Said Rubio: “If you go anywhere in the world you’re going see American men and women serving us in uniform that are Muslims. Anyone out there that has the uniform of the United States on and is willing to die for this country is someone that loves America.”
Great. But there is reason to be concerned. Does any other demographic have as high a rate of treason as Muslims in the U.S. military? In 2003, a convert to Islam, Sgt. Hasan Akbar, murdered two of his commanding officers in Kuwait. In 2009, Major Nidal Malik Hasan murdered 13 Americans at Fort Hood.
Other than those attacks, a Muslim in the U.S. Navy discussed sniper attacks on military personnel. A Muslim U.S. naval engineer allegedly gave an Egyptian agent information on how to sink a U.S. carrier. In 2015, a Muslim National Guard soldier in Illinois planned an Islamic State jihad attack against a U.S. military base. Last February, a U.S. Army enlistee who vowed to “bring the Islamic State straight to your doorstep” pleaded guilty to attempting to detonate a car bomb at Fort Riley military base in Kansas. Just days ago, a U.S. Air Force veteran was convicted of trying to join the Islamic State.
Then there is the U.S. Muslim who gave the Islamic State U.S. military uniforms, combat boots, tactical gear, firearms accessories, and thousands in cash. Where are those uniforms now?
It is good that there are Muslims in the U.S. military who are loyal. But can we have a discussion about those who aren’t, and why they aren’t, and what can be done about it? Also, Rubio made these statements in response to Trump’s saying that “Islam hates us.” His answer is a non-sequitur. The fact that there are loyal Muslims in the military doesn’t tell us anything about whether or not Islam has teachings mandating hatred of and violence against unbelievers, because these Muslim military personnel may not be acting in accord with them. But no one seems to be able to think clearly about this issue.
“Donald Trump’s Islam Comments Draw Attacks As Republicans Discover Civility,” Reuters, March 12, 2016:
Miami: US Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump came under fire from his rivals on Thursday for saying Muslims hate the United States at a debate where the gut-punching attacks of earlier forums gave way to a suddenly civil tone with a serious focus on the issues….
But he stuck to positions that many establishment Republicans reject, such as his belief, as stated in television interviews, that followers of Islam “hate us.”
“We have a serious problem of hate. There is tremendous hate,” said Trump, who has proposed a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States.
Rubio, Cruz and Kasich said the United States needs to maintain good relations with Muslim countries in the Middle East to help in the fight against Islamic State militants.
“We are going to have to work with people in the Muslim faith even as Islam faces a serious crisis within it,” Rubio said.
Rubio also defended American Muslims as patriots.
“If you go anywhere in the world you’re going see American men and women serving us in uniform that are Muslims,” he said.
“Anyone out there that has the uniform of the United States on and is willing to die for this country is someone that loves America,” he added….
Trump, in discussing how he would consider placing between 20,000 to 30,000 US troops on the ground to defeat ISIS terrorists, vowed to complete the mission quickly and bring troops home to focus on rebuilding the United States.
“We really have no choice, we have to knock out ISIS,” Trump said. “I would listen to the generals, but I’m hearing numbers of 20,000 to 30,000.”
It was the most detailed view yet of Trump’s thinking about ISIS. He has previously talked of “knocking the hell” out of ISIS without offering specifics….