Why is Tariq Ramadan Banned in the USA?

Today, boys and girls, Tariq lets us in on the predicament in Why I'm Banned in the USA at WashingtonPost.Com. Clearly, there is no way that I can comment on the specifics and I'd suggest reader comments be kept circumspect as stories like this are doubtlessly used at tar-babies by DHS and others.

"Oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave; o'er the land of the FREE and the home of the BRAVE?" I've always considered the pause at that semi-colon to be intentional, for the answer to "does that banner yet wave" will ALWAYS be *yes* ... and the vast majority of humans, sadly, pretty much stop thinking at that point. "Yes, the Star-Spangled Banner is waving ... all is good and right in the world."

I suspect that the issues of WHERE it's waving and over WHAT KIND of nation it's waving, are completely lost by the vast majority of synchronously swaying baseball fans and NASCAR grandstanders. The whole point of the anthem is to pose the question: "ARE YOU STILL AS TRULY FREE AND EXISTENTIALLY BRAVE AS YOU WERE LAST YEAR? TEN YEARS AGO? AS THE DAY WHEN THIS ANTHEM WAS WRITTEN?"

These days, every time I witness the opening ceremonies of an NFL game, I wonder how many people are merely muddling along in a collectively self-indulgent, eye-welling ritual that amounts to idle idol worship of the FLAG ITSELF rather than anything even remotely related to authentic, activist patriotism.

Tragically, this post probably serves as grounds to put me on the same list as Tariq Ramadan. And if so, I proudly belong there, because MY AMERICA ... the America of my youth and unconditional allegiance ... MY HOME OF THE FREE ... MY HOME OF THE BRAVE would never, not in a billion, trillion years, equate the two. So if MY AMERICA has reduced itself to doing so, then it truly, sadly, tragically, disasterously, the end of The Republic as we've always known it.

infective.invective