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| Islamic rights group upset over Bush remark Islamic rights group upset over Bush remark Islamic rights group upset over Bush remark | | |
New York, Aug 11 A leading Islamic civil rights group in the United States has expressed "concern" over President George W Bush's use of the term "Islamic fascists" while commenting on the terrorist plot to bomb several airliners, saying it contributes to "hostility" to Islam.
In a letter to President Bush, Board chairman of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Parvez Ahmed said American Muslims have consistently condemned all acts of terrorism, whether carried out by individuals, groups or states.
"We repudiate anyone who plans or carries out a terrorist act. The American Muslim community remains dedicated to the protection of our nation's security," he said.
"Unfortunately, your statement this morning that America 'is at war with Islamic fascists' contributes to a rising level of hostility to Islam and the American-Muslim community. Just today, Gallup released a poll indicating that four out of ten Americans feel 'prejudice' toward Muslims.
"You have on many occasions said Islam is a 'religion of peace.' Today you equated the religion of peace with the ugliness of fascism," he lamented.
"The use of ill-defined hot button terms such as 'Islamic fascists,' 'militant jihadism,' 'Islamic radicalism,' or 'totalitarian Islamic empire,' harms our nation's image and interests worldwide, particularly in the Islamic world. It feeds the perception that the war on terror is actually a war on Islam," Ahmed said.
The letter was released to the press by CAIR last evening. |
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