Muslims Fear Hate Crimes Against Them in the U.S.
As America is getting ready to begin a new phase of a gory war against the militants of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), American political leaders are already expressing their concerns for the entire Islam religion.
According to the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OK), Rep. John Bennett (R-Sallisaw) told constituents at a party gathering Monday in Sallisaw, Okla., that Islam’s goal is “the destruction of Western civilization from within,” that the faith is 90 percent “violence” and that Islam “is a cancer in our nation that needs to be cut out.” He added that he is “not going to stand back and let [Muslims] push Islam into our nation.”
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In response, CAIR-OK decided to hold a news conference outside Oklahoma Republican Party headquarters in Oklahoma City to call on state GOP leaders to repudiate a legislator’s incitement to violence against Muslims and to seek stepped up protection for that state’s Islamic community.
“This apparent call for a violent purge of Muslims by an elected official must be taken seriously and should be repudiated by Oklahomans of all faiths and backgrounds,” said CAIR-OK executive director Adam Soltani.
Because of the increase in anti-Muslim rhetoric and bias incidents, CAIR-OK says it is urging state Muslims to take precautions when in public.
CAIR-OK claims that in a recent Facebook post, Bennett called on Oklahomans to be “wary” of “Muslim Americans” and falsely claimed that the Quran says people of other faiths “should be killed.”
CAIR-OK called on state Republican Party leaders to denounce the anti-Muslim comments and asked for an apology from Bennett.
CAIR is America’s leading Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
Photo courtesy: CAIR
