Islam in America

In light of the current wave of hysterical Islamophobic propaganda being diffused around the clock by ignorent know-nothing Republican candidates for president and by Fox News and the rest of the mainstream media, I thought I would post a few comments aobut Islam in America from some of our Founding Fathers:
In 1776, John Adams published "Thoughts on Government," in which he praises the Islamic prophet Muhammad as a "sober inquirer after truth" alongside Confucius, Zoroaster, Socrates, and other thinkers.
In 1797, President John Adams signed a treaty declaring the United States had no "character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen."
In his autobiography, published in 1791, Benjamin Franklin stated that he "did not disapprove" of a meeting place in Pennsylvania that was designed to accommodate preachers of all religions. Franklin wrote that "even if the Mufti of Constantinople were to send a missionary to preach Mohammedanism to us, he would find a pulpit at his service."
Thomas Jefferson defended religious freedom in America including that of Muslims. Jefferson explicitly mentioned Muslims when writing about the movement for religious freedom in Virginia.
In his autobiography Jefferson wrote "[When] the [Virginia] bill for establishing religious freedom... was finally passed,... a singular proposition proved that its protection of opinion was meant to be universal. Where the preamble declares that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed, by inserting the word 'Jesus Christ,' so that it should read 'a departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion.'
The insertion was rejected by a great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend within the mantle of its protection the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan, the Hindoo and infidel of every denomination."
While President, Jefferson also participated in an iftar --the evening meal breaking the fast during Ramadan-- with the Ambassador of Tunisia in 1809. 
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_the_United_States
[For that matter, each American president since Bill Clinton has hosted an iftar at the White House. And last year, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren hosted an iftar for 65 prominent American Muslims and Jews.]
So, when it comes to discussing Islam, I prefer to rely on the words of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson rathar than the ignorant and viciously Islamophobic rantings currently innundating the American airwaves.
Jagor