Dear Rep. Adam Hasner...
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| Flickr User: Hasner on the Move |
| Adam Hasner |
Dear Rep. Hasner,
Seriously? Geert Wilders? I mean, I know you're term-limited in the House, but surely you've considered a run for Senate, maybe Florida CFO? And yet by sharing a stage with Geert Wilders... well... it leaves one wondering whether you share his view that Muslim people are an inferior culture. Can you please clarify your positions on some of Wilders' most controversial statements and policies?If I accidentally mischaracterized a position of Wilders', please feel free to correct the record; you know him better than I do. Also, before you begin writing us your answers, please be mindful of how very generous are the protections in the U.S. for freedom of speech. You do not need to equivocate on our account, nor worry about the sensitivities of our readers. You are entitled to your opinion, no matter what that may be. Tell us how you really feel.
- Wilders has advocated banning immigrants from Islamic countries. Do you support this policy for the U.S.?
- Wilders has called for the repeal of hate-speech laws in Europe. Do you support this policy in the U.S. even though it may increase the threat that synagogues are painted with swastikas? Or that the homes and churches of minorities might be covered with racial slurs?
- Wilders has likened the Qur'an to Hitler's Mein Kampf. One can imagine how moderates who practice Islam and for whom that book is a sacred text object to the implication that they harbor genocidal fantasies like Hitler's. So would you like to assure them that you do not suspect them of this?
- Wilders has said that Islam is a "culture of barbarism." Do you share this view?
- In prepared remarks this week, Wilders referred to you as a "friend." Would you call him a "friend" too?
- Wilders has called Islam the "ideology of a retarded culture." Does that sound about right to you?
- In the Netherlands, Wilders has called for the elimination of mosques and for the deportation of Muslim immigrants. Do you believe this is a just policy? Do you support its adoption in the U.S.?
26 comment(s) / Post a Comment
"If I accidentally mischaracterized a position of Wilders' please feel free to correct the record;"
Please do your homework before putting anything to paper (and don't ask your readers to do it for you).
Posted On: Friday, May. 1 2009 @ 7:18PMThe European Court for Human Rights has declared that the foundational doctrines of Islam (Islamic law)are incompatible with democracy.
Muslims are not 'inferior' human beings and geert Wilders has never said nor inferred this.
He questions the legitimacy of Islamic doctrines, static since the 7th century -- and the Jew hatred contained therein -- as being equal to the West's developed human rights' system of rule of law, protection of minorities, separation of Church and State and freedom freedom freedom of speech, belief and expression. Which system is better?
Tom:
Do you believe in free speech? Why are you so angered by Hasner attending an event? Aren't there many more important things on this planet for you to try to inform us readers about?
Go to Saudi Arabia, idiot.
Have a happy beheading day!
Posted On: Saturday, May. 2 2009 @ 2:04AMI hate to say this, but did you ever notice how cute Adam Hasner is?
Like a big teddy bear that you'd just love to squeeze and give big, sloppy wet kisses all over?
Why just thinking about Boca's cuddle-boy in a thong makes me -- well, dare I say it? -- hard.
But that's not why I'm writing this.
The real reason is to say you need to get a life and stop picking on one of the prettiest Republicans in Florida (after Charlie, of course).
Personally, I bet you're just another butt ugly, anti-semite who hates any good looking young man -- especially if he's circumsized which I know you are not.
Charlie;
That was very funny and very creepy at the same time.
Thanks.
Someone get Dr. Phil on the blower and sched an hour for me. Stat!
Posted On: Saturday, May. 2 2009 @ 4:15PMJan - Most of Wilders' public remarks are in Dutch. I'm relying on translations, which can be tricky. And I'm simply not an expert on Wilders, a fact that when combined with my human imperfection, leaves open the potential for an error.
Anastasia - You dispute that a man who calls Islam the "ideology of a retarded culture," who calls it "barbarism" compared to his own culture of "reason," does not infer that the Muslim culture is inferior? Seems pretty clear-cut to me. In fact your post seems to contain this same sentiment, as you argue that one culture is "better" than the other. Personally, I think such questions are far too subjective to bother arguing about. If I think blue is the best color, you can't convince me it's not.
(Fake) Tom Francis - It's very bad manners to post under someone else's name, though I hope no one confused the two of us. And you question my belief in free speech? Because I've devoted my professional career to its cause? Because I invited the state rep to use this website to exercise his own free speech?
Charlie's Secret Angel - Just... yuck.
Chaz - We'd need Dr. Phil's intervention for much more than an hour. Might take a week before we see our first breakthrough.
