NASA’s New Mission: Improve Relations with Muslim World
Posted by smarko1 on July 6, 2010
Just when you thought you heard it all from the Obama Administration, it gets even loonier!
Most of us grew up believing of NASA was America’s agency tasked with exploring space for the benefit of the United States and greater mankind. But not our current President. Obama grew up in a shadow world that sees all connected with government as a tool for social reengineering. This President also shows an unusual affinity to the Islamic world.
Recently NASA Administrator Charles Bolden was interviewed in the Middle East by that protector of free-speech, Al Jazeera, where he made some incredible comments:
- Bolden’s “foremost” mission as head of America’s space agency is to improve relations with the Muslim world.
- Strengthening ties with the Muslim world was a top task that President Obama assigned Bolden.
- Better interaction with the Muslim world would advances space travel.
- Specifically, Bolden said: “When I became the NASA administrator – or before I became the NASA administrator – he charged me with three things. One was he wanted me to help re-inspire children to want to get into science and math, he wanted me to expand our international relationships, and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science … and math and engineering,”
These Charles Bolden comments border on insanity. While one could argue whether the State Department should or should not promote better relations with Muslim countries that promote violence, NASA should have no part of this charge. In addition, stating the lie that modern Islam promotes math and engineering does not further science or foster intellectual discourse within Islam.
President Obama has shown incompetence in handling domestic affairs and international diplomacy. However, this move to change NASA’s charge and relate it to Islam goes beyond incompetence. Finally we have a president worse than Jimmy Carter.
Charles Bolden is not fit to head NASA. Barack Obama is proving unfit for the Presidency. What a sad state for this Country.
Carl Hackert said
Counting the days until the election! Maybe this NASA mandate is because Barack Obama (a man who cannot pronounce words like “corpsman” or “orion” and who is not known for his knowledge of languages, geography or history) recalled reading somewhere about the origin of the word “algebra”.
Obama pretends to be intelligent acting very glib and lawyerly when he reads from his teleprompter. This latest PC revisionism reminds me of other “scholars” who have manufactured mythical historical events such as the holiday known as “kwaanza” (created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga) or concepts of social behavior (such as the notion that black kids are “sun people” or study better in groups because of some kind of tribal nature they inherit as contained in the absurd teachings of Prof. Leonard Jeffries, the racist sermons of Rev. Wright or even Hillary Clinton in her ghostwriter’s book “It Takes A Village”).
So NASA, no need to stop flying for such nonsense! Below is all NASA needs to acknowledge about the Muslim contribution to math and science. After all, a strict Muslim also believes “if it was good enough for my grandfather it is good enough for me” and permits 11th Century warfare & justice, mistreatment of women and children, and the cold-blooded repugnant killings of innocents and infidels. Hopefully, even Mr. Obama and his ilk will acknowledge that many of the greatest minds and most talented people of the last 100 years happen to have been Jewish.
Origin of the Word Algebra
The word algebra is a Latin variant of the Arabic word al-jabr. This came from the title of a book, Hidab al-jabr wal-muqubala, written in Baghdad about 825 A.D. by the Arab mathematician Mohammed ibn-Musa al-Khowarizmi.
The words jabr (JAH-ber) and muqubalah (moo-KAH-ba-lah) were used by al-Khowarizmi to designate two basic operations in solving equations. Jabr was to transpose subtracted terms to the other side of the equation. Muqubalah was to cancel like terms on opposite sides of the equation. In fact, the title has been translated to mean “science of restoration (or reunion) and opposition” or “science of transposition and cancellation” and “The Book of Completion and Cancellation” or “The Book of Restoration and Balancing.”
Jabr is used in the step where x – 2 = 12 becomes x = 14. The left-side of the first equation, where x is lessened by 2, is “restored” or “completed” back to x in the second equation.
Muqabalah takes us from x + y = y + 7 to x = 7 by “cancelling” or “balancing” the two sides of the equation.
Eventually the muqabalah was left behind, and this type of math became known as algebra in many languages.
