The Department Of Justice Reaches Out To Moslems

BHO took the lead with his June 4, 2009 speech in Cairo. The following statement was released the same day:

Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder on Department of Justice’s Outreach and Enforcement Efforts to Protect American Muslims

Thursday, June 4, 2009

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder released the following statement relating to President Obama’s historic speech today in Cairo, Egypt:

"The President's pledge for a new beginning between the United States and the Muslim community takes root here in the Justice Department where we are committed to using criminal and civil rights laws to protect Muslim Americans. A top priority of this Justice Department is a return to robust civil rights enforcement and outreach in defending religious freedoms and other fundamental rights of all of our fellow citizens in the workplace, in the housing market, in our schools and in the voting booth.

"There are those who will continue to want to divide by fear - to pit our national security against our civil liberties - but that is a false choice. We have a solemn responsibility to protect our people while we also protect our principles."

The words "a return to" imply that the United States has repeatedly violated the civil rights of Moslems. Have there indeed been such violations, to the extent that a statement is warranted from the attorney general's office?

Reality check: The List of Things that Offend Muslims from The Amboy Times. So very many things offend Moslems (even the Nike logo on athletic shoes) and make them feel unwelcome in the West! Are these perceived offenses violations of the civil rights of Moslems?

Yesterday, commenter Laylanoor made the following observation at Jihad Watch about Attorney General Holder's statement:

What is going on here? Doesn't the US protect and defend the civil rights of all its citizens? Have we been cruel and unusual to Muslim Americans? Does this statement imply protection above and beyond that of a non-Muslim American?

I wonder if the outcome of Obama's Middle East trip will be that Muslims will now become the next favored-darling cause celebre?

Your thoughts about the attorney general's statement of June 4, 2009?