Jordan Sekulow
Lawyer, Activist

Jordan Sekulow

Jordan Sekulow is Director of Policy and International Operations at the American Center for Law & Justice.

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Reliving 9/11 in 2010

As voted by the Religion Newswriters Association's members, among the year's most consequential religion newsmakers were Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, Pope Benedict XVI, Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin, and the U.S. bishops.

How would you have ranked them? Has their influence been harmful or constructive? What issue or person do you expect to have the biggest impact in the year to come?

During a vigorous national debate about whether two blocks from Ground Zero was an appropriate place for a mosque, America revisited 9/11 through imagery, family members and victims discussing their experiences. More than nine years after the attacks, America was ready to ask tough questions of "moderate" Islam.

As Americans chose sides, politicians facing midterm elections were forced to take a position on the Ground Zero Mosque, and Islam was under a microscope for the first time since the attacks.

We learned some interesting, disturbing things. In one of my first posts for On Faith, I quoted Imam Rauf's book "What's Right with Islam is What's Right for America: A New Visions for Muslims and the West." He wrote, "For America to score even higher on the 'Islamic' or 'Shariah Compliance' scale, America would need to do two things: invite the voices of all religions to join the dialogue in shaping the nation's practical life, and allow religious communities more leeway to judge among themselves according to their own laws."

It gets worse. In his book, Rauf gave his constitutional opinion on Sharia in the U.S., writing, "it also would not be a violation of church-state separation to have a subsidiary entity within judiciary that employs religious jurists from diverse religious backgrounds to comment on the compliance of certain decisions with their religious laws and to provide guidance to their religious communities on how kosher or Shariah compliant these decisions are." As the author of the On Faith blog Religious Right Now, I can state with certainty that American evangelicals do not want religious jurists in U.S. courts.

We also saw Muslims like Rauf and Imam Mahmoud Harmoush refuse to call Hamas a terrorist organization.

This is the beginning of the debate about Islam in America, one that did not happen after 9/11. Ironically, it was Muslims who prompted the discussion.

By Jordan Sekulow  |  December 29, 2010; 2:01 PM ET Save & Share:  Send E-mail   Facebook   Twitter   Digg   Yahoo Buzz   Del.icio.us   StumbleUpon   Technorati  
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We did Air Defense of Chicago & Detroit
from 1953-1957-Who'd defend NY City or not?
Truth-N.Y.City had 2 attacks by "insane"
radical Muslims! Plus suicidal Muslims on
planes tried to kill countless passengers-!
I'm 81 yrs, military-trained, & not amused!
Having 3 ancestors aboard the Mayflower, I
reject this Mosque being built--but not as a "Protest Against Religion"-! But for the
"Public-Good"! We see a "Common-Sense" need
to not allow a future "Hostile-Base", named
as a Muslim 'Victory Monument" posing as a
"Super-Mosque", when boxes of explosives &
Terrorists be delivered to a non-restricted
impacted-area of Danger for New York City-!
Nearby Subways can be trashed by 'nerve-gas
& Dirty' nuclear materials! N.Y.(infidels)
Police would be denied to even search that
Mosque-! We need Active Rules for "American
Public-Safety", & demands being considered!
"Suicidal Muslims" are a Danger, even unto
Themselves-! (They need mental institutions
& Doctors--not Monuments!) Americans must
consider-"What's Best-for the Public-Good"!
(Religion has nothing to do with "Public-Safety") U.S.Citizens understood when they
lost their "Property" when Local Govts took
their "Property-Rights" away & used it-"For
the Common 'Public-Good'"-! After all, how
many Muslims would have stepped forward--if
they knew of plans for the "9-11" attack-!?
(Who said-"None-!?") "See what I meant-!?"
We have laws against 'Violence'--did that stop any of the Moslim Terrorists-!? N.Y.
City has to 'Start' to make suitable Plans
to "Protect" it's Millions of Citizens--and
the time--has to start with NOW-!! Only Idiots will Wait--Until IT'S TOO LATE-!

Posted by: 1953KoreanVet | January 5, 2011 6:14 PM
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"For America to score even higher on the 'Islamic' or 'Shariah Compliance' scale, America would need to do two things: invite the voices of all religions to join the dialogue in shaping the nation's practical life, and allow religious communities more leeway to judge among themselves according to their own laws."

Way to take a quote out of context to make a faulty point. In that passage, Rauf is trying to make the case to fellow Muslims that America is not evil, nor should it be hated, and that following Islam does not require one to be at odds with the American form of governance. Why wouldn't quote the preceding two paragraphs? Would it be because they contradict the entire premise of your smear piece?

Posted by: stee | January 5, 2011 10:28 AM
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Oh joy!!!! Another raving bigot under a Washington Post byline.

The Teabaggers will be so thrilled.

Posted by: kindness1 | January 4, 2011 11:36 AM
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Breaking NEWS:

"By using Cruel & Unusual Tactics: Three-3 ALQAEDA members confessed to following Turkish/Pakistani ISLAMIC BROTHER HOOD's plot/plan to eject all KAFIR'S from All the 56-OIC-Nations before Saudi Arabia and the GCC create the new ISLAMIC CURRENCY...." Jan.4.2011. 07:15 GMT.
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DEATH to: I S L A M i C -- B R O T H E R H O O D!

