Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum visited the auditorium of the Nebraska Union on Tuesday to present his idea that Americans do not truly understand why the United States is at war.
Santorum is passing through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as a part of his college campus tour on which he describes to students what he believes are the dangers in not knowing what is going on in the Middle East.
“I talk to college students because I can have an intellectual conversation, and they usually don’t agree with me,” Santorum said. “I like to state my case (to students) and let them decide who to believe.”
Santorum was a member of the United States Senate from 1994-2007. He believes that the Bush administration made a huge mistake in not informing Americans exactly what’s happening with the wars and who America is fighting. He said the Obama administration is making the same mistake.
“America has little information and Bush went out of his way to mystify who the enemy really is,” Santorum said. “Is that true, are we really fighting ‘terrorists?’”
Santorum also gave the audience a lecture on Islam. When he asked the audience who knew the difference between the Sunnis and the Shi’ites, three audience members raised their hands. Santorum said this proved his point – America has been at war with Islam for seven years and doesn’t know the two branches.
Santorum said he supported the war when it was unpopular because he thinks not fighting could destroy western civilization. He said he believes that Muslims are America’s enemy because they read their religion literally and apply it to real life, instead of in historical context.
The lecture continued when Santorum pointed out what he thought were the main differences between Christians and Muslims. Santorum said Christians, who believe in Jesus Christ, never governed or conquered anyone, but Mohammed was a warrior and killed people.
Santorum said he believes Muslims’ religious views cannot be changed or altered, so Middle Easterners reject American, democratic ideals.
“A democracy could not exist because Mohammed already made the perfect law,” Santorum said. “The Quran is perfect just the way it is, that’s why it is only written in Islamic.”
So the big question, Santorum said, is what are Americans afraid of? Being politically incorrect or offending someone?
Santorum blames Republicans and Democrats for not giving Americans the whole story.
Santorum received two standing ovations from the crowd.
“I agree that it is a major concern that we don’t know the whole truth, I certainly did not until today,” said Andrew McClure, a sophomore political science major.
“I have a lot of sympathy and fear because the United States could face dangerous predicaments,” said Mark Harrington, pastor at Horizons International Church in Lincoln. “I think that generations of failed leadership has caused much fear in Americans.”
Santorum said he wants people to learn to be more inquisitive of the government.
“I think that if every citizen was fully informed about the war, it would create a commonality between faiths,” Santorum said. “We can’t fear the truth, so why hide from it?”
65 comments
Look it up. Every religion has its violent and non-violent incarnations. To think that one can proclaim what Islam "really" is forgets that religions are what people make of them. Islam is a religion of peace and of violence depending on whose interpretation you follow.
-The very word "Islam" is means safe, peace. It is based on the word "Salam" which means the same as its Hebrew counterpart, "Shalom" , peace.