August 1, 2012, - 3:07 pm

Vote NO on the Islamic Museum Tax

By Debbie Schlussel

Sharia fans are finding a way to make you pay taxes in the form of millages to art museums to promote Islam. And whether or not you live in Michigan, you should pay attention to the Detroit Institute of Arts millage vote which is on the ballot in Michigan’s primary, next Tuesday (August 7th).

islamiccrescent.jpg

This Equals This

It’s a tax to help pay for expensive Korans and designs featuring the Shehadah, the Islamic oath of martyrdom uttered by Islamic terrorists, just before they murder Westerners.

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), unlike most other museums in North America, has a giant portion dedicated to a permanent and growing Islamic art collection. The collection consists mostly of Korans, expensive Koran pages, and other alleged forms of so-called “art” embracing and promoting Islamic shuras, pronouncements, and religious observances. None of the Koran pages (see photos below) is artistic in any way, shape, or form. They are just Arabic writings promoting Islam, the same Arabic writings that have promoted the mass murder of Non-Muslims for centuries. And here’s a tip: the DIA doesn’t have a Christian art collection. No permanent Jewish art display. No Hindu or Zoroastrian or Wiccan art collections. Just Islam. No other religion has a full-time curator dedicated to promoting its “art” at the DIA. But the DIA has a paid, full-time Islamic art expert on its staff, and she spends all of her time “curating” the collection.

Detroit Institute of Arts Islamic “Art” Collection Seeking Your Tax Money . . .

If the DIA were a private institution, what it promoted would be its business and its business alone. But it isn’t a private organization. It’s a museum seeking a tri-county public tax, from the three major counties in the Detroit area, to sustain itself and provide free admission to promote Islam with the charade of “Islamic art.” The museum is seeking a tax of around $20 per year from every Detroit-area homeowner in the three major counties in order to sustain that collection which no one–except a few Muslims–visits or wants to see. Right now, you have to pay admission to visit the DIA. But few are interested anymore. The admission fees and fundraising donations for the DIA do not cover the rising, exorbitant costs of the museum, its overpaid Museum chief, Graham Beal (who makes nearly $400,000 per year and will raise his salary, once this boondoggle tax is passed), the expensive Islamic “art” collection, and its full-time curator. Or maybe they do, since the museum currently lists over $185 million in assets.


Supporters of this art museum tax aren’t advertising the DIA’s extensive Islamic “art” collection. Instead, they are marketing it as a way for parents to get their kids some culture infusion via school field trips. That’s baloney. The museum promotes Islam, not any sort of positive cultural aesthetic or education.

If the tax passes–and there have been over $2 million in TV ads promoting the DIA Islamic “Art” tax, with nothing opposing it–the museum should and likely will face a legal challenge. That’s because any tax millage that might pass to sustain the Islamic art display at the DIA violates the Michigan Constitution’s very strict establishment clause (far stricter than the U.S. Constitution’s similar provision) preventing any public funds from being used to promote or facilitate religion in any way. And I will be watching closely because I already have potential plaintiff clients interested in this, clients who do not want to be forced to pay $29 MILLION per year (which is what the millage will raise) for the next ten years for Islamic proselytizing disguised as “art.” NO AMERICAN should be forced to subsidize Islam. (Sadly, that’s already happened through U.S. State Department funds and the White House’s Office of Faith-Based And Neighborhood Partnerships begun by President George W. Bush.)

It is absolutely illegal for any tax funds–whether or not they call it by the more palatable “millage” name–to finance the public display of Koranic pages. It’s just that simple. And that’s aside from the “County Art Authority” bureaucracy that each county would set up to govern the money they are taking from taxpayers to finance the promotion of Islam.

Americans should NOT have to pay for the display and promotion of the pages that inspired the 9/11 murders of 3,000 Americans in cold blood and many other murders around the world every single day.

If you vote in Michigan or know anyone who does, PLEASE VOTE NO on AUGUST 7th on your county’s “County Arts Authority” ballot proposal. The ballot initiative is on the ballots in Michigan’s Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties, which are the three major counties including and surrounding Detroit.




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66 Responses

Aren’t they the ones who have that Communist artwork by Diego Rivera?

LA: Yup, same place. DS

Little Al on August 1, 2012 at 3:18 pm

    It is sad to have rats that cannot be treated accordingly.

    As Goes... on August 1, 2012 at 5:04 pm

Debbie,

The same leftists pushing this crap would be against it if
it came from Christian art supporters.