DEATH to: I S L A M i C --- S I S T E R H O O D too!

DEATH to: I R A N! (NOt Secular Persians).

DEATH to: PAKISTAN! (Not Secular Hurdu).

DEATH to: T U R K E Y! (Not Real Sekular)
.
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.......... /\. /,`\. /\ . /\ . . . . . . . . . ... |::|\|::|
.......... |.\/ . .. _) (_ . . . . . . .. |:|"|/|||::|/|::|\|||/||:|
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............ `\; . ; . . . .. . ; /.\ . . . ~~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~
............. .`\; . . . . .; . ;| . .\ . "Give U.S. Liberty
............... ; . . '' ' ; . . . . . ./ . Or Give US Death"
............... |_.'' . . . . .; | . ./.)
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.................. [ . by: . K . A . F . i . R .. _|_ . . . |
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................ ,' . K . a . a . b . a . '#| . . . "Never--Again
............ ,' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . '# # | . . . PELEG-EBER
.......... :---------------------- '# # # |. . . .O' YaHaBeBe"
.......... | # # # # # # # # # | # # # |
.......... | # # # # # # # # # | # # # |
.......... | #ALLAHaKBAR#| # # # |
.......... | # [ البيت المعمو ر‎] # |[ الكعبة‎].|
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DEATH TO Al ISHLAMi's UMMAH in KAFIR Nations!
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Posted by: letitbe | January 4, 2011 10:53 AM
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after a year of refusing to answer the Hamas question on television and numerous interviews while he had the biggest spotlight, Imam Rauf ... also a slumlord ... calls Hamas a terrorist org in one interview when the attention is gone

sorry, not a major breakthrough

---Jordan Sekulow

Nice to see Mr. Sekulow reads the responses of his readers who have pointed out several falsehoods in his article. Maybe a bit of proof reading will help him gain some respect. ACLJ is a sadistic parody of ACLU founded by none other than Evangelical Bigot numero uno Pat Robertson. They take an opposite position to everything ACLU does. Muslim bashing is their biggest fund raising ticket these days. The whole Sekulow family (who are Jewish) is part of this organization.

Posted by: yasseryousufi | January 4, 2011 2:09 AM
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"sorry, not a major breakthrough "

If you won't acknowledge him speaking out then stroke off, you pretentious little dick. I swear scumbags like you won't be happy until you can spread your filth worldwide.

Posted by: aartmann112004 | January 3, 2011 8:25 PM
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You sir are a liar, plain and simple.

You have -0- honor and just want to whip up even more religious based hatred for your political allies to use as a bludgeon. It's not right, it's not moral and it is damaging this country.

You and your ilk are the domestic enemy we have been warned about.

Posted by: aartmann112004 | January 3, 2011 6:45 PM
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Why do they always have to bring in Israeli Politics into American politics. I thought they were two separate countries.

Posted by: yasseryousufi1

... because when it comes to Israel, theocons like Sekulow are submissive little b!tches...

Posted by: areyousaying | January 3, 2011 6:26 PM
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There is no difference in the threat to religious freedom in America between Rauf and Sekulow.

Posted by: areyousaying | January 3, 2011 6:24 PM
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after a year of refusing to answer the Hamas question on television and numerous interviews while he had the biggest spotlight, Imam Rauf ... also a slumlord ... calls Hamas a terrorist org in one interview when the attention is gone

sorry, not a major breakthrough

Posted by: JordanSekulow | January 3, 2011 5:33 PM
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"We also saw Muslims like Rauf and Imam Mahmoud Harmoush refuse to call Hamas a terrorist organization."

You are a liar Sekulow.

In the December 23rd issue of TIME, Rauf made it EXTREMELY CLEAR that he considers Hamas a terrorist organization. But I suppose that does not fit with your right wing extremist views... so as is typical with your sort... you lie. The more important question is -- how long is the Post going to support your lies and allow you to diminish their credibility.

Posted by: clintatl | January 3, 2011 5:17 PM
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All this drivel coming from the person who calls for Christian conservatives turning to Israel's ambassadors. http://www.aclj.org/News/Read.aspx?ID=3964

Truly disgusting piece that only serves Israeli right wingers currently in power.

Posted by: wpost16 | January 3, 2011 3:41 PM
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"We also saw Muslims like Rauf and Imam Mahmoud Harmoush refuse to call a terrorist organization."

Huh?? As in a phone call? I think this israeli firster neocon means everytime a muslim has to build a mosque in US he has to please the ego of these Neocons and Zionists by condemning Hamas and Hezbollah. Should Jews also condemn the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the fact that Gazans live in the biggest open air prison of the world, before building a synagogue? Why do they always have to bring in Israeli Politics into American politics. I thought they were two separate countries.

Posted by: yasseryousufi1 | January 3, 2011 1:24 PM
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