Catholic League president Donohue: "[P]eople don't trust the Muslims when it comes to liberty"
Appearing on MSNBC's Scarborough Country, Catholic League president William A. Donohue claimed that "people don't trust Muslims when it comes to liberty."
During the February 9 edition of MSNBC's Scarborough Country, Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights president William A. Donohue pointed to a recent Turkish film to claim "people don't trust the Muslims when it comes to liberty," as opposed to the United States, where, Donohue said, "we are civilized." The film to which Donohue was referring is Kurtlar vadisi: Irak (Valley of the Wolves: Iraq, Panafilm, 2006), which has been criticized as both anti-American and anti-Semitic for depicting American soldiers committing atrocities against Iraqi civilians and a Jewish doctor engaging in black market sales of human organs. According to Donohue, praise for the film from Turkey's prime minister shows that Turks "take the uncivilized approach" to free speech, continuing: "And then they wonder why so many people don't trust the Muslims when it comes to liberty, because they will abuse it. In this country, we prize freedom of religion. They abhor it."
From the February 9 edition of MSNBC's Scarborough Country:
DONOHUE: Now, you know, we just saw this in the Islamic world, the reaction, the barbaric reaction of so many people in the Muslim world because of a cartoon. I came out with a statement saying I agree with the United States, Great Britain, and the Vatican, saying that it was unnecessarily inflammatory. And I commend the media -- even though they're hypocritical, the way they act to Catholics -- for not reprinting it or showing it. But the fact of the matter is, I am less interested in [actor] Gary Busey [who appeared in the film] than I am in the Turkish officials. I read what the Turkish officials said about the movie. They thought it was great, including the prime minister.
Now, in this country, we are civilized. We don't appreciate it when somebody sticks it to you in the name of freedom of speech, sir. We condemn it. But over there, they take the uncivilized approach. And then they wonder why so many people don't trust the Muslims when it comes to liberty, because they will abuse it. In this country, we prize freedom of religion. They abhor it.
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According to Rush Limbaugh, it's the Liberals who think Muslims "aren't ready for freedom". Yet, this Christofascist says Muslims will only abuse freedom. I'm confused. If this is the case, why are our soldiers dying to give these people something they'll only abuse?
Why is this guy always on the cable nets screaming about this or that on behalf of Catholics?
Who appointed him? Who decided he speaks for us Catholics in the US? If any bishop or cardinal blessed him, or if the Pope gave him the thumbs up, I missed it.
This is yet another example of the "liberal media" being anything but. Charles Curran or Andrew Greeley have better claims to speak for Catholics than this tool of the right. Why is Donahue the go-to guy for Catholic perspectives?
I dont trust republicans when it comes to liberty. And I ABSOLUTLY dont trust Donohue when it comes to liberty
moslems in the mid east can not be (yet) be trusted to respect american freedoms. moslems in the us can and are trusted.
christofascists eh? prove it! what group does donohue want to send up in smoke???
Without approving of the term "Christofacist," I don't think that the proof that Donohue is one would be that he wants to send a group of people "up in smoke."
Facism and genocide are not one and the same, nor is genocide necessarily the platform of all facists. Facism is a governmental philosophy of top-down authoritarian control of societal order. It's insidious, and it is dangerous, but not necessarily genocidal.
Is Donohue a facist? I certainly can't claim to know. From what I've seen of him, he strikes me as simply a buffoon the media inexplicably offers a televised soapbox.
As for you claim that Muslims in America can be trusted with liberty, while Muslims in the Middle East can not, well, there are certainly plenty of Muslims in the Middle East who hate liberty, many in charge of governments there. But there are also many there who love liberty, and even western culture. Look at the general population of Iran.
Love of liberty knows know borders. Nor does hatred of liberty. There are people in the United States of all religious stripes who would love nothing more than to tear down the Constitution and erect their preferred theocracy in its place. And those theocrats here, are indeed, largely facist.
A member of the Religious Establishment...talking about liberty.
Somebody take a picture!