The Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations wants state Rep. John Bennett (R-Sallisaw) to apologize for saying people should be wary of those who are “Muslim American” in a Facebook post.
In the post, Bennett said the Quran states non-Muslims should be killed. He told The Oklahoman’s Carla Hinton and Rick Green he stands by his comments on social media, and says the national chapter has ties to a terrorism trial.
“We must shine a bright light on the role of the Muslim Brotherhood and its varied tentacles in the U.S.,” said Bennett, a U.S. Marine Corps reservist who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan. “These tentacles include un-indicted co-conspirators of the U.S. vs. Holyland Foundation trial like the Council on American-Islamic Relations here in Oklahoma. Our borders are wide open to drug and human traffickers. Terrorism could come to Oklahoma just as easily.”
CAIR-OK Executive Director Adam Soltani says Bennett’s remarks about the Quran and any links to terrorist groups are false.
"Anti-Muslim bigotry and statements that promote misunderstanding and incite hatred toward a minority group have no place in the Oklahoma Republican Party,” Soltani said in a statement. "Individuals elected to represent the people of Oklahoma should be held accountable for such extremist, inaccurate and intolerant views."
But state’s Republican Party Chairman Dave Weston said CAIR-OK’s comments are “disingenuous at best.”
"If Americans were ruled by Islam, then Christians and Jews, like us, could keep practicing their faith only if we subjected ourselves to paying a protection tax to our Muslim potentate,” Weston said in a statement. “This is called Jizyah and if we didn’t pay up we would be beheaded. But Non-Christians and Jews must immediately convert to Islam or face imminent decapitation. If Islam is truly a religion of peace then why do Mohamed’s own writings say this?"
Weston also called on the Council to acknowledge the Holocaust and recognize Israel.
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