Just don’t call them hypocrites. They support Islam for the same reasons Muslims do.

If this tax passes, there will be a lawsuit since a public institution can’t promote or a favor a particular religion.

Then again call it for what it really is – a Sharia tax to support the propagation of Islam in America.

NormanF on August 1, 2012 at 3:42 pm

    NormanF,

    Good point! Replace muzzie with Christian and see what you get!

    As Goes... on August 1, 2012 at 5:05 pm

“Islamic Art” is an oxymoron.

Ed on August 1, 2012 at 3:46 pm

    Actually, it’s not. There’s some exquisite art from the Moghul period but this is trash.

    Italkit on August 2, 2012 at 2:55 am

Wow. $29 million/yr. in taxes to pander to muslims.

DS_ROCKS! on August 1, 2012 at 3:55 pm

Do any of the koran pages show that there are multiple versions of “allah’s divine word”, or is that hidden somehow?

(There are at least 14 different versions of the koran in use around the world right now– not just minor differences due to spelling errors or some such, but passages with completely different meanings… so much for the claim that the koran is an immutable document transcribed by allah himself)

Frak on August 1, 2012 at 4:12 pm

    Frak,
    You need to do a little research.
    The Koran wasn’t given by Allah.
    The Koran was given to Mohamed by the angel Gabrielle.
    Supposedly Gabrielle was in contact with Allah and would whisper things Allah said into Mohamed’s ear,
    usually while he was having convulsions on the ground.
    (This is documented in the Hadith)
    Mohamed, being illiterate would then tell his followers what Gabrielle had told him.

    After Mohamed died the Muslims figured out that memorizing the whole Koran was a stupid idea and they finally wrote as much as they could remember down.
    And thus we have the Koran(s) we have today.

    So what’s interesting about all of this artwork is that it is all in volition of Mohamed’s wishes.
    He never wanted anything written down.
    He taught that the Koran should be memorized.

    Allah has never spoken to any mortal.

    smg45acp on August 2, 2012 at 9:43 am

      SMG45AC– you kind of made my point…

      I know all that you have said. However, muslims typically make the pronouncement themselves that the koran is the “immutable infalible word of allah” transmitted via “his prophet” mohamhead.

      Of course if Mo was the be-all end-all of prophets, why wasn’t he worthy of direct communication with God Himself, while awake, in front of millions of witnesses, like happened with Moses (i.e. who also heard God’s “voice” and witnessed the pillar of cloud calling Moses to the Tent of Meeting)?

      Frak on August 2, 2012 at 10:43 am

      Hey, smg45acp,

      You’ve mistaken us for someone who cares about your fairy tales.

      We don’t give a flying anything about your stupid myths.

      As Goes... on August 2, 2012 at 12:26 pm

    Hey, Frak,

    Not ONE OF THE FOURTEEN VERSIONS is good enough to wipe my…

    As Goes... on August 2, 2012 at 12:24 pm

Detroit needs more taxes?

Barry Popik on August 1, 2012 at 5:56 pm

I have held a DIA membership at the Patron level for many years. I also volunteer my time to the museum to the extent that my work schedule permits.

I’m voting “NO” on August 7th.

I find it completely reprehensible that people who do not directly pay property taxes can vote to increase MY taxes.

Ms Schlussel’s columns are always interesting to read, and this piece is no exception.

FedUpTaxpayer on August 1, 2012 at 6:32 pm

Debbie, I had no idea about the muslim art collection. If I had a vote, which I don’t since I’m in Livingston, I would have voted no anyway. Forced support of the institution is wrong, it sounds like they have enough money on hand to come up with a new model. Besides the fact that in 10yrs enough time will have gone by for everyone to forget about the whole issue.

Larry Wooden on August 1, 2012 at 8:39 pm

    Larry,

    Their attacks never cease. They wait a little while sometimes years, then the mosque pays more muzzies to push the propagana.

    As Goes... on August 2, 2012 at 12:28 pm

Somewhat of a tangent, the one thing Saddam did that makes me giggle is he penned a koran using his own blood which is against their laws yet they can’t destroy because it’s against their laws too. Dumb muslims. I’d personally destroy it but, I’m a rational human being, not a 7th century occultist.

MarkSWFL on August 1, 2012 at 9:59 pm

Thanks for this info, Debbie.

