Gen.Hagee, commandant of the Marine Corps, dedicates USMC Islamic prayer center
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  1. #1

    Gen.Hagee, commandant of the Marine Corps, dedicates USMC Islamic prayer center


    Ceremony Held In the Shadow of Haditha Probe


    By Theresa Vargas
    Washington Post Staff Writer
    Wednesday, June 7, 2006; Page B01
    In the official speeches, no one mentioned Haditha. But as the Islamic Prayer Center was dedicated yesterday at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, recent violence in Iraq, including the killing of 24 civilians in the western Iraqi town, allegedly by Marines, was on the mind of some.
    Aisha Greenleaf Abdul-Mateen sat in a folding chair behind rows of other folding chairs, listening as Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England and Gen. Michael W. Hagee, commandant of the Marine Corps, spoke about the significance of the day -- the first Muslim prayer center for the Marines. She sat there as they pointed to the small white building behind them as a symbol of America's religious tolerance. And she remained there after they finished their speeches, took off their shoes and walked inside the center with a gaggle of journalists in tow.




    "If they would have asked someone like me to say something, they would have got the truth," said Abdul-Mateen, a Muslim and wife of a veteran.
    She would have stood at the podium and said that the Islamic Prayer Center was a "beautiful, beautiful thing" but long overdue. She would have said that it shows "equality" and "justice" and "respect," but that those qualities were being lost in the bigger picture of the Iraq war. That the leaders weren't following what God wants.
    "If they were," she said, "we wouldn't be in Iraq doing what we're doing -- hurting innocent people, having them take their clothes off and siccing dogs on them, and even what they're doing in Cuba."
    Yesterday's ceremony marked the dedication of the building that has been in use by the base's Muslim community since the end of last year. The plan is to build a larger facility by 2009 to serve as a religious activities and family support center. Several who attended the ceremony described it as a positive step in relations with the Muslim community in the United States after a series of reported missteps recently in Iraq, such as the alleged atrocity in Haditha.
    "The event was timely," said Ghayth Nur Kashif, an imam who served in the Korean war. "It's not going to be enough, but it's a start."
    Lt. Abuhena Saifulislam, a U.S. Navy chaplain and religious adviser to the U.S. Marines, said the idea for the center came last July when he was assigned to the base. Muslim service members and international students came to him for help.
    "They started asking me, 'Can we get a place to pray?' " he said, adding that they had been going off the base to Woodbridge and Stafford.
    Saifulislam estimates that 30 people use the center, but he's confident that the number will grow.
    "As it is known, they will come," he said.
    England said 4,000 Muslim Americans are serving in all branches of the U.S. military. He said the center will be not only a space for them but also a place to educate people about Islam. Inside the center, which is mostly a large, empty room, the walls are decorated with educational posters topped with such questions as "Who is Allah?" and "What do Muslims believe?"
    "At the end of the day, we are all brothers and sisters," England said.
    Hagee said he believes that everyone shares the basic values of respect for human life, for the truth and for personal property.
    "The Islamic Prayer center is really an extension of our ethos, this ethos we take care of one another," he said. "We are a family."
    Even those at yesterday's ceremony who did not agree with the war and were solemn when talking about recent events under investigation in Haditha agreed that the center was a positive symbol of religious respect.
    "This couldn't happen in any other country except America. It wouldn't happen in the Middle East," said Christopher Bell, a Vietnam veteran who started the Muslim-American Veteran Association. "We have our problems, but this is the greatest country as far as freedom goes."

    Nazim Abdul Karriem, 87, a World War II veteran, prays in the center. (Bill O'leary - The Washington Post)


  2. #2
    Religious tolerance my ass, I call it PC OVERKILL.

    Let me see, if I go to Bum****, Iraq, I guess they will have a Christian Church there for me to go to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Same ****ing difference!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    SEMPER FI,


  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by OLE SARG
    Religious tolerance my ass, I call it PC OVERKILL.

    Let me see, if I go to Bum****, Iraq, I guess they will have a Christian Church there for me to go to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Same ****ing difference!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    SEMPER FI,
    that's right!
    And you'll get down most Rikki tikk and you will like it! LOL


  4. #4
    Yet another waste of taxpayer dollars for PC crap.

    If this was a Baptist or Christian church being dedicated, the howls would be long and loud from the ACLU types about 'separation of church and state'.

    What twaddle.


  5. #5
    It's a sad day in Marine Corps history when CMC is an accomplice to providing aid and comfort to the enemy.


  6. #6
    You'll go to class, and the prayer center and like it....


  7. #7
    Marine Free Member FistFu68's Avatar
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    THERE ARE 708,000.00 CRAZY AZZ HILLBILLIE'S,SURROUNDING THAT BASE.I SHOULD KNOW, I'M RELATED TO 'EM;JUST WAITING!!! SEMPER~PAY~BAC!!!


