
How Jefferson and other Founding Fathers defended Muslim rights - samclemens
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/11/how-thomas-jefferson-and-other-founding-fathers-defended-muslim-rights/
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kr7
He also became the first U.S. president to deal with "Islamic terrorism":

> Jefferson and John Adams ... went to call on Tripoli's envoy to London,
> Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdrahaman. They asked him by what right he extorted
> money and took slaves in this way. As Jefferson later reported to Secretary
> of State John Jay, and to the Congress:

> The ambassador answered us that [the right] was founded on the Laws of the
> Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not
> have answered their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty
> to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of
> all they could take as prisoners, and that every Mussulman who should be
> slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.

[http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_wor...](http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2007/01/jeffersons_quran.html)

It wouldn't be out of place for someone from ISIS to say the exact same thing
today.

~~~
transfire
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War)

Cool factoid: "The schooner _Enterprise_ (commanded by Lieutenant Andrew
Sterret) defeated the 14-gun Tripolitan corsair _Tripoli_ after a one-sided
battle on 1 August 1801."

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zappo2938
Here is a quote from George Washington sent to a Jewish congregation in
Newport, RI while he and Thomas Jefferson were promoting what is now the 1st
amendment. Although Rhode Island had ratified that amendment, "Virginia,
Massachusetts, Connecticut and Georgia were still debating the amendments in
August of 1790 when the President visited Newport."

"For happily the Government of the United States gives to bigotry no sanction,
to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its
protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all
occasions their effectual support." [1]

[1] [http://www.tourosynagogue.org/history-learning/gw-
letter](http://www.tourosynagogue.org/history-learning/gw-letter)

~~~
forrestthewoods
What if they support Sharia law in place of American law?

~~~
DanBC
About the same as when Jewish people support Beth Din in place of American law
- it's fine so long as American law is also respected.

(There are problems with religious legal systems of women not being able to
get divorces; of abused women not getting help and support; and of abused
children not getting help and support and the abusers not facing justice).

~~~
forrestthewoods
That's a lot of dancing to avoid condemning hateful, repressive beliefs. We
condemn hateful, racist bigots all the time. Rightfully so. Just because said
hate is derived from religion does not excuse it from condemnation.

~~~
simoncion
> That's a lot of dancing to avoid condemning hateful, repressive beliefs.

I guess I missed the dance party. All I see is the statement:

"Any US citizen may maintain their own practices just so long as those
practices are compatible with US law."

Seems pretty simple and clear to me.

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intrasight
This article highlights the enlightened, thoughtful, respectful discourse
which at the basis of the creation of the great nation that is the United
States. Things were by no means perfect then. But certainly we can learn from
the words and actions of many outstanding characters of the time.

~~~
rm_-rf_slash
Things are never perfect. The best we can hope for is that people work hard
and are good to each other. The founding fathers had their fair share of flaws
just like any leader today, and yet they managed to turn a rebellion into
something great.

The real tragedy today is that there are many Americans who want a monopoly on
American identity, instead of embracing the source of America's strength: our
ability to assimilate people and ideas into something greater than the sum of
its parts (and genocical imperialism and slave labor helped too)

~~~
vezzy-fnord
_The real tragedy today is that there are many Americans who want a monopoly
on American identity_

American identity is much more heterogeneous today than ever before, in no
small part thanks to ecumenism.

~~~
rm_-rf_slash
Broadly, yes. But let's not mince words: the white and largely male-dominated
subset of Americans see themselves as the vanguards of the true - and dying -
standard of what it means to be American. Therefore, they would rather fight
scorched-earth against alternative lifestyles and skin colors over the meaning
of what makes up an American rather than work together to ensure national
prosperity in a turbulent world order.

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GnwbZHiU
In the US, Muslims have already got more rights than non-Muslims, for example
Christian. When you criticize Islam/Muhammad you will be called islamophobe,
bigot, racist. When you criticize Christianity/Jesus you will be called
progressive.

