CAIR Florida Calls on Hernando Republican Party to Denounce Bigotry

(Tampa, FL 10/28/2011)- The Council on American Islamic Relations Florida issued a statement today calling on the Hernando Republican Party to denounce the hate-filled rhetoric of Congressman Allen West and Former Florida House Majority Leader Adam Hasner. Both politicians have promoted the position that Islam is not a religion, that Muslims should be denied freedom of religion, that America is at war with Islam, and that Muslim schools and institutions in the US must be shut down. "We cannot let our political discourse become hijacked by extremists who are using their political office to promote their personal religious agendas. Both Hasner & West have supported advocating for polices that, if enacted, would be tantamount to destroying the Bill of Rights and persecution of the Muslim religious minority in the US, as has happened to the Japanese before. Hasner & West owe a duty to the Constitution, their Muslim constituents, and all freedom loving people to renounce their sectarian and discriminatory statements against the Muslim community."  Said CAIR Tampa Executive Director, Hassan Shibly. CAIR Florida calls on all people of conscience to make it clear there there is no room for hate-filled bigotry in our political discourse. See: Extremists Must Not Hijack Our Political Discourse Contact: Hassan Shibly (CAIR Tampa) 813-541-4321, hshibly@cair.com CAIR is America's largest Muslim Civil Rights and media advocacy organization.  ###

THE TAMPA TRIBUNE: Extremists Must Not Hijack Our Political Discourse  Friday October 28th 2011 | Editorials, Pg. 15  | Hassan Shibly  It is very concerning when mainstream politicians openly advocate for positions that are antithetical to our core values and constitutional principles. Enough is enough. We must stand united as Americans and make it clear to politicians that we will not let them divide us against each other, use fear-mongering to distract us from the real issues or take away our fundamental rights and values. Tonight, the Hernando County Republican Party is hosting a dinner with U.S. Rep. Allen West and former Florida House Majority Leader Adam Hasner. These politicians have one thing in common: Instead of focusing on real issues that affect everyday, hard-working, tax-paying Floridians, they have focused their efforts to create a smokescreen - the hysteria-myth of Sharia taking over and undermining our country. Instead of focusing on finding solutions to real problems we face, they are creating solutions in search for a problem. Instead of targeting problem issues such as violence and crime, they have targeted a faith and people. Both these politicians have used their political positions to promote their religious agenda. In an effort to alienate and lambast the Muslim religious minority in the United States with false claims that we threaten American values and freedoms, the politicians have actually threatened American values and freedoms Both politicians have made statements that may incite violence against and persecution of the millions of American Muslims, and yet instead of condemning them, Republican leadership in Hernando County only honors them. West and Hasner have both supported stereotypes and made bigoted remarks against Islam that we would never tolerate against any other group.....(Read Full Article)