Texas state senator walks out during Muslim prayer at capital

[chrisinhouston]

This is my new state senator! He has also offered to buy babies for $500 from any women thinking about abortion. While some would argue that in most Muslim countries prayers by anyone from another religion would just not happen, I for one believe if we had more tolerance we would all be better off and it could just as well start here and hopefully spread.

Patrick boycotts prayer, praises religious freedom


Republican Sen. Dan Patrick on Wednesday boycotted the first prayer delivered in the Texas Senate by a Muslim cleric, and then praised religious tolerance and freedom of speech in an address at the end of the day's session.

"I think that it's important that we are tolerant as a people of all faiths, but that doesn't mean we have to endorse all faiths, and that was my decision," he said later. "I surely believe that everyone should have the right to speak, but I didn't want my attendance on the floor to appear that I was endorsing that."

Patrick, a conservative radio talk show host from Houston and self-professed Christian, said he wasn't the only senator to miss the invocation — in English and song — by the Imam Yusuf Kavakci of the Dallas Central Mosque.

But he was the only senator known to have passed out to other senators copies of a two-year-old newspaper editorial criticizing Kavakci for publicly praising two radical Islamists.

Patrick's political ally, Harris County Republican Chairman Jared Woodfill, had sharply criticized the fact that the Muslim prayer was scheduled during the week before Easter.

The timing was coincidental, said Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, who sponsored the cleric's appearance at the Capitol on the Texas Muslims Legislative Day. Shapiro is Jewish, and this also is Passover, a major Jewish holiday.

Shapiro praised Kavakci's "extensive interfaith experience" and said he represents a "substantial constituency of Texans who deserve to be represented." She said she checked out his reputation with the Anti-Defamation League and other groups to "make sure he was not somebody I would be embarrassed by."

Shapiro said she never leaves the floor when Christian ministers deliver an invocation "in Jesus' name" and doesn't consider her presence an endorsement of Christianity.

"I have a great respect for Christianity. I have a great respect for anyone who comes and prays. That's what this country was based on, its freedom of religion," she said.

Then, Patrick took the floor on a point of personal privilege and kept his Senate colleagues at their desks before the extra-long Easter weekend to share the important lesson he learned from the prayer he skipped.

Patrick explained that American soldiers, he understands now, aren’t “fighting just for Christians, they’re not fighting just for Jews or just for Muslims. They’re fighting for every American.” His newfound insight continued. “At the same time, I think about how the world looks at us, and they must be confused. We’re a nation that is so tolerant of others, we bend over backwards to allow others to pray as they wish, to dream as they wish, to speak as they wish.”

“We are a nation that allows a Muslim to come in with a Koran, but doesn’t allow a Christian to take a Bible to school,” he said. “The world must be puzzled of those Americans. But I’m not.”

“We are a Judeo-Christian nation,” Patrick said, pausing for a second before adding, “primarily a Christian nation.”

Patrick’s soliloquy appeared to be a paen to religious freedom. Or perhaps his freedom to protest religious freedom. Or perhaps his freedom to learn to understand religious freedom by protesting religious freedom. But at least he was polite.

"In many parts of the world, I know that Jews or Christians would not be given that same right, that same freedom," he said.

"The imam that was here today, he was fortunate to be in this great country."

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by chrisinhouston

This is my new state senator! He has also offered to buy babies for $500 from any women thinking about abortion. While some would argue that in most Muslim countries prayers by anyone from another religion would just not happen, I for one believe if we had more tolerance we would all be better off and it could just as well start here and hopefully spread.

I agree with you whole heartedly. The problem we have is that this notion of religious tolerance is not a two way street. It is and should be in the US but it is not. Christians don't seem to accept Muslims, Muslims don't seem to accept Christians or we would never have heard of the word Infidel. I would submit that in the Muslim religion they do seem to be more tolerant of the fact that JC was a profit, but not the other way around. Intolerant religions has been the spark of countless wars from time BC. Now the latest fad is for non-religious people to bash those of some organized religion and visa versa.

[elSicomoro]

The idea of "tolerance" doesn't sound right to me. "I tolerate you"...what the fuck is that?! Why not just say "acceptance?" "I don't like your crap, but you ain't fucking with me, so I accept you for being a shithead." That works for me.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by sycamore

The idea of "tolerance" doesn't sound right to me. "I tolerate you"...what the fuck is that?! Why not just say "acceptance?" "I don't like your crap, but you ain't fucking with me, so I accept you for being a shithead." That works for me.

That works for me... semantics.

[piercehawkeye45]

I have a feeling he is doing this for his reputation more than anything and that thought just makes me sick.

You worship the same fucking god, this is pathetic.

[busterb]

I agree with you whole heartedly. The problem we have is that this notion of religious tolerance is not a two way street. It is and should be in the US but it is not. Christians don't seem to accept Muslims

Or other Christians! Of course I use the word Christians loosely.

[richlevy]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

to be more tolerant of the fact that JC was a profit.

I think you meant prophet, but considering the amount of fundraising being done in his name, you could make the point for either.

[Hime]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Christians don't seem to accept Muslims, Muslims don't seem to accept Christians or we would never have heard of the word Infidel.

Um, infidel is an English word, not one invented by Muslims. If not for Muslims we wouldn't have heard the word keffir, but hey, most of us haven't anyway.

[bluecuracao]

Originally Posted by busterb

Or other Christians! Of course I use the word Christians loosely.

When my father lived in west TX, a woman he worked with told him very matter-of-factly that he was going to hell, because he was Catholic. According to her, you had to belong to some specific Christian church to avoid eternal fiery damnation. Because Catholics and Christians are just, you know, two completely opposite sides of the coin!

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by bluecuracao

When my father lived in west TX, a woman he worked with told him very matter-of-factly that he was going to hell, because he was Catholic. According to her, you had to belong to some specific Christian church to avoid eternal fiery damnation. Because Catholics and Christians are just, you know, two completely opposite sides of the coin!

We will probably be seeing her in hell if god is that picky anyways.

[DanaC]

Um, infidel is an English word, not one invented by Muslims. If not for Muslims we wouldn't have heard the word keffir, but hey, most of us haven't anyway.

Unfortunately that's a word that seems to be cropping up rather more than usual in some of our more radical mosques.

[bluecuracao]

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

We will probably be seeing her in hell if god is that picky anyways.

"We?"

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by bluecuracao

"We?"

Well, since I don't see anyone here devoting their whole life to God, then yes, "we". Hehe.

[bluecuracao]

Well, maybe God doesn't want that.

[DanaC]