Vic began this edition of Crosstalk with news that an appeals court ruled today that the portion of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that denies federal benefits to same-sex couples deemed married according to their state law is unconstitutional.  

Vic then presented the latest examples showing how Islam isn’t merely trying to become part of the public landscape but instead is infiltrating American life.  The stories noted for listener comment included:

--A Harlem public elementary school will become the first in New York to require students to study Arabic.  The organization that co-created and funded the program for the New York school district maintains close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.  The group’s founder started the Al Jazeera TV network.  

Qatar Foundation International, a non-profit group funded by the nation of Qatar, gave Harlem’s Hamilton Heights K-5 public grade school a $250,000 grant to support the Arabic program for the next three years.  

--Muslim Brotherhood presidential candidate Muhammad Morsi allegedly said that he will achieve the Muslim conquest of Egypt.  Upon doing so he will require Christians to convert to Islam or pay an additional Islamic tribute tax.

--The Commerce Department is considering naming Arab Americans a socially and economically disadvantaged minority group that is eligible to receive minority business assistance.

--An Islamic group has demanded that Attorney General Eric Holder and the U.S. Justice Department protect the religious liberties of Muslims after a Tennessee ruling prevented a mosque from being completed after an outcry from the public.  The building’s future is uncertain.  By a court ruling the county avoided the legal process requiring granting building permission for the project.