important differences between the two is that Farrakhan represents a hard-line and primarily black-oriented national faction of the Islamic faith while Hagee is identified as a “fringe” and “radical” fundamental pastor of a sprawling predominately white Christian “mega-church” in Texas. Since 9-11, most Americans have been mentally conditioned to mistrust if not hate anyone professing to be of the Moslem faith, while supporting the fundamental Christian doctrines as endorsed by the Bush Administration.

That Brarack Obama, who is a proclaimed Christian, has been politically attacked because his middle name is Hussein has clearly proven to be a sensitive issue . . . powerful enough to force him to submit to Russert’s televised assault and to publicly renounce the Farrakhan endorsement.

So just what has been the problem with the teachings of the Nation of Islam? Some world Islamic leaders accuse the group, founded by the late Wallace Fard Muhammad in Detroit in 1930, as being a religion separate from true Islam. That Wallace Fard Muhammad declared himself to have been the final Iman, or long awaited messiah, did much to create this wall of separation.

The Nation of Islam also has been accused of anti-Semitism, and Farrakhan was once accused of referring to Judaism as a dirty and “gutter religion.” He denied ever saying this. “Countless times over the years I have explained that I never referred to Judaism as a dirty religion, but, clearly referred to the machinations of those who hide behind the shield of Judaism while using unjust political means to achieve their objectives,” Farrakhan once wrote. “This was distilled in the New York tabloids and other media saying, ‘Farrakhan calls Judaism a gutter religion.’"

By contrast, Hagee, who has freely supported John McCain’s candidacy without creating any raised eyebrows among the Washington media elite, has made such radical statements as:

--All Muslims are programmed to kill and we can never negotiate with any of them. Those who live by the Koran have a scriptural mandate to kill Christians and Jews.

--God caused Hurricane Katrina to wipe out New Orleans because it had a gay pride parade the week before and was filled with sexual sin. New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they were recipients of the judgment of God for that.

--The End Times – Rapture – is imminent and the U. S. Government must do what it can to hasten it, which at minimum requires: a.) a war with Iran and b.) undying absolute support for a unified Israel, including all occupied territories.

It should be a bit scary to realize that Hagee cited McCain’s “pro-Israel views,” his belligerence toward Iran, and his social conservatism as reasons for the endorsement.

Farrakhan has responded to all of this political hype with amazing grace. After Obama was forced by Russert to publicly disassociate himself from the Nation of Islam, the former leader issued the following statement:

“Those who have been supporting Sen. Barack Obama should not allow what was said during the Feb. 26 presidential debate to lessen their support for his campaign. This is simply mischief making intended to hurt Mr. Obama politically.”

Indeed.