Rahm Emanuel put on a display of pomposity and indignation a few days ago when he suggested that Chik-Fil-A, whose President opposes gay marriage on the basis of his religion, was not welcome in Chicago because Chik-Fil-A allegedly does not share “Chicago values.”
The anti-gay views openly espoused by the president of a fast food chain specializing in chicken sandwiches have run afoul of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and a local alderman, who are determined to block Chick-fil-A from expanding in Chicago.
“Chick-fil-A’s values are not Chicago values. They’re not respectful of our residents, our neighbors and our family members. And if you’re gonna be part of the Chicago community, you should reflect Chicago values,” Emanuel said Wednesday.
“What the CEO has said as it relates to gay marriage and gay couples is not what I believe, but more importantly, it’s not what the people of Chicago believe. We just passed legislation as it relates to civil union and my goal and my hope … is that we now move on recognizing gay marriage. I do not believe that the CEO’s comments … reflects who we are as a city.”
So who does share Chicago’s values? Who does reflect who they are as a city?
Louis Farrakhan.
Louis Farrakhan is a notable Jew hater, but Emanuel welcomed Farrakhan with open arms:
Ignoring Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan’s history of anti-Semitic remarks, Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday welcomed the army of men dispatched to the streets by Farrakhan to stop the violence in Chicago neighborhoods.
Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th), an Orthodox Jew, has said it’s good that Farrakhan is “helping” in the fight against crime, “but it doesn’t eradicate the comments that he’s made about the Jewish community.”
Emanuel offered no such caveat. Although Farrakhan has a history of making anti-Semitic statements, Chicago’s first Jewish mayor has no interest in revisiting that controversy.
He’s more concerned about reducing a 40 percent surge in Chicago homicides that’s become a media obsession and threatens to undermine his efforts to market Chicago to international tourists.
“People of faith have a role to play and community leaders have a role to play in helping to protect our neighborhoods and our citizens. You cannot get there on just one piece of an anti-crime strategy,” the mayor said.
“People of faith have a role to play”
Not all faiths, apparently. Islam yes, Christianity, no.
What’s striking about the Farrakhan story is what’s omitted. Farrakhan is not simply anti-Semitic, he is strongly homophobic.
Louis Farrakhan Slams Obama’s Sanction of Gay Marriage, Calls Homosexuality ‘Sin’
Minister Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam leader who has previously spoken about President Barack Obama in glowing terms, recently rebuked the president’s confessed support for same-sex marriage saying he has “sanctioned what the Scriptures forbid.”
“Our president just agreed to same-sex marriage,” Farrakhan said during a May 27 gathering at the California Convention Center in San Diego. He was referring to Obama’s May 9 endorsement of such unions during an interview with ABC News.
The Nation of Islam leader spoke while holding up a May 21 copy of Newsweek magazine with a cover image of President Obama, who is a Christian, with a rainbow halo and the caption “The First Gay President.”
“He’s the first president that sanctioned what the Scriptures forbid,” Farrakhan, 79, said in a grave tone to an audience of African-Americans.
“Now I want to ask a question,” he continued while holing up a Bible. “Why is that all you politicians take your oath of office on the Bible? If the book is no good, what the hell are you using it for to take an oath of office to uphold, not the Bible, but the Constitution? But the Constitution comes out of their recognition of the value of this book.”
Indeed, Islam itself condemns homosexuality
Islam is clear in its prohibition of homosexual acts. Islamic scholars cite these reasons for condemning homosexuality, based on teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah:
It clashes with the “natural” order in which God created human beings
It brings destruction of the family and the institutions of marriage
It leads people to ignore God’s guidance in other areas of lifeIn Islamic terminology, homosexuality is alternatively called al-fahsha’ (an obscene act), shudhudh (abnormality), or ‘amal qawm Lut (behavior of the People of Lut). Islam teaches that believers should neither participate in nor support homosexuality.
Islam is anti-gay marriage
The Qur’an describes that everything has been created in pairs which complement one another. Pairing of male and female is thus part of human nature and the natural order. Marriage and family is the accepted way in Islam for a person’s emotional, psychological, and physical needs to be met. The Qur’an describes the husband/wife relationship as one of love, tenderness, and support. Procreation is another way of fulfilling human needs, for those whom God blesses with children. The institution of marriage is considered the foundation of Islamic society, the natural state in which all people have been created to live.
