Fraternization — Johnny Reb and Billy Yank getting together along the Rappahannock to swap coffee and tobacco and newspapers and to talk about how they could end the war in a couple of hours if given the chance; American GIs with German girls in Berlin in 1945; an officer cutting a private’s hair during the American Revolution. Fraternization — the word sends chills up and down the spines of dictators, psychopaths and Mad Mullahs; Nazis and Wahhabis; Soviet puppet masters — monsters in human flesh.

Half the soldiers in Il Duce’s Army had relatives living in the United States. How could they be enemies? They had so much in common—their humanity, their religion. Johnny Reb, Billy Yank; there had never been a war like the American Civil War. Fraternization took the edge off the hatred—some of it long lasting. In the War on Terror, save for what has come from the West, there has been a noticeable lack of fraternization—nothing from the other side. Congressman Peter King (R-NY) attends the funerals of prominent Muslims in his district. He has grown discouraged. It has been a one-way street. The oblivious Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) has said nice things about Osama bin Laden. President George W. Bush visited the Washington Islamic Center shortly after 9/11 to denounce anti-Muslim violence and to assure America “Islam is peace.” Was it fraternization? It could pass for it. Was there a response? Not so as one would notice—there were no corresponding acts of kindness, no meeting of the minds, no reciprocity, only an obstinate hatred of all things West, a one-way road to dar al-Islam, intransigence mired in Jihad and rooted in Hell.

Do Muslims visit Christian churches? They do. In May of 2002, an armed band of Muslims, apparently bent on ‘fraternization,’ occupied the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. They stayed five weeks, cooking sausages on the altar and using the Bible for toilet paper. The Israeli Defense Forces ended the ‘peaceful’ occupation. Thirteen militants were sent to Cyprus and twenty-six to Gaza. They left 40 explosive devices in the Church compound. The President left the Washington Islamic Center with his good wishes and his gullibility. No longer expecting anything, Peter King just leaves.

Pope Benedict XVI visited a mosque in Istanbul to pray and to show his respect for Muslims. “This visit will help us find together the way of peace for the good of all humanity,” said the Pope. Was it fraternization or obeisance? Whatever it was, it did not spur any respect for the Pope’s religion. On September 16, 2006, a Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City and five other churches in Nablus were attacked by Palestinians armed with guns, firebombs and lighter fluid. The next day, two more churches were attacked. Was it something the Pope said? At least they could have stayed for coffee—Jeb Stuart always stayed for coffee after raiding a Federal supply base; that and to complain about the poor quality of the mules supplied by the Federal Government. Hatred was not part of Jeb’s character—or of his religion.

Debbie Weber, a social studies teacher at Edgewood Middle School in Cincinnati, Ohio, arranged for three of her seventh grade classes to visit a mosque as part of their study of the world’s five major religions. Some parents objected and the Thomas More Law Center prevailed upon Debbie to cancel the visit. According to Thomas More, a growing number of US Public Schools are alleging discrimination as a pretext to proselytize for Islam. Shakila Ahmad, a volunteer who organizes the tours was disappointed. “It rarely, rarely, rarely happens,” he said. “I empathize with the school, with the teacher, with the superintendent. They’re working with some misinformed members of the community.” Misinformed about what…the First Amendment? Did they forget that Shar’ia Law trumps the Constitution? Do Muslim students visit churches and synagogues as part of their educational experience? And if not, why not?

Public schools are setting aside prayer rooms for Muslim students; Eastern Michigan University has installed footbaths so Muslim students can perform their before-prayer rituals. Non-Muslim students take classes in Islam, learn quotes from the Qur’an; get to say “Allahu akbar.” A Bible or a T-shirt saying ‘Jesus saves” will get the miscreant detention. A spirit of spineless accommodation is afoot in America’s Brave New Schoolhouse.

How accommodating is Islam to other religions and other cultures? As accommodating as Captain Hook was to Peter Pan, or is that too much to expect? Islam has only been around 1,400 years.

An example of Islamic accommodation: Recently in Benin, Islamic militants went on a rampage and destroyed a church—it had been open three days…THREE DAYS! Churches have been torched in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Indonesia, and Kashmir; pick any point on the compass. Wherever there is a church or synagogue there is Mad Mullah anxious to tear it down and enough willing hands are available to help him do it. Is it possible to get along with Islam? Accommodation is suicide; surrender is worse than death. Johnny Reb and Billy Yank got along famously when they weren’t killing each other. They fraternized every chance they got. They had few religious or cultural hang-ups. On the other hand, fire and water mix more readily than Muslims and non-Muslims.

Fraternization? Yeah! What fraternization? What do the Imams say?

A Muslim asked Mufti Ebrahim Desai of Ask the Imam if it was okay to attend the funeral of his Christian relatives, particularly in a church. The Mufti said, “It is prohibited to attend the actual funeral ceremonies of non-Muslims.” Display your grief and send your condolences. (Pay attention Peter King)

A Muslim who had removed his children from a Muslim school to a Public school because they were falling behind academically went on line to find out if he had done the right thing. “Please note, that children spend most of their active lives at schools” said the Answer Man, “ and they will be affected regardless where they are. You really don’t want to hear your daughter coming to you when she is 13 years old, to tell you that she has a date, and I can almost guarantee you, that someone will propose to her. Don’t make it hard on her by putting her in an environment that encourages immoral behavior.” Brave New Schoolhouse indeed!

A Muslim from Canada had a question for the Imam. Was it wrong for the Taliban to destroy the giant Buddhas? If Islam preaches tolerance how could one justify the destruction of the Buddhas? The Imam was ready. “It is wrong to say that Islam teaches us to respect the religious beliefs of non-Muslims,” he said. “To respect the beliefs of others means to respect kufr and shirk. This it totally unacceptable.” (kufr= Christians and Jews; shirk=polytheists)

Klebold, Harris, Starkweather, Manson, Dahmer, did not fraternize.

According to the Imam, non-Muslims have the following rights: “They may practice their religion within the privacy of their homes; They may not build any new churches or synagogues, etc; They may not celebrate any religious festivals in public; They may not display in public any item having particular religious pupport, e.g. bible, cross, statue etc; They may not ring the church bell, nor read their religious books so loud that it is audible in public.” These were the laws in effect during the glorious Andalusian Caliphate.

Johnny Reb- Billy Yank; Gale Sayers-Brian’s Song! A good Muslim does not fraternize. Mohammed will never pour champagne over Yogi Berra’s head after a World Series; Mohammed will never saunter into Archie Bunker’s Place to hoist a few with Barney Hefner and the gay guy. There is more religious and cultural diversity on the Chicago Cubs’ pitching staff—and a lot more tolerance—than there is in all of Islam. Muslims won’t be visiting a church or synagogue near you unless to torch it—and if they do visit, like a few brave Muslim women and politicians did under heavy guard in Baghdad recently, it will be to risk the fate of Salman Rushdie. Fraternization—is a word one won’t find in the Qur’an.