Ashcroft tries to back away from his remark on Islam
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON -- Attorney General John Ashcroft yesterday distanced himself from remarks attributed to him by columnist Cal Thomas, who quoted Ashcroft as saying that "Islam is a religion in which God requires you to send your son to die for him."
Justice Department spokeswoman Susan Dryden said Ashcroft made "references to extremist suicide terrorists who have hijacked the religion" in the Nov. 9 interview. Reports that Ashcroft applies the same belief more broadly to all of Islam "do not accurately reflect the attorney general's view," she said.
In a radio commentary called "Men of Faith in Washington, D.C.," Thomas said Ashcroft defined Christianity as "a faith in which God sends his son to die for you."
Thomas told The New York Daily News, which first reported the controversy, that he stood by his account. "I wrote it down accurately and repeated it to make sure I had it right," Thomas told the newspaper.
"I've got my integrity and a four-decade career as a journalist, and people can decide for themselves," he said.
The Justice Department noted that Ashcroft met Oct. 16 with Arab and Muslim leaders to reassure them that it was U.S. policy to "enforce laws that would guarantee that Americans, regardless of their national origin, are to be respected and their rights are to be safeguarded."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based group, urged Ashcroft yesterday to clarify the remarks, which the group called "offensive" and "unbecoming of a law enforcement official who is currently initiating and administering policies that have a disproportionate impact on Muslims."
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