The power and wisdom of words and the pen. Finally, someone had the courage and resolve to pose the right questions to Mr. Hasner. No doubt that Mr. Francis will be bombarded with angry supporters of Mr. Hasner and Mr. Wilders.
A knight in shinning armour you are Mr. Francis, rest assured that the angry words of the extremists will not harm your soul but quite the contrary.
Thank you for the inquisitive brilliant mind you have; it's not a gift but a blessing. So treasure it and continue being a true and ethical reporter; God knows we need a few more like you.
thank you Mr. Francis, thank you very much indeed for being a voice for those who do not posess your talents and skills.
Posted On: Monday, May. 4 2009 @ 10:38AMAngry all the time. For G-d sake why the perverted comments? Don't you have anything intellectual to say or discuss? I'm wondering if any of you are living under the Julia Tutle Causway in Miami? Such perversion, so disrespectful; but what can we expect from supporters of Adam (should change his name, he's disgracing it) and Geert? nothing less than insults, curses, and slander. Jesus said it so well, he said, "by their fruits you shall know them". Indeed look at their actions. They have nothing better to do than go around protraying someone's faith as evil. All we have to do is look at the people delivering this message and the people of conscious will know the truth.
Let us home that Francis is not threatened with his life; these people will stop at nothing short to make sure that this propaganda is spread - they know about propaganda and its effect.
Posted On: Monday, May. 4 2009 @ 10:50AMThomas Francis defines Muslims as a race in his story.
If Mr. Francis is not aware that Muslim is NOT a race he obviously has much to learn on the subject of his attack piece.
The Hook on the story is that Muslim is a Race, therefore Geert Wilders, Adam Hasner, and any reader who disagrees with Francis are also racists.
Saul Alinsky would be proud of you Mr. Francis. I on the other hand publicly shame you.
Posted On: Monday, May. 4 2009 @ 11:49AMI corrected a line in which I mistakenly wrote "race" where I should have wrote "culture." But there absolutely is an important racial component. For while there are an array of races who identify as Muslim, in the U.S. and Europe Muslims tend to be Arab and South Asian. For someone of one race (white, in this case) to attack the religion associated with other races has the effect of creating racial division.
Posted On: Monday, May. 4 2009 @ 12:23PMMr. Francis,
Your use of the race card is lame. Though you say you mistakenly used the term, your excuse to Alan K only reflects that there was, indeed, no mistake at all. You view any opposition to Muslims and their Islamic teachings as racism, you would have been applauded at Durban II.
Here in the real world we see Islam as a religion, this religion is bent on world domination for its pseudo god. We reject the politics of oppression that Muslims around the globe are using; that because their religion is not accepted by others the poor Muslims have somehow been oppressed. Pure bunk.
Geert Wilders has valid points, he is merely attempting to reverse the advance of the Islamic revolution in his country, before it is overrun and dominated by the barbaric religion of Islam. Here in the United States we need to consider similar measures.
Do not mistake my sentiment, I am not a racist and I do not suggest widespread regulation or censorship of religions. I do recognize the goals and aspirations of Islam in the United States and every other host country Muslims are circulating in; that goal is to spread Islam by intimidation and eventually, when Muslims gain enough numbers and strength, by force. I do recognize the clear and present danger posed by Islam and the religion's faithful adherents referred to as Muslims. If moves are not made to control the menace in our midst there will be widespread insurrection in all the countries of the free world.
Islam is not and has never been a religion of love, rather, it is and always has been a religion of jihad (war). Peace loving nations around the world must act to protect their citizens from the insidious Islamic revolution that is a purposeful, organized movement seeking to convert, enslave or wipe out all who are non-Muslim, period.
Any one wishing to learn more about the Islamic revolution may download a new report: http://tinyurl.com/dknm96
May the People of Israel live in peace and security and may the people of the free world be free from the Islamic revolution that is eating away at their economies. If the world was not spending so much money to defend itself from Islamic terrorism our economic situation would be in far better condition.
Posted On: Monday, May. 4 2009 @ 3:22PMEverything I ever needed to know about Islam was gotten off the internet.
Posted On: Monday, May. 4 2009 @ 4:16PMKudos to Thomas Francis for puncturing the sactimony of those Neo-conservative Likudniks and Armageddon Evangelicals who like the recent AIPAC spies apparently think the rules of decency let alone the laws which apply to the rest of our very diverse society dont apply to them. Unlike the Quran, the Old Testament is filled with God allegedly telling his "chosen people" to commit genocide against the Canaanites and the Amalikites including children who must not be spared. Many of the most rabid American born settlers directly cite these passages-should we then ban Judaism as many Christians in Europe proposed not so long ago? It is quite ironic that it was Muslims from the Inquisition through the Crusades and Holocaust who offered shelter to the ancestors of todays Likudniks when the West was doing them in. As for Armageddon nut jobs like Wilders, Hagee, Robertson et al. before you blow up the world so Jesus can rapture you, remember you still have reparations to pay for the ethnic cleansing, genocide, and slavery you committed on this land against half of our extremely diverse population which is currently not of European descent-then we can discuss banning Islam.
