The Western Conservative Summit, hosted annually by Colorado Christian University, has become one of the biggest-draw events for Republican politicos, pundits, and their many fans. Three years ago, the WCS featured an address by Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders. Wilders became famous in Europe–some would use the world infamous–for his strident attacks against Muslim immigration into Europe and the religion of Islam in general. As the Colorado Statesman's Ernest Luning reported from the 2012 WCS:
Saturday afternoon’s topic, [Former Colorado Sen. John] Andrews said, would be “the existential threat to the United States of America posed by Islam.”
Pausing for a moment to let his words sink in, he continued. “I didn’t say ‘radical Islam,’ I didn’t say ‘extremism.’ After you hear from Frank Gaffney and our friend from across the Atlantic, Geert Wilders, you’ll know why I just say ‘the threat of Islam…’”
“Your country is facing a stealth jihad, an Islamic attempt to introduce Sharia law bit by bit by bit,” [Wilders] said.
In order to keep the United States from succumbing, Wilders said, politicians have to ignore what he promised would be derision from the liberal media and other quarters and firmly deliver strong medicine. First, he said, Americans have to stop putting up with “multiculturalism,” even as free-speech proponents cry foul. In addition, he said American courtrooms must bar Sharia law and “stop the immigration from Islamic countries.”
Most critically, he said, “We should forbid the construction of new mosques. There is enough Islam in the West already.”
Wilder's speech at the Western Conservative Summit attracted remarkably little press attention, but Wilder left Colorado with lots of new fans–like Republican Colorado state Sen. Kevin Grantham:
Regarding Wilders’ suggestion that Western governments ban construction of new mosques, Grantham said it was worth considering.
“You know, we’d have to hear more on that, because, as he said, mosques are not churches like we would think of churches,” Grantham said. [Pols emphasis] “They think of mosques more as a foothold into a society, as a foothold into a community, more in the cultural and in the nationalistic sense. Our churches — we don’t feel that way, they’re places of worship, and mosques are simply not that, and we need to take that into account when approving construction of those.”
Although it greatly upset local Muslim groups, we haven't seen much follow-up to this fairly astonishing quote from Sen. Grantham–which doesn't appear to comport with the First Amendment protections for religious practice we're pretty sure he would defend, at least if applied to Jesus. Who Muslims also revere (this hater stuff gets complicated). But as the UK Daily Mail reports, Grantham might get another chance soon, since his buddy Geert Wilders is back in the news:
Dutch far-right populist lawmaker Geert Wilders is be tried for inciting racial hatred after pledging in March to ensure there were 'fewer Moroccans' in the Netherlands, prosecutors said Thursday…
The case centres on comments Wilders made at a March 19 rally after local elections.
He asked his followers whether they wanted 'fewer or more Moroccans in your city and in the Netherlands?'When the crowd shouted 'Fewer! Fewer!' a smiling Wilders answered: 'We're going to organise that.' [Pols emphasis]
In a later TV interview, he referred to 'Moroccan scum'.
We know what you're going to say–in America, it's legal to "incite racial hatred!" And that's true in most circumstances. After all, Wilders didn't say exactly how he plans to "organize" fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands. It could be something really nice as opposed to what you're imagining. Think cruise ships, not death marches. Right?
On second thought, let's go ahead and ask Sen. Grantham his opinion anyway.
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What's Grantham talking about when he says churches are just places of worship, nothing to do with "getting into a community." Churches and synagogues have always been involved in their communities. Christians have long been involved in proselytizing, trying to get prayer introduced into schools and included at secular public events, religious displays set up on government property and paid for with taxes. I guess it's OK if it's Christian and not completely beyond the pale if it's Jewish but no religious freedom for any other religions or for non-religion. What an ignorant putz.
First they build a Ward, then a Stakehouse, and then they erect some god-awful Disneyesque structure where they perform secret rituals that no outsider dare set foot in, imagining that you and I will somehow defile their cult-like sanctity.
Soon they they are roaming the neighborhoods in pairs looking to lure unsuspecting souls with crazy tales of glory and planets full of brides.
This sect, that distinguishes themselves as 'saints' and you and I as 'gentiles,' seeks a foothold in our towns, from which to actively spread. It is written in their own writings! You can read it right there!!!
They even want to recruit our children and often partner with youth paramilitary organizations that stress obedience and servitude, wear uniform, and recite oaths of fealty. They seek to manipulate American law and politics to push their own extreme version of morality.
Then there's this group that is well known to harbor sexual deviants and to prey upon the weak-minded, using its immense power to shelter the guilty.
Freedom of religion means freedom of Christianity, because even Hanukkah is about Jesus.
The shoe or the gourd?
Grantham is a graduate of Liberty University, which sponsors several groups designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
No doubt, Grantham makes his old alma mater proud.
However, his district has changed. It is no longer the typical safe El Paso Republican district. Grantham now reps a district which is 36% Hispanic, includes the casino towns, has tourism as the main industry, and only "leans Republican", according to Kos.
Grantham is term limited, and will be out of our misery in 2018. I'd like to see a moderate Independent run for his district
Liberty University? Why am I not surprised. Did he do any graduate work at Bob Jones University?
I was there, and that was the last weekend I have attended a WCS speech.
Fladen: I'm sure you're the only bright light in a crowd of imbeciles and morons.