Politics: True Colors

UPDATE: More info on Mr. Pipes. It must be acknowledged that Pipes' website features an alleged refutation of many claims against him. In reviewing many of them, Pipes astounds in his inability to actually see that the underlying belief for all of his hate-riddled writings is a burning, almost insane hatred of Muslims. Check out the Council on American-Islamic Relations Daniel Pipes archive. Some choice bile-bits:

"I worry very much from the Jewish point of view that the presence, and increased stature, and affluence, and enfranchisement of American Muslims...will present true dangers to American Jews."

Daniel Pipes speaking before the convention of the American Jewish Congress, 10/21/2001

"There is no escaping the unfortunate fact that Muslim government employees in law enforcement, the military, and the diplomatic corps need to be watched for connections to terrorism, as do Muslim chaplains in prisons and the armed forces.

"Muslim visitors and immigrants must undergo additional background checks. Mosques require a scrutiny beyond that applied to churches, synagogues and temples. Muslim schools require increased oversight to ascertain what is being taught to children…"

Daniel Pipes, Jerusalem Post, 1/22/03

Read Don Wycliff's excellent column in the Chicago Tribune entitled "Great Leaps of Utter Nonsense." Wycliff skewers Pipes' absurd assertion that D.C. sniper suspect John Mohammed was an African-America who converted to Islam 17 years ago. Pipes claims that Mohammed's belief in Islam "fits into a well-established tradition of American blacks who convert to Islam turning against their country."

This guy is a true nutjob, masquerading as a scholar on Islam. I would fight like mad for his right to say these horrible things, but nobody gets to make these kinds of statements from a board position at a congressionally-authorized institute "promoting the peaceful resolution of international conflicts."

Actions are forthcoming. Stay tuned, true believers.