Colin Powell's Most Important Point

An American Muslim speaks out:

America is made up of men and women of all faiths, and all are protected by the Constitution.

Colin Powell reminded us of this important fact Sunday morning asking, "Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?"

The answer again is no, but there have been some who've suggested otherwise. In recent years, and especially since the horrifying events of 9/11, some have demonized Muslim Americans as a threat to our national security and indeed our American way of life. Some have questioned the loyalty of American Muslims calling for the barring of all American Muslims from public service and the military. And others have even proposed that, unless Muslims take a special loyalty oath, that we criminalize the practice of Islam with 20 years in prison.

We've seen this before. The same ugly things that are being said about Muslims were said about Catholics, about people of the Jewish faith, and about Mormons. And now, bigots are attacking Muslims and Islam. Like those who warned against a nefarious plot by Catholics or Jews to control American schools, banks, and the government, these racists ominously warn us of the dangers of accepting Muslims as Americans, lest we succumb to "a cultural jihad." And such anti-Muslim rhetoric has led to real violence against innocent Americans, both Muslim and those perceived to be Muslim or Arab.

I think it's good that America accommodates all faiths. Americans of all faiths--Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, Hindu, Buddhist--bring strength to America and are protected by our Constitution and included in our national fabric. The Founding Fathers excluded religious tests from the Constitution, knowing fully that one day Catholics, Jews, Muslims and atheists could conceivably secure elected office. Indeed, when the first Muslim was elected to Congress last November, Keith Ellison of Minnesota, a descendant of slaves, he swore his oath of office on the copy of the Qur'an--the Muslim scripture--that belonged to Thomas Jefferson.

I know this is hard for those on the Christian Right to believe, but America is not a 'Christian Nation', in the sense they mean it. A majority of Americans are Christian, that's true, but America is by design a country that is open to all religions and where all religions are to be treated equally.

That's not hype or 'liberal', that's Constitutional and historical fact.