I HATE Rivera, btw. I hated him well before I knew about his politics.

skzion on August 1, 2012 at 11:56 pm

I haven’t been back there in years. After I found out they were a gun free zone by way of a fire breathing libtard on the phone, I was finished with them. This just fits the M.O. further. Not only do they expect the burbs to drive into the third world city, they expect the burbs to disarm as well.

samurai on August 1, 2012 at 11:58 pm

Dont you have a better use if your time than to carp about Islamic art and how the museum does not have. A Christian section? Have you talked to an actual art professional or are you just letting your ignorance do the talking knowing that the. Gullible masses w I’ll come here to support you and thus give you validation?

Lindoro Almaviva on August 2, 2012 at 8:44 am

    No, gullible people will vote to fund dawah at the DIA. Duh.

    skzion on August 2, 2012 at 10:36 am

    Hey, Lindoro Almaviva ,

    There is no way that $29 million would be used for anything BUT ARMING MUZZIES LIVING IN THE US TO ATTACK CITIZENS.

    This is all a HUGE SMOKESCREEN. AND WE KNOW IT.

    FUCK YOUR “ART”.

    As Goes... on August 2, 2012 at 12:31 pm

    LIndoro, you want the opinion of an expert. Ok, I’ll give you one since I am an artist and an Art History major. THESE “MANUSCRIPTS” ARE TRASH. They look like the calligraphy exercises of any diligent madrasa student and have no aesthetic value whatever. Compare to this which definitely IS of high artistic and aesthetic merit. :http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1999.146

    Italkit on August 2, 2012 at 4:11 pm

      Touche, Italkit.

      skzion on August 2, 2012 at 10:05 pm

In keeping the Muslim tradition going there at the DIA, the restrooms should have Koran toilet paper….

Shootist on August 2, 2012 at 10:20 am

    Hm. Bring your own in and replace the white stuff with it. THAT action would raise a ruckus.

    skzion on August 2, 2012 at 10:38 am

      This is all about arming muzzies living in the US to attack and murder Americans.

      Brother! They have NO ART. JUST PLOTS AND SCHEMES TO MURDER US.

      As Goes... on August 2, 2012 at 12:33 pm

        As goes, I agree that the sheer amount of money for this cheap-ass “art” seems highly suspicious. Where will the balance go?

        skzion on August 2, 2012 at 10:09 pm

          skzion,

          Thank you so much for asking!!

          Muzzies invented Chess. They have the next five (5) moves plotted and may have check mated us before we know it.

          You just know they live to KILL. And, they need money. So I am figuring once that museum gets its hands on $29 million, the muzzies will propose bringing in its fine Islamic art (perhaps paintings of feces stained toilets) BUT ONCE THE MONEY IS IN THEIR HANDS, IT BECOMES MISAPPROPRIATED FOR PLANNED ATTACKS.

          PERHAPS 7 MAJOR US CITIES WITH DIRTY BOMBS IN A SINGLE DAY… They get extremely hot and bothered when dreaming of this SPECIAL SLAUGHTER.

          One thing you can know for sure: it has nothing to do with ART. Art is the vehicle upon which terrorism wants to hitch a ride…

          As Goes... on August 3, 2012 at 1:46 pm

    Shootist on August 2, 2012 at 10:20 am

    The Koran isn’t worth ass wiping! But, make sure the toilets are a very small hole in the floor so people can defecate on the walls and justify it.

    Everyone needs to smell like feces just like muzzies.

    As Goes... on August 2, 2012 at 12:38 pm

This is government at its worst, foisting off on the general public a tax for a quasi-private institution that does some good things and has historically been funded by citizens, mostly the wealthy, for the benefit of all. Where does this stop? First the zoo, now the DIA? What else can government find an excuse for to shift the burden on to taxpayers. I would certainly help with any litigation being a lawyer.

drew becker on August 2, 2012 at 11:41 am

    Drew,

    It is SUICIDE. We may be too stupid to survive if this attempt to fund terrorism passes… It has NOTHING TO DO W ART.

    As goes... on August 2, 2012 at 8:28 pm

Wait, no Christian art? What about the Face of Jesus exhibit that just went through the DIA? What about the 75 results that show up if you search the archives for “Christ”? What about the 30 results that show up for virgin? What about pretty much THE ENTIRE COLLECTION of pre-modern European art?

Get your facts straight.

TD on August 2, 2012 at 11:46 am

    TD on August 2, 2012 at 11:46 am

    All pandering to get the US to finance its own murder by terrorist cells located in US

    You know this chunk of money would buy lots of weapons for murder.

    You disgust me.

