David Wolpe
Rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles

David Wolpe

Named the No.1 Pulpit Rabbi in America by Newsweek magazine, Wolpe is the Rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles and currently teaches at UCLA.

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King using blunt instrument but nuance needed

Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, will begin holding hearings Thursday on "the extent of the radicalization of American Muslims." Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, has characterized the hearings as "a witch hunt." Are they?

King also has said he believes the "self-radicalization" of American Muslims represents "a very small minority" of the overall community. What are the potential consequences of singling out one religious group?

We must begin with three propositions.

First, there is a serious problem in Islam. In the mid-1990s, roughly half the ethnic conflicts in the world involved Muslims fighting each other or non-Muslims. The Economist concluded that Muslims were responsible for 11 and possibly 12 of 16 major acts of international terrorism between 1983 and 2000. To deny this is to court irrelevance, because it is true and urgent.

Second, Muslims in America in overwhelming numbers have been and continue to be law-abiding and in many cases exemplary citizens.

Third, the aim of law enforcement is to isolate and restrain terrorists; not Muslim or Christian or other terrorists, but terrorists in general.

So without eliding or eluding the fact that Islam is a particularly troubling case in the modern world, the question remains: does conducting hearings into Islam specifically aid or impede our pursuit of terrorism?

The King hearings could have been announced as hearings on terrorism or radicalization and accomplished the same thing without an invidious tinge. When a member of the government announces that an entire religious tradition is under suspicion the effect is not to foster trust and fidelity. Rather it feeds into the stereotype in the Muslim world that America is opposed to the Islamic tradition as a whole. This cannot be the best way to explore and explain what in the Muslim community is threatening or dangerous. If even Representative King thinks he is pursuing "a small minority" then why use such a broad brush?

There is enough ill-will and hypocrisy on both sides of this issue. Anyone who does not acknowledge the intractable peril of Islamic terrorism is blind. But at the same time, sweeping an entire community and tradition under such a investigative label is counterproductive and an act of intellectual laziness. People who don't wish to do the patient work of thinking rest comfortably in broad categories. It is a delicate issue to draw a community close and still monitor radical elements that exist within it. But the blunt instrument of Representative King is likely to reduce cooperation form the Muslim community, which is indispensable to the investigation itself. The besieged or accused are rarely forthcoming.

There are serious issues that the Muslim community has to be asking itself, and that we have a right to ask. Such an investigation is delicate surgery. To use a cudgel in place of scalpel is bad politics and bad faith. To those Muslims in our country who are understandably upset by these hearings, we extend our hands to you as fellow citizens. Let us together try to foil and capture those who would harm our nation.

By David Wolpe  |  March 7, 2011; 9:45 AM ET Save & Share:  Send E-mail   Facebook   Twitter   Digg   Yahoo Buzz   Del.icio.us   StumbleUpon   Technorati  
Previous: King's hearings an un-American activity | Next: Rep. King using Nixon's playbook: create the enemies you need

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Ooooppss. That Was meant For a repost to Michelle Boorstein's Earlier 1-Post yesterday on the Hearings. Thanks.

http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/undergod/2011/03/va_congressman_frank_wolf_to_testify_at_king_hearings_on_radical_islam.html
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Credits: WWW●J░O░Z░E░V░Z░●░U░S
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Posted by: IN_IT_WE_TRUST | March 8, 2011 7:10 AM
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Islamic-Phobia is not the right word but it's O.K. To experience such, especially if, a NATION, like a PERSON, is a Victim of a-Islamophibia. Soo, Better Careful, than Sorry. Aye?
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HON. Peter King should Have his Congressional Brites & Sisstars or fellow LontzMon/Wom To-create the "U.S. RELiGION POLICE." AND

HON. Frank Wolf could/can Finance this Newly Created Entity; the "AMERICAN RELIGION POLICE," with some the U.S. 'Justice & FBI" Departments allocated budget. It wont' take much; but a HAPPY NATION & WORLD WINDFALL, will be Priceless! Aye?

