Muslim artist fired over anti-Christian and anti-Jewish messages in an X-Men comic book

A Muslim artist has been fired from Marvel Comics after he was caught inserting hidden anti-Christian and anti-Semitic messages into an issue of an X-Men comic book.

Suspect in Westminster attack is Muslim activist

Reports say the man behind the terrorist attack in London is Abu Izzadeen, a British spokesman for Al Ghurabaa, a British Muslim organization banned under the 2006 British Terrorism Act for the glorification of terrorism.

At least four are dead after Izzadeen drove a car into a crowd on the Westminster Bridge, then crashed near the British Parliament, where he stabbed a police officer. He was then shot by police.

We'll report on this more as details develop.

Watch U.S. Apache Choppers Take Out Taliban Fighters (Violent Content)

Here's a blast from the past that we hope to see again: combat video of U.S. Apache helicopters taking out Muslim terrorists.

Gitmo prisoners can't have a Bible, but are given Obama's books

Miami Herald reporter Carol Rosenberg is one of the few media members that extensively covers Guantanamo Bay and the prisoners stationed there. She recently tweeted out the photo featured here, taken in the Gitmo library for detainees, which shows off the fact that their selection of books includes President Barack Obama's books. Rosenberg reports six copies of his books are available.

However, the United States government has a say in what books are stocked in the library, and while detainees can read President Obama's books or get a copy of the Koran, there is one book they will not allow on the library shelves: the Bible.

In 2005, one of the Gitmo detainees, Saifullah Paracha, requested a copy of the Bible to read, along with the works of Shakespeare. Paracha's request was denied, even after his lawyer mailed a brand new copy to the Gitmo chaplain requesting that it be given to him. A government lawyer told him the Bible "violated prison policy."

Paracha filed suit against the government to get a copy of the Bible and other books. In response to the lawsuit, the government claimed they could ban any books that would "incite" prisoners. The government finally did allow the Shakespeare plays into the library, but the Bible remains banned.

Move over Jesus, the Muslims want to pray

The University of Chicago (the same university where President Obama taught law) recently removed all of the pews from a historic Christian chapel in order to make room for Muslim prayers. Remember that story we did a while back about the Army listing Christians as possible terrorists? This is the by-product of that sort of thinking.

Website wants American Muslim leaders to apologize

A new website by a conservative group is demanding accountability and a moral stand from America's Muslim community. On the heels of deadly terrorist attacks on embassies in Libya and Egypt, DemandAnApology.com is seeking signers for an open letter asking American Islamic leaders to condemn the actions.

DemandAnApology.com is the creation of The Conservative Caucus and The Response Action Network, and asks visitors to the site to sign the open letter that states the following:

"In wake of the 9/11/12 attacks of our embassies in Egypt and Libya, we demand that all American Muslim leaders immediately:

• Condemn the deaths of their fellow Americans at the hands of radical Muslims, and apologize to the families of those killed.
• Renounce any effort to impose or enforce extremist Sharia Law within the United States.
• Reject literal interpretations of violent directives in the Quran.
• Pledge to respect the freedom of speech and of all Americans from religious violence."

In a press release, Conservative Caucus chairman Peter Thomas states "Our very way of life is under direct attack by the religious intolerance of a group of people who hate us for our freedom, and we must make a clear and bold statement. These Mosques enjoy the privilege of non-profit tax status, and the constitutionally protected freedom to spread their views within our communities. The least they can do is speak out and condemn these murders of their fellow Americans."

Thomas also outlined their demands in more detail. "We demand that the leaders of every Mosque condemn the deaths of their fellow Americans at the hands of radical Muslims, and apologize directly to the families of those killed. We demand that these leaders openly reject any and all efforts to spread or enforce extremist Sharia Law within the United States," he said.

"We demand they reject violent directives within the Quran, including Chapter 8, Verse 39, 'Fight them until there is no more Fitnah (worshiping others besides Allah) and the religion will all be for Allah alone.' We demand that Islamic leaders around the world pledge to respect our Christian culture, the freedom of speech, and the independence of our nation from Sharia Law and religious violence."

