Founding father fought Muslims?

[Jimmy]

Is there any truth to this statement AT ALL?


"We have had a Military presence across the Globe since the day's of Thomas Jefferson!
(dealing with Muslims back then too)"

Thanks for any help.

[Daveforliberty]

Yes, it's true. Jefferson ordered the Navy to protect American interests from pirates eminating from the Barbary (North Africa) states. The situation devolved into the first and second Barbary wars, which occurred during his term and Madison's.

[hard@work]

"dealing with muslims" - please. That's a very prejudiced statement.

[kylejack]

Yes, against the Ottoman Empire who were headquartered in Constantinople which is now known as Istanbul. Now you may wonder why Constantinople got the works, but keep in mind that that's nobody's business but the Turks.

[ItsTime]

For those who are wondering :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Barbary_War


Yes, it's true. Jefferson ordered the Navy to protect American interests from pirates eminating from the Barbary (North Africa) states. The situation devolved into the first and second Barbary wars, which occurred during his term and Madison's.

[Bradley in DC]

Yes, against the Ottoman Empire who were headquartered in Constantinople which is now known as Istanbul. Now you may wonder why Constantinople got the works, but keep in mind that that's nobody's business but the Turks.

Thanks, love They Might Be Giants. :)

[kylejack]

Cool! Ron Paul is the little birdhouse in my soul.

[DaronWestbrooke]

This seems racist, it wasn't about Muslims, it was about pirates.

[Ragnar]

This seems racist, it wasn't about Muslims, it was about pirates.

Sorry to have to correct you, but it WAS about Muslims:

In 1786, Thomas Jefferson, then the ambassador to France, and John Adams, then the ambassador to Britain, met in London with Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja, the ambassador to Britain from Tripoli. The Americans asked Adja why his government was hostile to American ships, even though there had been no provocation. The ambassador's response was reported to the Continental Congress:

"That it was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Qur'an, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners, and that every Musselman [Muslim] who should be slain in Battle was sure to go to Paradise.[11]"

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbary_pirates

Doesn't leave much to the imagination, does it?

[MooCowzRock]

Yes, against the Ottoman Empire who were headquartered in Constantinople which is now known as Istanbul. Now you may wonder why Constantinople got the works, but keep in mind that that's nobody's business but the Turks.

you kick ass for the giants reference

[MooCowzRock]

Sorry to have to correct you, but it WAS about Muslims:

In 1786, Thomas Jefferson, then the ambassador to France, and John Adams, then the ambassador to Britain, met in London with Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja, the ambassador to Britain from Tripoli. The Americans asked Adja why his government was hostile to American ships, even though there had been no provocation. The ambassador's response was reported to the Continental Congress:

"That it was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Qur'an, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners, and that every Musselman [Muslim] who should be slain in Battle was sure to go to Paradise.[11]"

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbary_pirates

Doesn't leave much to the imagination, does it?

You're right, in the same way Bush is right about how we're just fighting a bunch of Fascist Muslims that think its their duty to kill everyone who disagrees with them...it has nothing to do with the fact that the pirates distorted and used the religion to gather support for political reasons and greed...

:rolleyes:

[xao]

Sorry to have to correct you, but it WAS about Muslims:

In 1786, Thomas Jefferson, then the ambassador to France, and John Adams, then the ambassador to Britain, met in London with Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja, the ambassador to Britain from Tripoli. The Americans asked Adja why his government was hostile to American ships, even though there had been no provocation. The ambassador's response was reported to the Continental Congress:

"That it was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Qur'an, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners, and that every Musselman [Muslim] who should be slain in Battle was sure to go to Paradise.[11]"

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbary_pirates

Doesn't leave much to the imagination, does it?

Wikipedia is unreliable because people can modify it. Can anyone post a credible reference?

A letter of "Marque and Reprisal" comes into play. Which is LEGAL under the constitution and congress. Dictator Bush on the other hand gets us into an eternal and ridiculous war without even declaring it and without even doing it legally.

[Colin]

The citation for that quote on Wikipedia refers to National Review, http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/london200512160955.asp

[xao]

The citation for that quote on Wikipedia refers to National Review, http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/london200512160955.asp

The national review has a neocon bias these days. Can anyone actually post some documents off of historic sites?

[Colin]

National Review may be biased, but they don't fabricate quotes.

[fortilite]

Piracy was HOW the Barbary got money. The only reason they used Muslim scripture was so they would not consider themselves thieves - it was a moral justification. In the end it was about thievery, nothing more or less.

Now that being said, piracy is only an issue in Indonesia, Somalia, and a few lesser places. We won't have to wage any more wars against pirates, so no need to think too heavily about it.