Regards
M.R. Khan
Chicago
I have known few Muslims friends in California for a long while now. I would definitely rate Muslims peace-loving, caring and supportive. If I would start judging them based on the few extremists individual who claim to be Muslims and are creating havoc in the society, I would then be nothing but a hypocrite because I am then generalizing the entire religion based on the actions of some individuals. Even the countries these extremists represent are taking all cautionary steps to bring them to justice.
Disgraced Politician Geert Wilders got the treatment when he was refused entry to UK and was barred from entering in UK by the law enforcement for his extremist’s views.
Rep. Adam Hasner on the other hand is misusing his power and is supporting discrimination by hosting disgraced Politicians Geert Wilders.
I am pretty sure individuals who have left postings above against the religion Islam are expressing their personal hostility against this particular religion which again counts as discrimination.
I would like to thank the author of the open letter, for using his simple but powerful right to question the judgment of his elected official.
I will not delve deeply into any aforementioned topic; however, I will say that any "open-minded" analysis of the history of our country--as well as its "founders'" involvement in the pre-American international community--will unquestionably lead to conclusions that easily counter and destroy the arguments in half of the above posts.
May Guidance be bestowed upon all of us.
In peace,
Yasir Abunamous
Posted On: Monday, May. 4 2009 @ 10:01PM(It might also do some of the readers well to actually study the history of Islamic expansion...history in a vacuum renders an already-fragile discipline automatically inaccurate; I do not think it would be acceptable to say that the 20th century defined human existence)
In peace,
Yasir Abunamous
Posted On: Monday, May. 4 2009 @ 10:09PMTom,
Great article. That's for the logic of your argument. I'm getting completely sick of Islam being likened to things it completely is not. Islam is not the Taliban, it is not about the Saudis...it is not about murdering those that don't follow you, or about pulling women out of schools. All of this is culture based, not the religion. Just as you had Hitler and other fanatics that were bent on spreading their views of Christianity, we have fanatics. Yet these fanatics do not represent more than a couple of percent points of the billion of the population. I could quote you so many items directly from the Quran that state other than what you hear about Islam and Muslims in both the news and from sources such as the Taliban. Anything else you hear is politics, dehumanize a people and you can justify attacks on them. Thanks again and have a great one.
Posted On: Monday, May. 4 2009 @ 10:47PMMy hats off to Rep. Hasner. Finally a politician who understands "FREE SPEECH" and the threat that islam poses to the Western Democracies, including the United States of America. Unlike this news writer Thomas Francis, who is probably sitting holding hands singing Kum-by-ya.
Islam means "Submission" and they are not here to be equal or assimilate into our society. Mr. Wilders is being demonized for exercising his right of free speech and islam gets yet another pass.
Unlike Mr. Francis, Rep. Hasner sees through the facade of islam and tolerant sounding names and acronyms. Can't we all just get along?
Yea, in the meantime; Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR, Islamic Society of North America, Muslim Student Association, United Voices for America, just to name a few, seek to undermine the U.S. Constitution and United States of America. It was Ahmed Bedier of United Voices for America (UVA) who stood on the Old Capitol steps in Tallahassee this past March and proclaimed - "Today we instilled fear into the hearts of our legislators".
And Rep. Hasner is the bad guy???
Francis,
You did not mistankenly write "race" instead of "culture" - You just got caught showing your bias and ignorance that permeates your attack piece on Hasner, Wilders, and everyone else who is outside of your collective thought judgements.
This is what everyone needs to understand about Islam and it's very simple. Islam is a political ideology -let me explain. There is NO separation between Church and State in Islam. Sharia Law/Islamic Law dictates what an individual does from the minute he wakes up, eats, drinks, bodily functions, prays, famyily dynamics, what to wear, Courts, and how the Government itself is run. The Imams and Islamic scholars oversee and implement harsh punishments to those who do not adhere to strict Islamic Law - Did you get that Francis? Islamic Scholars oversee the Judiciary not the Government. The Koran is the Constitution of Islam - and the Koran is not compatible with our U.S. Constitution just on the Church and State case I made above. This Francis you can not dispute.
