CAIR criticizes Oklahoma lawmakers for anti-Muslim Facebook comments

Tulsa World ^ | 9/4/2014 | BARBARA HOBEROCK

[markomalley]

OKLAHOMA CITY — The leader of the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations on Wednesday called on Republican leaders to repudiate remarks made by state Rep. John Bennett on his private Facebook account.

Adam Soltani, CAIR Oklahoma executive director, is also asking the Republican from Sallisaw to apologize for the remarks.

A Monday Facebook post from Bennett reads: “The Quran clearly states that non Muslims should be killed. Arab is the ethnicity, not Muslim or Islam. Be wary of the individuals who claim to be ‘Muslim American.’ Be especially wary if you are Christian.”

Soltani said Bennett took the phrase out of context. “This is something revealed in the context of them being at war,” Soltani said. “This is when you meet in battle. It doesn’t say just go out and kill people.”

He said elected leaders should not be seeking to instill fear of Islam or Muslims.

“Anti-Muslim bigotry and statements that promote misunderstanding and incite hatred toward a minority group have no place in the Oklahoma Republican Party,” Soltani wrote in a letter to Bennett. “Individuals elected to represent the people of Oklahoma should be held accountable for such extremist, inaccurate and intolerant views.”

Bennett, 40, said he has no intention of apologizing, adding he was referring to Muslims who hold extreme views.

Bennett, who served in the Marines for 21 years, said he was trying to inform and educate Americans as to what is really going on. He said he has been in the Middle East a few times and is aware of the atrocities inflicted by extremists in the name of religion.

“I am not against all Arabs or people who follow the religion of Islam,” he said. “The religion has been changed. It used to be peaceful.”

Dave Weston, Oklahoma Republican Party chairman, called CAIR’s criticism of Bennett disingenuous.

If the United States were ruled by Islam, Christians and Jews would have to pay a tax to practice their faith, Weston said. Those who do not pay are beheaded, Weston said.

“Islam coexists peacefully with nonbelievers only if those skeptics abide by their unalterable stipulations,” Weston said.

“Mr. Weston’s comments are as false and easily disproven as the notion that the Earth is flat,” Soltani said.

“Actual Muslims worldwide including CAIR, have repudiated and condemned ISIS and its heretical assertions about our faith.”

Later in the day, Bennett issued a news release saying the terrorist activities of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria could soon reach the United States. He was critical of how President Obama has handled the situation, saying Obama has ignored confirmed Islamic terrorist movements.

[MeshugeMikey]

Amen