Note: Includes his [Islamic] HON. Keith Ellison & CO. Soo,

EVERY//ANY & ALL (No Exceptions) For Profit & or Not for Profits (less Prophet) ORG's, CORP.'s, etc.., Registered via TAX-EXEMPT status or Not; Shall Be MANDATORILY made to do Three things (At First)

1: THAT

ALL "BIBLE/CHUAMSH(s), QURAN/KORAN's, GEETA/GITA's, KANGYUR/TANGYUR's.. shall Append The "U.S. CONSTITUTION" either in the FRONT or attached to The BACK or MIDDLE of Their INFIXUS-BOOKS mention above.

2: THAT

ALL, EVERY & ANY (No Exceptions) IMAM, RABBI, PRIEST, GURU, etc.. {Degreed or Not Degreed, Licensed or Not or PROFESSES to be such Authorized; self-serving or Duly Appointed or Elected by his/her Body, group, Folks..)} Shall, Because Most Religions are IMPORTED in USA (Except for Mormon & Native Indians) Must

Be REGISTERED and thus Carry a Special (issued via the U.S. R. P.) Electronic NATIONAL I.D., CARD//PERMIT proving their ALLEGIANCE/LOYALTY to AMERICA's INSTITUTION only, never//not to any FOreign Heads of Religion. i,e., Wahabbi's, Sufi, Rabbinic, Swami's, Priests etc.. AND

3: THAT

AlL, EVERY & ANY "CHURCH" JUDEO's, VEDIC's et al) whom knowingly Dabble into STATE Issues and Business (via Political ways, not Theological) then Rhey Must Make their
BALANCE SHEET" and "INCOME STATEMENT" aka "BOOK"S (not Cooked or Blessed) it Public Info! And Or When ANY "CHURCH" based Org Accepts TAX-EXEMPT MONEYS's, includes receiving sum such via WHITE HOUSES's illegal RELIGIOUS-OFFICE's IN (our) GOVERNMENT Faith-Based-Initiatives et al. No Exceptions. Aye?

Note: WE still Don't Know Where Each FAITH-BASED WHITE-HOUSE Dollar Go'th, towards. A $2,000,000,000 (Billions) distribution Racket via such tax payers GOD gifted, appropriated & HEAVENLY-TREASURY-MADE Big-Moneys. Anyone?
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O' Those GOD PLAYER's & their little/big Helpers! WHEREFORE

VOTE:

APOCALYPTIC-GOVERNMENT & GRIDARIAN//GROUPARIAN-DEMOCRACY!

"something to live for, nay to die for"

BEHOLD: "IN 'IT' WE[i] TRUST" not "IN GOD WE TRU$T" anymore!
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Note: ALL CHURCH based HOLY BOOKS here must Be stamped with the Holyi Words, "MADE IN AMERICA". Not Imported Anymore!

HARK: The "RELIGION of everything, before the Science of everything" is COMING, SOON.

ONLY IN AMERICA!

P.S.: WE[i] Speak AMERICAN, not ENGLISH!
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THINK GLOBALLY 1st Then act LOCALLY 2nd!”

Or is it Other way Around in this scenario? O' LaComedia!

Posted by: IN_IT_WE_TRUST | March 8, 2011 7:01 AM
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From the topic: "What are the potential consequences of singling out one religious group? "

This group's tenets will come under scrutiny:

To wit:

One of the major tenets of Islam is to believe in the existence of angels.
So in the 21st century, what can we conclude about angels:

A major item for neuron cleansing. Angels/devils are the mythical creations of ancient civilizations, e.g. Hittites, to explain/define natural events, contacts with their gods, big birds, sudden winds, protectors during the dark nights, etc. No "pretty/ugly wingy thingies" ever visited or talked to Mohammed, Jesus, Mary or Joseph or Joe Smith. Today we would classify angels as fairies and "tinker bells". Modern devils are classified as the demons of the demented."

One wonders if Rabbi Wolpe believes in fairies and the demons of the demented?

Posted by: YEAL9 | March 8, 2011 1:02 AM
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YEAL9,

Wow get yo know your Muslim neighbors and get beyond your ignorance. There are 7 million peaceful, patriotic, Muslimsin America.

"Mohammed was an illiterate, womanizing, lust and greed-driven, warmongering, hallucinating Arab, who also had embellishing/hallucinating/plagiarizing scribal biographers who not only added "angels" and flying chariots to the koran but also a militaristic agenda to support the plundering and looting of the lands of non-believers."