You have every right to say what you want - Free Speech is a foundation of our Representative Republic. My problem with you is that you are defending a political ideology whose punishment for defaming Mohammad is punishable by death. Let me explain.
According to Bukhari Mohammad (53 years old) married Aisha at 6 and consummated the marriage at age 9. This fact is from the accepted Islamic holy texts so please don't attack me for reporting it just because you think by attacking me personally it will change the source - Life just doesn't work that way Francis.
Having sex with underage girls is Pedophilia. If I call Mohammad a Pedophile, which he clearly was, our Islamic scholars and judges I talked about above would render a legally accepted punishment of death for blasphemy against the Prophet, on ME, FOR TELLING THE TRUTH FRANCIS! Geert Wilders and Adam Hasner are simply telling the truth based on WHAT Islamic countries do, WHAT followers of Sharia Law do, What Islam is and does.
And if you don't say the right things Francis Political Islam will also come after you.
Alan K
www.RadioJihad.org
www.ACTForAmerica.org
It seems that people blogging on this board were either trained or members of KKK or a mutated form of Al-Qaida. Rep Hessner who is elected from a district which does have sizable Muslim population and it seems he does
not care about that population. Even Anti Defamation League ( a Jewish organization) has condemned Wilder and Rep Hessner for having this event.
I am sure most of the people who are defending the right of Wilder to speak should have done the same when the right of Louis Farrakhan was denied by British Govt. Atleast Britts are more sensible and smart as they banned both from their country.
Tom Francis is a brave man and it is Zionism which has become a Jewish Al Qaida group mingling with extreme Christian right.
Keep up the good job Tom in exposing the hypocrisy of our elected officials
Vito
If your hats are off to Rep Hessner for standing up to free speech. DID YOU HAVE YOUR PANTS OFF WHEN PEOPLE LIKE JESSIE JACKSON USED
THEIR FREEDOM OF SPEECH TO CALL NEW YORK A JIMIE TOWN and where were your hats and pants when Louis Farrakhan called Jewish religion a gutter religion. You should have proved of their freedom of speech too.
Your parents should be proud of your hypocrisy
of double standard.
It is funny when people on the left don't agree with you, you're labeled a Nazi or part of the KKK or now Al-Qaida. Wow what a reach. It is very important for those who do not agree with you Shabbir, to paint others as extremists or right-wing zealots, because that is the politically correct thing to do, by you so-called mainstreamers or the "progressive" thinkers in America. Unfortunately, that ignorance is what sects like islam capitalize on, in order to further their radical agenda. They pray on a political correctness and multi-culturalism societies.
We have a difference of opinion, which under the U.S. Constitution gives us the right as Americans to express.
Liberals cannot accept this from people who do not think like they do, so the insults and labels get thrown out.
Bottom line is, islam is not compatible with the United States Constitution, nor do they have our moral and value system. Islam still lives in the 7th century and really have contributed nothing to the world except "fear".
A 1991 memo by Muslim Brotherhood clearly outlined - "it is their intent to undermine the Western Democracies, including the United States of America and tear down their miserable house from within".
So please keep your head in the sand, your blinders on, continue to label people as extremists, KKK or Al-Qaida when you disagree with them. One day, you'll look back and say what the heck happened to America and why are we now allowing Sharia Law? OR where did all these camels come from?
Hey Pete
You a funny guy! Have no idea where you were going with your point. Jackson and Farrakhan do not deserve a response for their anti-semitic remarks, they say enough to bury themselves. They try to portray themselves as mainstream, yet they demonize the jewish people. They are right up there with Ahmadenajad and Khadafi.
By the way, Hasner is not my type so I will keep my pants on. Thank you for asking though.
ahmad says,
Alan k,
you should be warned about approching the holy QUR'AN with this mind-set-up because you will forever continue to display the sort of frick!that you are.
you think you can sit in the comfort of your room and make quotations from a HOLY and DEVINE document and convince your sorry self that you know what you are doing.if you have to go to school to learn common econonics not to talk about medicine whose basic concepts and course outline are developed by ORDINARY MEN think 2uice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx949cehGHw&feature=related
WATCH MUSLIM CULTURE KILL GAYS.
WATCH TOM FRANCIS DEFEND MUSLIM CULTURE.
WATCH GAYS DIE BECAUSE OF TOM FRANCIS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx949cehGHw&feature=related
Posted On: Tuesday, May. 5 2009 @ 11:26PM Of all the hubbub displayed here in these comments, there is only ONE comment that makes sense and at the same time serves as a dear warning: The goal is to spread the Islam by intimidation ( going on right now ) and eventually, when Muslims gain enough numbers and strength, by force.
The Islam and democracy are absolutely incompatible.
