Is Bush pro-Islam?

[MODU]

BRTD,

The question boils down to this:  "So what if Bush is pro-Islam (or more correctly, he's not anti-Islam)?"

You probably don't care, and there's no reason you should. The problem is the idiotic double standard righties use. Bush's views on Islam are exactly what dazzleman calls politically correct, and if any leftist behaved the same way as Bush he'd be crucifying him for supporting Islam. But Bush gets a free pass. And when a leftist like me criticizes Islam, I get labeled a bigot. Basically it appears to dazzleman and other righties, any right winger's views on Islam can never be wrong, while any leftist is either "politically correct" or a bigot.

Dazzleman is Dazzleman.  I'm sure he doesn't speak for all republicans/conservatives, just like you don't speak for all democrats/liberals.  Most people are not anti-Islam, since they know the difference between an radical/terrorist claiming to work in the name of Islam, and the majority of "normal" Islamists who live in peace.  Bush's view on Islam is probably no different than Clinton's. 

[Gustaf]

Someone as aggressively Christian as Bush is unlikely to be "pro" any other religion.

And religious people are not at all necessary to be less smart. I mean, look at Einstein!

[J. J.]

First of all, I'm overjoyed that people from all edges of the spectrum are pointing out how bigoted some of BRTD's comments are.

On religious matters, George W. Bush is tolerant (I would say that of Clinton).  I see no problem with a leader of a country that constitutionally guaranteed freedom of religion as being tolerant of a particular religion.

Yet for some reason dazzleman never accuses you of being "politically correct".

If I was pro-Islam, the righties would accuse me of being PC. Since I'm not, I'm accused of being a bigot. No win situation. Explain how to be neither PC or a bigot then.

If you look at my first post, you will find me defending Zogby's brother's religious affiliation, and saying, correctly, that there were problems with Zogby's polling process.  I would not accuse you of being PC if you claimed that not all Muslims are terrorists.

[angus]

is bush pro-islam?

I think so.  On the one hand he comes across, like his father, as an elitist country-club Yalie with a disconnect to Everyman.  But I tend to think that when he speaks of religion fondly, that he means it.  I may be naive, but I genuinely think Bush is a fairly religion-friendly president.  This is recognized the world over to be our deepest and most profound freedom, complete freedom of religion.  Now, Bush may be just giving lip service to our Bill of Rights, and there's no way I can get inside his head, but given the sheer number of mentions I have to think that he means it.  I think he, like Tony Blair, is a genuine believer, and a supporter of religious freedom.  I'd add that I think that his deep respect for sanctity extends not only to monotheistic religions like Christianity and Islam, but to all religions.  So, yes, in a very real sense, Bush is genuinely pro-Islam, in a way that most Republicans (e.g., his father) are not.  Of course he's also pro-Jew, pro-Christian, pro-Hindu, etc.  This is one thing I admire about the president, in fact.  Of course, being pro-religion has a nasty dark edge, which is the ability of those who exploit religion to do violence and harm (Hindu and Buddhists fighting in Sri Lanka, Jews and Muslims fighting in Jerusalem, Christian televangelists talking some poor old lady out of her last few pennies, etc.)  And I think Bush is so keen on erring on the side of religious freedom that he sometimes jerks the wagon a little to far afield, and allows himself to be exploited by religious nuts of all stripes, but that's just part of the package I suppose.