“After Iraq gains, al-Qaida offshoot claims Islamic ‘caliphate.’” That was from Sylvia Westall on Reuters.com, June 29. The group called ISIS or ISIL committing genocide and telling Christians to choose to convert, pay Jizyah (tax on non-Muslims) or be killed. The leader of this group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was captured in 2005, but was released.

While the current administration called a caliphate “absurd” (John Brennan 2011), people on the right were warning of the possibility years ago. As a sidenote, remember too that Mitt Romney said Russia was a foe, at which Obama laughed and mocked Romney. Recent events show Romney was correct.

Libertarian Glenn Beck warned of a caliphate. The left-leaning Media Matters (June 30, 2011) commented on Beck’s ideas as conspiracy theories. They listed caliphate as No. 1 saying; “As revolution spread across Egypt and the rest of North Africa, Beck declared on Jan. 31 that ‘this isn’t about politics, this is about world domination.’” According to Beck, the revolt in Egypt was the first step toward the emergence of “a Muslim caliphate” that would “control the Mideast and parts of Europe.” MSNBC’s Chris Mathews also labeled him crazy for such thoughts.

Years ago I wrote an opinion that mentioned Imam Siraj Wahhaj. Wahhaj and Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison can be seen at same gatherings. Why is this important? In 1992 Wahhaj said, “Islam is better than democracy. Allah will cause his deen (Islam as a complete way of life), Islam to prevail.” And “if only Muslims were clever politically, they could take over the United States and replace its constitutional government with a caliphate. If we were united and strong, we’d elect our own emir and give allegiance to him. Take my word, if 8 million Muslims unite in America, the country will come to us.”

What’s even more disturbing, Wahhaj was invited to speak at the 2012 DNC convention at a DNC-hosted “Jumah at the DNC.” An article on Frontpagemag.com (Aug. 29, 2012, by Laura L. Rubenfeld) said: “As this article will demonstrate, Wahhaj has a 30-year, well-documented history of supporting terror and preaching religious and racial intolerance against Americans. For decades, Wahhaj has preached violence and insurrection against the U.S. with the goal of replacing the Constitution with shariah law, as the law of the land.”

A few years ago true conservatives believed the Republican Party had abandoned its conservative principles and thus formed the Tea Party. For believing in personal freedom, adherence to the Constitution and rule of law, Tea Party types are labeled haters, terrorists and unpatriotic. It seems to me the unpatriotic ones are those that flatly state “take over the United States and replace its constitutional government with a caliphate.” We have a socialist president, a man like Wahhaj speaking at the Democratic National Convention and Minnesota congressman Ellison associating with him; what are you true Democrats thinking? True Democrats need to do same as Tea Party is trying to do; take back your principles.

Tom Jacobson

Albert Lea