Mayors Thomas Menino of Boston and Ed Lee of San Francisco were also quick to pile on Chik-Fil-A
Mayor Thomas M. Menino is vowing to block Chick-fil-A from bringing its Southern-fried fast-food empire to Boston — possibly to a popular tourist spot just steps from the Freedom Trail — after the family-owned firm’s president suggested gay marriage is “inviting God’s judgment on our nation.”
“Chick-fil-A doesn’t belong in Boston. You can’t have a business in the city of Boston that discriminates against a population. We’re an open city, we’re a city that’s at the forefront of inclusion,” Menino told the Herald yesterday.
“That’s the Freedom Trail. That’s where it all started right here. And we’re not going to have a company, Chick-fil-A or whatever the hell the name is, on our Freedom Trail.”
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee recently joined the growing chorus of big city mayors publicly speaking out against the Georgia-based fried chicken fast food chain.
On Thursday, Lee tweeted, “Very disappointed #ChickFilA doesn’t share San Francisco’s values & strong commitment to equality for everyone.” He soon followed up with another tweet reading, “Closest #ChickFilA to San Francisco is 40 miles away & I strongly recommend that they not try to come any closer.”
Was the press to do it’s job, it would be asking Emanuel why the homophobic Muslim Farrakhan shares Chicago values yet the Christian does not. Emanuel ought to be explaining why he can throw Jews and homosexuals to the lions for a Muslim leader. The press should be asking Menino and Lee if Muslim businesses are welcome in their cities. These people raise hypocrisy to an art form.
I’d very much be interested in the responses.
DrJohn has been a health care professional for more than 30 years. In addition to clinical practice he has done extensive research and has published widely with over 70 original articles and abstracts in the peer-reviewed literature. DrJohn is well known in his field and has lectured on every continent except for Antarctica. He has been married to the same wonderful lady for over 30 years and has three kids- two sons, both of whom are attorneys and one daughter on her way into the field of education.
DrJohn was brought up with the concept that one can do well if one is prepared to work hard but nothing in life is guaranteed.
Except for liberals being foolish.
I saw this ‘toon the other day.
It sums up Chicago values.
Mark Stein adds:
If Rahm said Chick-fil-A’s president espouses ”anti-gay views,” he doesn’t have a clue as to how many views gays hold!
There is a substantial group of gays who oppose gay marriage.
Some even oppose civil unions.
They are hardly a monolithic group that thinks as one.
On the crime/murder side of the Chicago story, there is finally a web site which is tracking all of the killings in Chicago.
http://homicides.redeyechicago.com/
There may be a reduction in these killings is the Nation of Islam hits the streets as the Muttawa of Chicago.
But will having morality police all over the place be worth it?
Islam votes ”yes,”
Even in Europe there are roving bands of volunteer Muttawa (morality police).
One such band roves the streets of Amsterdam which used to be the ”gayest city in the Netherlands.”
Not any more!
Even the editor of one of America’s biggest gay magazines was beaten nearly to death for simply walking with his partner while too close together on the streets there.
http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Persecution_of_Homosexuals_%28Netherlands%29
Who else recalls the Muttawa of Oakland (from the Nation of Islam) that went around to liquor stores and smashed up all the bottles, threatening all the clerks and yelling ”no liquor in OUR town.”
http://mychristianblood.blogspirit.com/archive/2005/11/26/oakland-liquor-stores-under-siege.html
In the Middle East we see Muttawa dragging men and women out of cars and demanding to know what relation they are to one another.
If they are not close enough (a class 1 relative) they might be beaten to death.
Finally, Chicago native, Francis Cardinal George, of the Catholic Church wrote:
This Catholic Cardinal is correct.
There should be a backing off from these stupid remarks by these so-called ”liberal” leaders.
Will there be?
Someone should ask Louis Farrakhan what he thinks of the statement by Chick-fil-A’s owner.
This is just about the biggest compliment a person, organization, or campany could recieve. It means:
(1) You are honest.
(2) You care about others.
(3) Money and power don’t run your life.
(4) You prefer helping others, rather than being a freeloader.
(5) You are a conservative.
(6) The mob doesn’t own you.