An open letter to Indiana’s Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith
“Those who believe (in the Qur’an), those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians and the Christians, any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” Qur’an: chapter 5, verse 69
Indiana’s Muslim population is estimated at roughly 40,000 to 75,000 people. You can’t fairly govern an entity or a people who you hate and despise under the cover of saying, “I love them but I hate their religion.” America is built upon freedom of religion. As Governor, or the Lt. Governor, at a minimum you have to respect the people and their respective faith traditions. Yes, all of them, and definitely you should not hate the way of life of any resident of your state, if you are to govern properly according to the Constitution of your State.
“America is built upon freedom of religion.”
Every Governor and Lt. Governor in Indiana takes the following oath of office: “I, [name], do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Indiana and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of the office of (Governor, Lt. Governor, etc.) for the state of Indiana to the best of my skill and ability, so help me God.”
The dictionary says, “Impartially means acting or deciding in a completely fair, unbiased and objective manner. It involves evaluating a situation or dispute without showing favoritism, prejudice, or preference toward any single side.” This begs the question, which part of “impartially” is it that Micah Beckwith doesn’t understand?
Sadly, Indiana’s Lt. Governor said that in Indiana, “We’re giving people permission to hate again.” As lifelong taxpaying Hoosiers we need to know why Governor Mike Braun is being so quiet and slow to speak against Micah Beckwith’s promoting hatred in Indiana. We acknowledge that Beckwith was not Braun’s No. 1 choice to be the Lt. Governor; nonetheless, Governor Braun, like it or not, Beckwith is your No. 1 man, so you must speak up.
Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith is a staunch conservative who claims, “My mission is clear: to make Indiana a shining example of what a conservative state can achieve — a place where every Hoosier has the opportunity to thrive.” Yes, he said “every Hoosier.” But according to Beckwith’s hatred, he doesn’t want Muslim Hoosiers to thrive.
How can a Lt. Governor speak of, “…my passion for helping people unlock their God-given potential,” while publicly spewing hatred? Beckwith is speaking as if he is the property-owner of hatred, an attribute that he can dispense at will. “We’re giving people permission to hate again.” That is so arrogant; an action he defends by stating, “…hate is a characteristic of G_d.” He added, “…the Bible talks about where G_d hates certain things…in Indiana we need to hate certain things.”
He really exposed his lack of education when he stated, “I hate Islam. It is a demonic death-call. Now, I love Muslims because they make great Christians when Jesus gets ahold of them. But I hate Islam. We need to be okay with hating again.” Beckwith concluded, “Hate evil, and love what G_d loves.” Wow! Beckwith’s self-righteousness is repugnant in the nostrils of all right-minded, inclusive-thinking Americans.
What Beckwith needs to know and acknowledge are these facts. That Al-Islam is NOT evil, but Al-Islam has stopped countless Americans from committing evil. I’m a personal witness. Al-Islam stopped me, and millions of other Americans, from lying, stealing, cheating, fornicating, being lazy! Beckwith should be praising and crediting Al-Islam for alleviating evil by producing excellent families and communities, all for a better Indiana.
“Micah Beckwith needs to understand that Hoosiers can hold conservative values without promoting hatred.”
Micah Beckwith needs to understand that Hoosiers can hold conservative values without promoting hatred. Showing compassion is not only for liberals or the Democratic Party. Hatred is cold-blooded attribute that has increased in recent decades resulting in masjids (mosques), synagogues, and mass murders in churches. As government leaders, Lt. Governor Beckwith your voice carries weight and influence and your hatred places our wives, children and houses of worship in harms-way.
“O ye who believe; stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah; for Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do.” – Qur’an, chapter 5: verse 8
Micah Beckwith, please know that governing and hatred are incompatible! If you don’t respect all religions, then you are not fit to lead in Indiana. And once again, we ask, why is it that Governor Mike Braun is so quiet or slow to address public hatred being spewed in Indiana?
Michael Saahir is the resident imam at the Nur-Allah Islamic Center in Indianapolis.
