Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Phillips Stacey Campfield, Voice of Reason?!
Posted by Betsy Phillips on Wed, Sep 1, 2010 at 12:42 PM
If you had told me even five seconds ago that Stacey Campfield would come out with one of the most plain and forceful takes on this whole Murfreesboro mosque fiasco, I would have laughed long and hard right in your face.
And yet ... here we are. Stacey Campfield has one of the best conservative takes on the issue I've read from any politician, state or national. I don't agree with parts, but props where props are due.
I would like to think my own faith is strong enough to be compared to other religions and have them found wanting. Violence against a non threatening place of worship is unjustifiable in a country that has as one of the cornerstones of its being, religious freedom.
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On the mosque-Muslim controversy, the best, most balanced article I have read, so far, is the one columnist Mike Vinson wrote in the August 29th edition of the Murfreesboro Post, "Muslim X: Harmony Amidst the Discord." H e took a brave step when he mentioned Pat Robertson in the same breath as Cat Stevens, but it was an adept tactic at provoking thought, and it did put me to thinking.
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MIKE VINSON: Muslim X — Harmony Amidst the Discord?
By: MIKE VINSON, Post Columnist
Posted: Sunday, August 29, 2010 7:41 am
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The first time I recall the terms “Islam” and “Muslim” actually resonating with me was around 1977-1978, when folk-rock star “Cat Stevens” (whose birth name is Steven Demetre Georgiou) publicly announced that he was converting to the Islamic faith.
Though I mostly listened to straight-ahead rock-blues during that time frame – Bob Seger, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, etc. – there were a couple “folkies” who caught my ear, namely, Bob Dylan and, yes, Cat Stevens.
Though his musical resume is far too deep to dive head-first into here, Stevens’ songs – as a solo artist – have been chart toppers.
He toured with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Engelbert Humperdinck.
His songs have been recorded by a diverse group of artists, such as Dolly Parton and Sheryl Crow. (Crow’s mega-hit “The First Cut is the Deepest” was written by Stevens.)
The songs by Cat Stevens that I most fondly remember – and still enjoy via radio, from time-to-time – are “Morning Has Broken” and “Moon Shadow,” and his cover of the Sam Cooke classic “Another Saturday Night.”
The best description I have for Cat Stevens’ music is this: intelligently simple, meaningful and melodic.
In 1976 Stevens nearly drowned off the coast of Mailbu, Ca.
It has been written that this near-death experience put him on a quest to find his true spiritual path in Life’s arduous journey, and Stevens began looking into a variety of religions.
After reading a copy of the Qu’ran, a birthday gift from his brother, Stevens began the transition to Islam.
Stevens officially converted to Islam in late 1977, eventually taking the name Yusef Islam.
Just recently, well-known televangelist Pat Robertson, host of the popular television show The 700 Club, interjected himself into the Islam/Muslim/mosque foray when, on a live 700 Club broadcast, he suggested that “bribery” could have played a role in Rutherford County politicans’ approval of a new Islamic community center to be built outside of Murfreesboro.
Expectedly, the Rutherford County political community immediately responded with rebuttals, claiming that no such “bribes” ever took place.
So, where am I going with all this?
Regarding the Islam/Muslim/mosque controversy, I truly feel that we, the consuming public, are being overwhelmed by an amalgamative avalanche of one-minded zealots – thin-skinned politicians more concerned about maintaining office than addressing the hard truth and television media losing sight of the focal point because they’re too busy shouting over one another in a game of “one-upmanship” – capped off with collective public ignorance of the subject at hand.
I readily admit that I am ignorant concerning the hard facts that define the Islamic religion.
Other than a few select passages, I have read neither the Qu’ran nor Islamic Sharia law.
For that matter, I never have had any real dialogue with a real Muslim.
You could say that I get a big “X” when it comes to my knowledge of the Islamic religion and its Muslim followers.
Here’s an idea: Hold a nationally televised event that would have Pat Robertson and Yusef Islam, a.k.a. Cat Stevens, debating the pros and cons of Islam and Christianity.
My pick for the mediator would be former CNN anchorman Lou Dobbs.
Why these three?
I am convinced that – though polar opposites religiously and politically – both Pat Roberston and Yusef Islam are sincere, intelligent men of exceptional candor, each well grounded in his particular belief.
Too, I am convinced that Lou Dobbs is of the caliber that he would loosen the reins enough to allow each man to state his opinion, yet pull back when necessary, keeping the forum balanced and under control.
Maybe, a tone of social harmony would emerge from all this religious discord.
(NOTE: I do not agree with Pat Robertson suggesting that Rutherford County politicians might have taken bribes from the Islamic community.)
Mike Vinson can be contacted at mike_vinson56@yahoo.com.
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DollarBill, is there any particular reason you're violating Mike Vinson's copyright in the comments of my post or is it just for fun?
There is nothing surprising about Representative Campfield taking this position. He is being perfectly consistent with the fundamental American beliefs in freedom of worship and freedom of speech. It is also worth mentioning that the Rep is exposing himself to criticism and even political risk from some of his allies who do not share his position on this issue. That is an act of courage for which he deserves admiration rather than a cynical:
"If you had told me even five seconds ago that Stacey Campfield would come out with one of the most plain and forceful takes on this whole Murfreesboro mosque fiasco, I would have laughed long and hard right in your face."
It would be refreshing to see some of the writers here at Pith demonstrate a bit of similar courage by criticizing the sort of inconsistency by others on the left the way the Rep is standing up to inconsistency on the right. But I am not optimistic.