    As Goes... on August 2, 2012 at 12:36 pm

The Detroit Institute of Arts also has CHRISTIAN artists and themes! You have obviously NEVER been to this museum, you nut-job!

I honestly thought this site was a joke. But it’s not. This is sick and twisted. Our cultural institutions need help today more than ever. The DIA is an amazing museum with amazing art, and it’s a centerpiece of culture in Detroit.

Nathan Phenicie on August 2, 2012 at 2:45 pm

    She was probably thinking AMERICAN Christian. Debbie, look at the Italian Sculpture collection. Not a lot of American Christians are making art. Thomas Kincaid doesn’t count, I said ART.

    Italkit on August 2, 2012 at 4:15 pm

    “Nathan”.

    I know you’re a muzzie. I know you’re paid to propagandize and colonize. And I know you’re ejaculaing in your pants over money that you will use to take over the US

    Again. This has nothing to do w scraps of paper not worthy to wipe my rear

    As goes... on August 2, 2012 at 8:33 pm

    I love the obviously made up last name Mustafa. Why not call yourself Nathan Hot Dog?

    Worry01 on August 2, 2012 at 9:08 pm

    Nathan, given that Detroit has almost no high culture, any art museum would be its cultural centerpiece.

    skzion on August 2, 2012 at 10:15 pm

Regarding your comment that the DIA has the largest collection of Islamic art: The Detroit area has the country’s largest Islamic population, so why is having the largest art collection a negative?

Dave Armstrong on August 2, 2012 at 4:59 pm

    “dave”

    You know it’s about getting money to launch attacks.

    Misdirection won’t work here. Do, ASSLIFTER, go bay at the moon, your god

    As goes... on August 2, 2012 at 8:38 pm

Oh my Lord, I haven’t seen the Muslim fear factor used in a while! Why don’t you really pander to your base by also saying the DIA is full of Gay Illegal Mexican Abortion Doctors!

Yes, they have Muslim art. And despite this email saying otherwise, they DO have lots of other religious art. Jewish art, Mayan art, Hindu and most of all Christian art. They have a whole room dedicated to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. They have a complete replication of a early European Catholic chapel complete with stained glass windows showing the stations of the cross – you can walk inside it. They have the Madonna & Child painting that was on my wedding invitation. The Last Supper. Chalices. Nativities. Baptismal fonts. They even have a replica of the chair of St. Peter from the Vatican.

Using anti-Islam sentiment just to scare voters is not a very Christian thing to do, Debbie.

Spike on August 2, 2012 at 5:27 pm

    SPIKE,

    You’re another phony. Your terrorism is hitching a ride and we see thru it

    As goes... on August 2, 2012 at 8:40 pm

While all of this may be true, there is a more fundamental reason to reject the tax.

http://hallofrecord.blogspot.com/2012/08/obamas-plan-expand-cities-through.html

Bruce Hall on August 2, 2012 at 9:58 pm

Debbie,

If this passes, the DIA will be overrun with homeless people that will get in for free according to the proposal. Oh the wonderful smells that will accompany the art in the humid days of August.

In order to stop this future insanity, we should also make it mandatory that these proposals are presented in November not in the vacation heavy summer.

Michael on August 3, 2012 at 12:12 am

    MIchael, while I agree about the funding, let me tell you that in some places there are decent people living on the streets. People WITH JOBS who just can’t make enough to pay the rents in their areas. I came to Israel from St. Pete FL and that is one of those places. Not bums, not the insane or incompetent, WORKING HOMELESS PEOPLE, in AMERICA and you don’t think something is screwed up? On top of it, despite the lack of shelter space, these people were not allowed to sleep outside, even in the evening, in a town that closes down at about 8 PM and not on the beaches which are closed at sundown. So if a museum wants to give a poor person who’s trying their best a freebie, what’s the harm? You don’t want your taxes to go for it fine, at least you get to vote but who are you to say someone can’t enter a public building because they don’t have a home?

    Italkit on August 3, 2012 at 5:01 am

I understand the Muslims are voting for Hussain and all Demagogues

Jules on August 3, 2012 at 9:36 am

You are discriminating against these people. Stop the hate lady. There are many many people who call themselves Christians who have also committed atrocious crimes.

P.S. Get educated! The DIA has art from all types of religions, not that that even matters.

Allison on August 3, 2012 at 1:39 pm

    “Allison”

    How much do they pay you to pander? You’re pathetic.

