– U.S. Rep. Louis Gohmert displays Egyptian protesters’ sign symbolizing their perception of CNN’s complicity with the Muslim Brotherhood (Photo credit: Counterjihad Report)
By Faith J. H. McDonnell (@Cuchulain09)
On Friday, July 19, 2013, U.S. Representative Louis Gohmert (TX-01) gave an extraordinary lesson in foreign policy on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. In a speech that lasted almost an hour, Congressman Gohmert assessed frankly the direction that the so-called Arab Spring has been taking the Middle East and North Africa, and the part that the foreign policy of the Obama Administration has played in this trajectory. He contrasted this with what he described as the “major, incredible, earthshaking revolution going on in Egypt,” and how it appears that the United States government and most of the mainstream media are at odds with those that are resisting the domination of radical Islam. But Gohmert did not only discuss foreign policy. He connected the dots between the Obama Administration’s foreign policy and how it is affecting both national security in the United States and the increasing persecution of Christians around the world.
Congressman Gohmert’s whole floor speech was broadcast on C-SPAN and is available on YouTube, and I highly recommend you watch it and share it with others, but here are some of the highlights from what foreign policy and terrorism expert Dr. Walid Phares revealed that one observer called “the most powerful speech in the defense of reformers, democracy seekers, seculars, Christian Copts and Muslim moderates in Egypt in the history of the US Congress, to date.”
It is not often one hears a member of the U.S. Congress warn about the building in the Middle East of a global Caliphate or a “new Ottoman Empire” — something which both Christians and non-Islamist Muslims in that part of the world take very seriously. But Congressman Gohmert began his speech by stating that we were witnessing “the rise of a new Ottoman Empire in the Middle East, which, unfortunately, the Obama Administration has helped jumpstart.” He then described that process of “jumpstarting” – assisting in the overthrow of Mubarak and Ghadafi, who formerly had been considered allies of the United States.
Speaking of U.S. involvement with Libya, Gohmert said: Consistency is very important in foreign policy, and yet we don’t seem to be very consistent in using our military powers to oust Ghadafi after he had had a ‘conversion experience’ and was doing what he could to help us fight terrorism. Especially after we had intelligence that Al Qaeda was backing rebels. We knew that there were radical Islamists trying to drive Ghadafi out, and this administration did not pause long enough to get an answer to the question: “If we drive Ghadafi out, would we be more safe in America or less safe?”
The pattern continues with actions being contemplated by the United States government concerning Syria, Gohmert said: Coming around to Syria, it looked like initially these were NOT al Qaeda backed rebels in Syria, and if we had acted quickly enough, and had someone who did not vote “present,” we could have helped rebels who were not al Qaeda rebels. But it has degenerated. You have a tyrant leader on one hand, and you have radical Islamists – most of whom would like to destroy the United States as well – challenging him. Where in the world is in the interest in spilling American blood or treasure in getting into Syria?
Returning to Egypt, Gohmert went through the steps leading up to the overthrow of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi including the overreaches of power, the brutality towards the Copts and other Christians, and the drafting of an Islamic constitution in November 2012 that was boycotted by the Christians and liberal secularists alike. This past spring, which Gohmert called the real Arab Spring, the pro-democracy and freedom group Tamarud began a petition for Morsi to step down and for new elections to be held. The petition garnered over 22 million signatures. But that was nothing in comparison to the over 33 million flesh and blood petitioners. Gohmert continued: There has never been a demonstration of as many as 20 million people. But the people of Egypt rose up. They recognized that radical Islamists in charge of their country were not a good thing, even if the leaders of our country in the Executive Branch could not see the obvious.
Gohmert described the anger of the Egyptian people that their revolution was being described as a “military coup.” He said that “they were furious at how CNN seemed to take the side of the Muslim Brotherhood over and over.” Gohmert said that none of the media, even Fox, have captured what is really going on and he wants the American people to know what really is happening in Egypt (as well as what has really been happening since the Arab “‘Spring” took place): We are talking about a major, earthshaking, incredible revolution that is going on in Egypt. These are people, moderate Muslims combining with Coptic Christians, coupling themselves with liberal secularists who don’t want radical Islam running Egypt. So this grand scheme of building a great Caliphate, a new Ottoman Empire, ran into a huge problem when these incredible, freedom-desiring Egyptians rose up in greater numbers than has ever arisen anywhere in the world in the whole history of mankind. This is incredible. Incredible! And people need to recognize, and be encouraged, not by the Arab winter that was originally called an Arab “Spring,” but by the true Spring that is now happening in Egypt as moderate Muslims and Coptic Christians and caring secularists have arisen together and said “No!” to radical Islam. “We want freedom, we want a say in our government.
There’s much more in the speech. Gohmert displays many of the photographs of millions and millions of people and posters denouncing Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood, and radical Islam. He also shows that sad situation that because of our foreign policy, those denounced by the Egyptian people as supporters of Morsi include not just CNN, but President Obama and U.S. Ambassador to Egypt, Anne Patterson, who is described in posters as the “New Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood.” Gohmert said that he did not support the signs, did not think that they were proper or correct, but that it was important to know what the people of Egypt’s perceptions are about the United States government, based upon our actions.
In a plea for the United States to return to a position of strength, of maintaining our own national security but also defending others around the world, Gohmert invoked the memory of John Quincy Adams arguing for the freedom of the Africans of the Amistad in the old Supreme Court chamber below them, and also invoked the Judge of all judges to hold them responsible “to stand with free nations and be friends of free nations.” Gohmert concluded his speech by returning to concerns about American security, also caused by the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists and their influence throughout the United States government. As another observer said, “Gohmert has launched a moral revolution in US Foreign Policy.”
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