Investors Business Daily this morning editorializes with great clarity on the necessity of ridding ourselves of those who incite actions like the London bombings. We do not need anyone preaching hate.

An increasing number of foreign imams preaching in America have been tied to terror and un—American activities. Yet Washington treats them as if they are among the lowest of threats.

Muslim clerics come to this country on R—1 visas and are lumped in with religious scholars and holy men such as priests and monks. So the government exempts them from US—VISIT fingerprinting and other security scrutiny when airport immigration lines run too long.

According to "Infiltration," a new book by Paul Sperry, IBD's former Washington bureau chief, the Department of Homeland Security also gives them a pass to cut down on flight delays at airports.

It's a bit puzzling, but officials in Washington are so gullible that they view Muslim and other religious workers as the "lowest threat" among the 10 visa classifications listed in a sensitive internal memo issued by the department last year.

Yet hundreds of Muslim clerics have been linked to terrorism, and many of them preach in the U.S.

Readers can contact their Representatives http://www.house.gov  and Senators http://www.senate.gov/ to demand a stop to this preferential visa treatemnt for preachers of hate

Ed Lasky   7 14 05

Matthew Puflea adds:

I find it funny that the American left which zealously works to create a large separation of church and state has no interest in this issue.

I would think they would be outraged that any person would get preferential treatment based on religion.  Imagine how an atheist must feel when he is fingerprinted and scrutinized but a Muslim Cleric isn't.  Would they feel differently if it was a Rabbi or Protestant minister who went to the front of the line? 

I think you should challenge the ACLU to go after this issue, unless they don't mind the special treatment because it puts the United States at risk.