    This has nothing to do with art. Once the museum gets the money, you muzzies will propose to buy Islamic art, fine oil paintings of toilets feces all around, but actually use it to LAUNCH TERRORIST ATTACKS.

    As Goes... on August 3, 2012 at 2:10 pm

raghead art you must be kidding the only art this death cult does is dead bodies.how about some video pisslamic art like when they stoned catholics, wasn’t that so droll the way the raghead children are tought to hate americans.they should be glad they did not try that crap with me becaue there would have been a sharp reduction in the muzzie population.i love my .45!!

BRUCE on August 3, 2012 at 2:14 pm

Who needs Saudi money when there are so many American idiots waiting to be milked?

MeMeMe on August 5, 2012 at 6:18 pm

    DO YOU NOT SEE THE HYPOCRISY IN THIS COMMENT! HAHAHAHA

    You are the “American Idiot” funding Debbie Schlussel. WOW. The worst kind of stupid is when you don’t even know how stupid you are.

    GodBlessYourHeart4 on August 6, 2012 at 12:41 am

      Fuck you, muzzie. Go back to your strip club.

      As Goes... on August 6, 2012 at 6:05 pm

It is because of people like you that multiple people are dead tonight in Wisconsin. You have blood on your hands Debbie.

I hope some of you people reading these articles stop to think about how your spread of hatred is TAKING LIVES. Nothing is sacred anymore.

GodBlessYourHeart4 on August 5, 2012 at 10:51 pm

    You fucking moron…. You just get weirder.

    How much does the mosque pay you?

    As Goes... on August 6, 2012 at 6:05 pm

“Home of the Free” … please

Forget the Middle East, AMERICANS are killing AMERICANS.

The United States is currently in a civil war.

You are a complete disgrace to you country Debbie.God Bless America.

GodBlessYourHeart4 on August 5, 2012 at 10:53 pm

    GodBlessYourHeart4,

    You AGAIN? Go back to the middle east and rot.

    As Goes... on August 6, 2012 at 6:06 pm

Hmmm…”97 results for Islamic Art”…I wonder how many results we get if we search for Christian art..let’s see…ah yes, 237. Wow, how terribly one-sided..a sure example of terrorism and sharia in action! Debbie, you’re nothing but a pathetic hack.

CDWard on August 6, 2012 at 12:57 pm

    GodBlessYourHeart4,

    I see you changed your screen name, again!

    Weirdo pervert…

    As Goes... on August 6, 2012 at 6:08 pm

My state rep., who is a CPA when in the private sector, checked their books and they have been lying about needing money. According to him, and others, they have enough money to keep the doors open for many years. When confronted with this info, they said they would prefer an extra $2million “cushion”, just in case. Wouldn’t we all!! I had decided to vote NO before hearing about the Muslim stuff, but that really sealed my vote.

Kathy on August 6, 2012 at 2:59 pm

Who the heck is this “As Goes” person – aside from a well fed, conspiracy theorist, delusional, paranoid, etc. Take your meds bud and join the real world rather than your hate filled, narrow minded one. Just a guess – I bet the attacks in WI excited you to no end. The DIA is a fine institution, although it’s mismanaged and wasteful with public money. Perhaps being made to be more self-sufficient would lead them to look at where their money goes and how it might be used better. Using these anti-Muslim attacks and fearmongering to win votes is pathetic and ignorant. Did you ever consider, dear author and her supporters, that there is such a large Muslim art collection because of our large Muslim community? Hmm? No anti-Christian, anti-American conspiracy theories – just recognizing an important part of our community, one unique in America.

Concerned_Citizen on August 6, 2012 at 6:20 pm

So 1 exhibit now constitutions a museum? The amount of hate and misinformation on this page is staggering. I should not be surprised as your argument comes entirely from a place of hate so you are unable to use things like logic.

I pity you. I also pity the people who believe you.

voltekker on August 7, 2012 at 11:41 am

Come on! Are you for realz? Crazy.

ILOVEART on August 7, 2012 at 1:38 pm

Everyone in the comments below talking about no “Christian” art is mistaken. Many (a plurality for sure) of the DIA’s pieces from the Renaissance and other periods feature Christian themes (paintings of Jesus, Mary, Moses and various Biblical scenes).
The museum is quite large and the number of works with Christian themes far outweighs the small Islamic collection.

Fred on August 7, 2012 at 2:34 pm

My god. You sad, ignorant, pathetic motherfuckers. All aboard the crazy train

Brad on August 7, 2012 at 10:49 pm

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