Are conservatives and Republicans bigoted against Muslims? Yes, they are -- not all, fortunately, but far too many are and far too many of them are the ones in power. That was demonstrated in Boward County, Florida, where Nezar Hamze sought a position on the party's executive committee. A Muslim and a Republican of many years who wanted to help the party, Hamze was blocked and singled out for special treatment simply because he is a Muslim.
At times, when he addressed the packed room at the Sheraton Suites in Fort Lauderdale, a few members shouted out among the crowd of about 300.
"Terrorist!" said one man.
"Let him speak!" said another.
Members of Broward's Republican Party said Hamze was making a mockery of their rules and was trying to become a member as a publicity stunt.
"I don't have a positive impression of Mr. Hamze. I don't think he will be an asset to our party," said Scott Spages, who is involved in programs concerning radical Islam at his church, Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale.
In the end, the Broward Republican Executive Committee voted 11-158 to block him from committee membership. He can still attend meetings, but as a general member of the public.
"Wow," he said afterward. "If I had realized it would be like that, I wish they had just sent me a letter saying I was denied." ...
Of the 11 applicants for the party, only Hamze was rejected - the first time anyone in the room could recall that happening in a county where Republicans complain about how outnumbered they are by Democrats. ...
After the vote to deny membership, Broward Executive Committee Chairman Richard DeNapolis said simply: "Mr. Hamze, your membership has been denied."
The crowd cheered loudly.
Source: McClatchy
It has to be noted that the Republican leaders changed the rules on how applicants are treated to specifically deal with Nezar Hamze. First the applicants had to testify to how long they had been a Republican. Then they had to take questions from a peanut gallery. Finally a vote was conducted by secret ballot. It would be difficult to design a better example of "purity" or "purification" test for membership.
Nezar Hamze calls this the new "Hamze Rule," and he's justified in being upset over this. Or is he? He surely knew what he was getting into when he applied. He's surely seen what the Republican Party has been doing across the nation, especially when it comes to Muslims. He surely knew what the local Republican leaders were like -- there's no excuse for trying to become a member of a committee if you aren't familiar with what the current committee is like.
Before the meeting, a group circulated a petition bashing Hamze.
Tom Trento, executive director of a group called The United West, shook hands with Hamze and had a friendly chat with him - even though Trento thinks CAIR is involved in terrorism.
"Did CAIR tell Muslims not to cooperate with the FBI?" asked Trento.
"No," Hamze responded. "We said they should have a lawyer present, which is their constitutional right."
"What do they have to fear?" asked Trento.
"Good question," Hamze said. Trento smiled.
Well, I suppose it's a "good question," but it's a question that has an obvious answer: they have to fear the bigotry and discrimination of small-minded, knuckle-dragging, hate-mongers. We now know that such people had terrible influence within the FBI and other law enforcement agencies across the countries, teaching law enforcement officers and counter-terrorism agents to hate and fear all Muslims because being a Muslim meant, by definition, being an anti-American terrorism-loving extremist.
Why did Tom Trento smile? Maybe he knew the answer to the question -- maybe he knows full well that government and law enforcement has been filled with people who hate Muslims and will not treat Muslims like they are equal citizens, deserving of equal rights, consideration, and dignity. He surely knew how the vote on Nezar Hamze would go -- that the Republicans would not treat Hamze with equal rights, consideration, and dignity solely because he's a Muslim. Is that not the long-term goal of so many conservative Republicans today?
Honestly, I think Nezar Hamze is probably lucky to not have become more closely associated with such people.
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