It is interesting to note that the word al-jabr used non-mathematically made its way into Europe through the Moors of Spain. There an algebrista is a bonesetter, or “restorer” of bones. A barber of medieval times called himself an algebrista since barbers often did bone-setting and bloodletting on the side. Hence the red and white striped barber poles of today.
Jim Mahoney said
The space shuttle is being retired after two more missions, leaving the US with no way to get manned missions to the “International” space station we built without depending on the Russians. Our once proud space program is in shambles and the prime focus of the NASA director is to pretend that Muslims are making significant contributions to math, science and engineering. I’m sorry, but it’s been 12 centuries since Islam has done anything in these areas. Also, the last time I checked, Islam is a religion. Where are the similar outreach programs for Catholics and Jews to tell us how great we are? Obama makes another outreach to our enemies and squanders yet another leadership position of the United States.
Carl Hackert said
U.S. State Department is Building… Mosques
Posted by Candace de Russy Aug 12th 2010 at 2:24 am in Featured Story, Foreign Policy, Islamic extremism, Terrorism | Comments (62)
What else is the State Department larding out, at hard-pressed taxpayers’ expense, to facilitate “understanding” with the Muslim world?
What else, that is, in addition to Ground-Zero-Mega-Mosque Imam Rauf’s likely fund-raising gig in five, oil rich countries?
Just as it has greatly, very greatly, disturbed 68% of you registered voters to learn of plans to build a $100 million dollar mosque financed perhaps by the very ones who underwrote the 9/11 slaughter, it will likely disturb you to learn that the State Department has been hard at work – on your dime – rebuilding of mosques in foreign countries.
The Washington Times reports:
In April, U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania Alfonso E. Lenhardt helped cut the ribbon at the 12th-century Kizimkazi Mosque, which was refurbished with assistance from the United States under a program to preserve culturally significant buildings. The U.S. government also helped save the Amr Ebn El Aas Mosque in Cairo, which dates back to 642. The mosque’s namesake was the Muslim conqueror of Christian Egypt, who built the structure on the site where he had pitched his tent before doing battle with the country’s Byzantine rulers. For those who think the Ground Zero Mosque is an example of “Muslim triumphalism” glorifying conquest, the Amr Ebn El Aas Mosque is an example of such a monument – and one paid for with U.S. taxpayer funds.
By what lights is U.S. citizens’ money being used to preserve and advance Islam? What of First Amendment considerations about the use of public moneys for religious worship? Our government claims murkiness on these issues but nonetheless forges ahead in constructing mosque abroad:
In July 2009, the Office of the Inspector General published an audit of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) faith-based and community initiatives that examined whether government funds were being used for religious activities. The auditors found that while USAID was funding some religious activities, officials were “uncertain of whether such uses of Agency funding violate Agency regulations or the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution” when balanced against foreign-policy objectives.
Casting uncertainty to the winds, our government proceeded to rebuild the Al Shuhada Mosque in Fallujah, Iraq, in the anticipation of
such benefits as “stimulating the economy, enhancing a sense of pride in the community, reducing opposition to international relief organizations operating in Fallujah, and reducing incentives among young men to participate in violence or insurgent groups.”
But here’s the rub:
Section 205.1(d) of title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations prohibits USAID funds from being used for the rehabilitation of structures to the extent that those structures are used for “inherently religious activities.”
The Times is right: “It is impossible to separate religion from a mosque; any such projects will necessarily support Islam.”
Our taxpayer money should not be used to preserve and promulgate Islam. Nor should it be spent on a tour for Rauf that endows him with both access and the U.S. stamp of approval.
Bill said
NASA Chief Charles Bolden stated that his “foremost” mission as head of America’s space exploration agency is to improve relations with the Muslim world.
He should have said “Screw all you NASA employees who will soon lose their jobs. Unemployment lines are waiting with open arms. Always view the cup as half-full” Yup, That’s what he should have said since its obvious he’s just working towards saving his own ass.