Obama's Easter address ignores Christianity

Mixing religion and politics is never easy, especially for the President of the United States, but Barack Obama seems determined to make it harder. Barack Obama's approach to religion, especially in the midst of a war on radical Islamic terrorists, has been widely criticized as being too dismissive of America's Christian heritage while being too accommodating, even apologetic, for the Islamic faith. His recent actions have only highlighted the imbalance.

President Obama's weekly radio address on April 3, 2010 celebrated the Easter holiday by relating a portion of an Easter sermon delivered on a battlefield in Iwo Jima in 1945. Unfortunately, the President chose to delete many of the references to Jesus Christ, watering down the impact of the sermon to a generic, ecumenical lesson with no Christian influence.

A story by Vince Haley on ToRenewAmerica.com compared the original sermon to Obama's version. Obama's version stated:

The rites of Passover, and the traditions of Easter, have been marked by people in every corner of the planet for thousands of years. They have been marked in times of peace, in times of upheaval, in times of war.

One such war-time service was held on the black sands of Iwo Jima more than sixty years ago. There, in the wake of some of the fiercest fighting of World War II, a chaplain rose to deliver an Easter sermon, consecrating the memory, he said “of American dead – Catholic, Protestant, Jew. Together,” he said, “they huddled in foxholes or crouched in the bloody sands…Together they practiced virtue, patriotism, love of country, love of you and of me.” The chaplain continued, “The heritage they have left us, the vision of a new world, [was] made possible by the common bond that united them…their only hope that this unity will endure.” 

The original version, which Obama chose to ignore, was outlined by Haley in his article, and has a much deeper meaning. Taken from the original audio of the sermon, the complete statement reads (the parts Obama deleted are highlighted in bold):

He has risen. With all due reverence, we apply these words to our beloved dead.

There are too many air call wings encrusted with the stain of their owners’ life blood, too many marine trousers upon the graves, too many symbols of American dead – Catholic, Protestant, Jew. Together,” he said, “they huddled in foxholes or crouched in the bloody sands under the fury of enemy guns here on Iwo Jima. Together they practiced virtue, patriotism, love of country, love of you and of me. Together they stand before the greatest soldier of them all – Jesus Christ, to receive the token of our triumph. For Christ has said: “Greater love than this no man hath then that he lay down his life for his friends.”

And so our beloved dead have gone from the world of hate to the world of eternal love.
The chaplain continued, 'The heritage they have left us, the vision of a new world, [was] made possible by the common bond that united them in the drudgery of recruit training or here in the chaos of bursting shouts. Their only hope: that this unity will endure.'

And so our dead have risen to glory."

It isn't the first time Obama has censored Christian expression. For the 2009 Christmas season, the President initially refused to display a nativity scene at the White House, but later changed his mind under pressure. More than once, he has said that America is not a Christian nation, usually as part of an outreach to the Muslim community. His statements and actions lead many to believe the President is either embarrassed by or even hostile to the idea of America's Christian heritage and influence.

On the other hand, President Obama seems to have no problem recognizing the cultural significance or the importance of Islam. As seen in the video below, the President praises the virtues of Islam easily and often, while rarely criticizing the many elements in the religion that have advocated terrorist acts against the innocent. His complimentary approach to Islam and willingness to bow to an Islamic king (which may not mean much to Americans, but has great significance to Middle Eastern cultures) only encourage radical conspiracy theories about his true motivations.

A President's ringing endorsement of Islam isn't new. President George W. Bush did the same thing to reach out to the Muslim community after 9/11. However, Bush had no problem calling out radical Islam, and his personal faith is unquestioned. It is Obama's reluctance to be as even-handed with Christianity, however, that concerns so many. An even-handed, balanced approach to all religions could avoid these types of missteps.

Perhaps Obama does have a personal affinity for Islam. Perhaps his statements (or lack thereof) about Christianity are based on a refusal to appear sympathetic to the religious right. Either way, if Obama would act on principle, not show bias, or attempt to pander to the rest of the world, he might then earn the respect of people of all faiths as a President deserves.