I am sure that if you spent as much time deconstructing the worst elementt of Christianity wou like take the beam out of your eye.

Posted by: cadam72 | March 7, 2011 10:10 PM
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Ooooopppssa.

"Your Religion, is My Re;igion, My Religion, is Your Religion" is FALSE. It Can only Be True, IF

"Your NATURAL-RESOURCES is OUR RESOURCES and OUR NATURAL-RESOURCES is Your RESOURCES" can understand this, THEN

{genuine] "PEACE ON EARTH" and "HEALING OF NATIONS" & More GOOD TIDINGS will come to passs. WHEREFORE

BEHOLD, A Better World to Live, Love & Dance On!
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-
Ameennnnnn..

Ommmmmmm..

Aummmmmm..

Vahhhhhhhhh... AND now Sing

EKLAHhhhht-iON..
.
............................. ._.
........................ ._.|._.|._.
.................... , .|._.| .. |._.|._
.................... | .|. . |. . |. . |._.|
.................... | .|. . |. . |. . |. . |
.................... | .|. . |. . |. . |. . |
................ ._.| .|. . |. . |. . |. . |
........... | .| .) .\ . . ..^ ..^ ..^ . .|
........... | .| . . | . . . . . . . . . ..|
........... | .| . .| . . . . . . . . . .. |
........... |. | . .| . . . . . . . . . .. |
........... \ .\ . . . . . . . . . . . . .|
............ \ .\ . . . . . . . . . . . ../
............. ). \ . . . . . . . . . . .(
............ /. .. \ . . . . . . . . . . .\
.......... / . . . . \ . . . . . . . . . .. \
.......... . . . . . . \ . . . . . . . . . . .\
.......... . . . . . . . \ .. . . . . . . . . ..\
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1) Inhale 'E' (sounds like hE/shE slightly)

2) Exhale 'KLAH' (use 't' for stop-gap in 'time') pause in a Mini Second, THEN

3) Inhale 'i' (sounds like hiii).

Try "IT" (Not a ‘HE’ nor a ‘SHE’)
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PEACE, PAZ, SHALOM, SALAAM, MIR, ZHINGYU, AHIMSA, SHANTi, ONKAR
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Credit: "JJ" http://onwapo.wordpress.com
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Posted by: ITs-TIME | March 7, 2011 4:02 PM
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Yeal9, Muhammad is the single most successful human being who ever walked the planet. He is an Arab from the desert in the 6th century and today more than 1,400 years later he has 1.5 billion followers who come every race, culture, and country on the planet. Only a true prophet of God could have such a universal following 1,400 years after his death.

http://www.kalamullah.com/muhammad-audio-book.html

Posted by: shukris | March 7, 2011 3:44 PM
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S H U K R I S

There are (2)TWO-TYPES-of-ISHLAMi//ESAUi's:

1: PRE-OIL-WEALTH Ishlami//Seaui's AND

2: POST-OIL-WEALTH Ishlami Ummah/Community/Sangha. SO,

this means & or REVEAL(s) a Great Prophecy to US APOCALYPTARIAN INTr-Nationals

{aka HU{MATE(s) or HUUMATE(s) or simply "Automatic Born Citizen//Denizen" of Holyi Space-Ship Earth(s)} THAT

ALL NATURAL RESOURCES or Any Natural Resource(s), in & on around OUR Holyi Ground/Crust, GEOID etc. belongs to US "APOCALYPTARAIN(s) NATIONALS of S.S. Earth. And WE [i] Will never Let Ye & Yo [PRE-APOCALYPTARIANS] continue to think that the PETRO (via NATURE, aka via "IT"s LAWS, thus CREATED such FOR US ApocalyptALIEN(s) & that the KAFIRS helped BELIEVERs Find such &

and they're Not Only limited to Consumers Natural Resources, but applies To Making things like ATOM BOMBS via Yellow-Cake//URANIUM which ISHLAMi (Republic?) of Pakistan People can Eat instead Roti/Jopoti or Wrap round their kids for warmth etc. YET

Now These [ISHLAMI//SEAUi] Student(s), i.e., like the Ishlami 52 "OIC" Nationals art Using KAFIR ideas, Patents, etc. Against (US) Them (KAFIRS) as part of Al Taqiyah & Pre-Apocalyptic Thinking?? Ummah/Community/Sangha et al NABES?