  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Arcade

    Ceremony Held In the Shadow of Haditha Probe


    By Theresa Vargas
    Washington Post Staff Writer
    Wednesday, June 7, 2006; Page B01
    In the official speeches, no one mentioned Haditha. But as the Islamic Prayer Center was dedicated yesterday at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, recent violence in Iraq, including the killing of 24 civilians in the western Iraqi town, allegedly by Marines, was on the mind of some.
    Aisha Greenleaf Abdul-Mateen sat in a folding chair behind rows of other folding chairs, listening as Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England and Gen. Michael W. Hagee, commandant of the Marine Corps, spoke about the significance of the day -- the first Muslim prayer center for the Marines. She sat there as they pointed to the small white building behind them as a symbol of America's religious tolerance. And she remained there after they finished their speeches, took off their shoes and walked inside the center with a gaggle of journalists in tow.




    "If they would have asked someone like me to say something, they would have got the truth," said Abdul-Mateen, a Muslim and wife of a veteran.
    She would have stood at the podium and said that the Islamic Prayer Center was a "beautiful, beautiful thing" but long overdue. She would have said that it shows "equality" and "justice" and "respect," but that those qualities were being lost in the bigger picture of the Iraq war. That the leaders weren't following what God wants.
    "If they were," she said, "we wouldn't be in Iraq doing what we're doing -- hurting innocent people, having them take their clothes off and siccing dogs on them, and even what they're doing in Cuba."
    Yesterday's ceremony marked the dedication of the building that has been in use by the base's Muslim community since the end of last year. The plan is to build a larger facility by 2009 to serve as a religious activities and family support center. Several who attended the ceremony described it as a positive step in relations with the Muslim community in the United States after a series of reported missteps recently in Iraq, such as the alleged atrocity in Haditha.
    "The event was timely," said Ghayth Nur Kashif, an imam who served in the Korean war. "It's not going to be enough, but it's a start."
    Lt. Abuhena Saifulislam, a U.S. Navy chaplain and religious adviser to the U.S. Marines, said the idea for the center came last July when he was assigned to the base. Muslim service members and international students came to him for help.
    "They started asking me, 'Can we get a place to pray?' " he said, adding that they had been going off the base to Woodbridge and Stafford.
    Saifulislam estimates that 30 people use the center, but he's confident that the number will grow.
    "As it is known, they will come," he said.
    England said 4,000 Muslim Americans are serving in all branches of the U.S. military. He said the center will be not only a space for them but also a place to educate people about Islam. Inside the center, which is mostly a large, empty room, the walls are decorated with educational posters topped with such questions as "Who is Allah?" and "What do Muslims believe?"
    "At the end of the day, we are all brothers and sisters," England said.
    Hagee said he believes that everyone shares the basic values of respect for human life, for the truth and for personal property.
    "The Islamic Prayer center is really an extension of our ethos, this ethos we take care of one another," he said. "We are a family."
    Even those at yesterday's ceremony who did not agree with the war and were solemn when talking about recent events under investigation in Haditha agreed that the center was a positive symbol of religious respect.
    "This couldn't happen in any other country except America. It wouldn't happen in the Middle East," said Christopher Bell, a Vietnam veteran who started the Muslim-American Veteran Association. "We have our problems, but this is the greatest country as far as freedom goes."

    Nazim Abdul Karriem, 87, a World War II veteran, prays in the center. (Bill O'leary - The Washington Post)
    hats off to General Hagee. Muslim Americans are Americans

    Muslim Marines are MARINES.


  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by ErikHeiker
    It's a sad day in Marine Corps history when CMC is an accomplice to providing aid and comfort to the enemy.

    yeah, because surely the Muslims who wear the same uniform as you and I are the enemy

    ROFL.


  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Sgt Leprechaun
    Yet another waste of taxpayer dollars for PC crap.

    If this was a Baptist or Christian church being dedicated, the howls would be long and loud from the ACLU types about 'separation of church and state'.

    What twaddle.

    betcha for that one Muslim center in Quantico there are 20 other Christian churches so yall can relax.


  11. #11
    Note that the 'Washington compost', the liberal paper of record in DC, instead of simply reporting the news, adds it's own editorial commentary about Haditha. Another good reason why I don't read their stuff, unless I'm looking for the enemies opinion. Then, it's ideal.


  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Sgt Leprechaun
    Note that the 'Washington compost', the liberal paper of record in DC, instead of simply reporting the news, adds it's own editorial commentary about Haditha. Another good reason why I don't read their stuff, unless I'm looking for the enemies opinion. Then, it's ideal.
    well they're entitled to have their own opinion. we can jsut not read it.

    Only in this country would we allow a Muslim worship place to be erected. A faith that belongs to the majority of the enemies we are fighting.

    This is the true spirit of tolerence and democracy.

    God Bless the USA !!!


  13. #13
    Marine Free Member FistFu68's Avatar
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    AZZ-BACKWARD'S!WHY ISN'T IT (AMERICAN MUSLIM)???


  14. #14
    SuN, lets just hope you can continue to say that, "God Bless..." part for a good while longer. If our 'mooslum American" brethren have their way, you will have to pay Dhmiitude to say that....


  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Sgt Leprechaun
    SuN, lets just hope you can continue to say that, "God Bless..." part for a good while longer. If our 'mooslum American" brethren have their way, you will have to pay Dhmiitude to say that....

    at 0.6% of the US population? I highly doubt it.

    I believe...no check, I KNOW that the only true God is Jehovah, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

    But I also believe in the freedom of religion as guaranteed in the First Amendment, and I fully support the rights of American Muslims to worship as they please

    God Bless the USA


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