Frank Salvato

So What’s The Big Deal About Religion in ’08?

We have come to a point in the 2008 presidential election cycle where both political parties’ candidates are fielding questions about religion. While religion is a personal issue for an overwhelming majority of Americans, religion in government has been frowned upon ever since the ACLU took an active roll in purging it from the “public square.” So, it would seem at odds with the dogma of the Secular Progressive Left that religion should be an election issue at all. Yet each candidate has had to answer questions about their faith, with Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney being literally scrutinized on the issue.

Henry Hyde: A True Statesman and a Constitutional Steward

One of the greatest responsibilities bestowed upon elected officials is that of constitutional stewardship. While each elected official has a duty to represent his constituents in a faithful manner, each swears an oath to support and defend the Constitution. We, the citizens of this Republic, through democratic elections, entrust this responsibility to those we elect and expect them to abide by the tenets mandated by the Constitution and to honor their oath to preserve it for future generations. Few have executed that oath more fully than Congressman Henry J. Hyde of Illinois.

Multiculturalism Exposes the US to Terrorism

The people of the United States, for all practical purposes, like to believe we are fair-minded. We believe that everyone should get a fair shot. Most of us believe that if you work hard you should get ahead. Many of us have even embraced the ever advancing multiculturalism counter-culture, which is completely antithetical to the concept of E Pluribus Unum; “Out of many, one.” With regard to the latter, vindication has come to those of us who believe we are fair-minded while being opposed to the “Balkanization” the United States.

Al Taqiyya: The Islamist Terrorist’s Weapon of Deception

Western civilization's delinquent knowledge of the Islamic faith leaves us naive to many of its tenets. Many among us would be hard pressed to explain the differences between the Sunni and the Shi'ite, let alone the reasons why they have remained in conflict for almost the entire existence of the Islamic faith. This delinquency in understanding Islamic culture and doctrine makes those they consider non-believers--or kafirs--vulnerable both individually and collectively. This is especially true when we examine the Islamic concept of taqiyya.

A Nation Ignorant of Being at War

There can be little doubt that terrorist organizations have arrived on the shores of the United States of America. The thousands of lives lost on September 11, 2001 stand as testimony to this undeniable fact. The attacks signaled to the world that radical Islamofascists were serious in their declaration of war against the United States and her Western allies. An examination of Osama bin Laden's 1996 fatwa--his declaration of war--indicates that this conflict is a generational conflict and a confrontation as we have never experienced before.

Understanding the Wahhabist Infiltration of America

Part of the reason many Americans don't appreciate the significance of Osama bin Laden's declarations of war against the United States and the West is because they are completely oblivious to the in-roads radical Islam has made within the United States. Radical Islamists (i.e., Islamofascists, Wahhabis) understand that the conflict must take place on multiple fronts: militarily, economically, diplomatically and ideologically. Because they understand the complexity of the confrontation and the ability of the West to adapt to challenges--albeit lethargically--they employ multiple tactics in their aggressive pursuit of victory. The West's addiction to sensationalism, epitomized by our limited attention to detail, unless it plays in the superficial 24-hour news cycle, facilitates the successful infiltration of radical ideology into Western society.

When War Gets Politicized

A recent ABC News item reported on an Israeli airstrike that took place early last month inside Syria. This airstrike allegedly destroyed a fledgling nuclear reactor being constructed deep in the Syrian desert.

Question: Did the Resolution Condemning Turkey Create a Constitutional Crisis

Recently, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by US Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA), passed a resolution that recognized the killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915 as genocide. While the circumstances surrounding the slaughter are disputed, the killings did occur. The larger questions this action presents could very well be as disturbing as the killings themselves. What was there to gain by issuing this non-binding resolution at this moment in time? And, did the issuance of the non-binding resolution usurp the Executive Branch's authority to establish foreign policy?

The United States is Not Engaged in the War of Ideas

The United States and governments of the West must use every means available to combat Islamofascist aggression and expansion, both here in the West and in the Middle East. One of the most critical aspects in the war against Islamofascism is the war of ideas. This aspect represents the battle between the Wahhabi, Salafist and radical factions of the Sunni and Shi'ite sects of Islam and the ideology of inalienable rights as embraced by Western Civilization.

The Muslim Brotherhood: An Association for Jihadists

One of the more clandestine groups in radical Islam is the Muslim Brotherhood. Originating in Egypt in 1928, the group has been outlawed in Egypt yet it members hold seats in the Egyptian government. That this radically fundamentalist Islamist group is the parent organization to some of the most violent terror groups operating today. It thrives as a pseudo professional association for terrorists while feigning legitimacy as a political movement. So, what is the Muslim Brotherhood and why should every American be concerned about its activities both within the United States and around the world?