Note: Wait and See What Happens When KAFIRS (suddenly; yes, it happens fast in the inevitable & timings like Tidings) will no longer demand nor 'Depend' on the Need for more (ISHLAMI-Made) PETRO. Oops; Less Petro! This Future exchange will Cause Ye Young, middle & Elder's Aged ISHLAMI' to CONSUME each the Other/WAR. And YE & Yo Ishlami's Cannot Blame the Kafir's (Your TEACHERS & CO.'s).

Note again: Just because POST-OIL rich ISHLAMI hath a "SUNNY-A-BOMB" or "SHIA-B-BOMB" does-not-make-them-(Original)-Smart. Hence, Why They (Pre-Apocalyptarians thinkers) are DANGEROUS to Us EKLAHTi-ON(s) aka APOCALYPTALIEN's.

VOTE: For the "U.S. RELIGION POLICE"! Not Only Open-Season for Ishlami's or Esaui's; but the SHEMites, the HAMites & the JASPETHites Umma/Sangha's/Commune lalala. Aye?
______________________

Y E A L 9

Hmmmm.

There is a "Sanity" to Ye & yo's "Insanity".

PS; w/out the B.S:

VOTE for: the "U.S.(not-religious)RELIGION POLICE" (not Religious) now! Or Let CONGRESS Create this Bless'th Entity to DO it's Thing; in ORDER to DEFEND & ENFORCE The-Peoples "1st AMENDMENT or their PROTOCOLS OF THE HOLYi APOCALYPTARAIANS". SATANIC VERSUS don't have or will not have, a Chance. Old Time Religion is surely gonna be & come to be; NEW TIME RELIGION, & best part or Outcome & Purpose is

The "U.S. RELIGION POLICE" will focus on genuine SINGULARITY of the 5-major Religion//Systems instead of Plurality of such. Think of It as a NATIONAL-RELIGION, Yea!"

(not those "Protocols of the Elders-Of-Zion"; Not the Protocols of the Elders of AL TAQIYAH, Not the Protocols of the "Elders of the VATICAN"; not The "Elders of TIBET"; not The Protocol of the Elders of DELHI" et al)

OYE.

Posted by: ITs-TIME | March 7, 2011 3:37 PM
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.

Posted by: ITs-TIME | March 7, 2011 2:32 PM
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What causes Muslims to perform acts of koranic-driven terror and horror?

Mohammed was an illiterate, womanizing, lust and greed-driven, warmongering, hallucinating Arab, who also had embellishing/hallucinating/plagiarizing scribal biographers who not only added "angels" and flying chariots to the koran but also a militaristic agenda to support the plundering and looting of the lands of non-believers.

This agenda continues as shown by the ma-ssacre in Mumbai, the as-sas-sinations of Bhutto and Theo Van Gogh, the conduct of the seven Muslim doctors in the UK, the 9/11 terrorists, the 24/7 Sunni suicide/roadside/market/mosque bombers, the 24/7 Shiite suicide/roadside/ market/mosque bombers, the Islamic bombers of the trains in the UK and Spain, the Bali crazies, the Kenya crazies, the Pakistani “koranics”, the Palestine suicide bombers/rocketeers, the Lebanese nutcases, the Taliban nut jobs, the Ft. Hood follower of the koran, and the Filipino “koranics”.

And who funds this muck and stench of terror? The warmongering, Islamic, Shiite terror and torture theocracy of Iran aka the Third Axis of Evil and also the Sunni "Wannabees" of Saudi Arabia.

Hopefully, Rep. King's investigation will put some specifics to this horror.


Posted by: YEAL9 | March 7, 2011 1:12 PM
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Why do you fail to mention that non-Muslim western powers are heavily involved in creating the violence in Muslim countries by backing dictators and thugs, by invading and bombing Muslim countries, and by stealing oil and other resources at below-market prices? You, sir, are being dishonest judging by some of your statements.

Posted by: shukris | March 7, 2011 1:03 PM
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