Muslims question Mecca comments
From correspondents in Washington
July 21, 2005
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16000317%5E1702,00..html

A US congressman who suggested the United States might consider bombing
Muslim holy sites, including Mecca, has drawn apology demands from US
Muslim and Arab groups but rejected a request to meet with one leading
organisation.

Republican Tom Tancredo made the comment on July 14 in answer to a radio
host's question about a possible response to any hypothetical nuclear
terrorist attack on the United States.

"If this happens in the United States and we determine that it is the
result of extremist fundamentalist Muslims, you could take out their holy
sites," the Colorado Republican said.

"You're talking about bombing Mecca?" the host asked.

"Yeah," Mr Tancredo responded, according to an audio excerpt posted online
by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based group.

A spokesman for the congressman confirmed the substance of Mr Tancredo's
remarks.

The council called for Mr Tancredo to apologise and said in a statement
that council officials were working with leaders of the Colorado Muslim
community to set up a meeting with the congressman.

Mr Tancredo's spokesman, Will Adams, said today the congressman had no
plans to meet with the council because "we don't think they reflect the
majority moderate Muslim community in the United States".

Mr Adams said Mr Tancredo's staff was seeking meetings with "moderate"
Muslim groups in Colorado.

The Arab American Institute also called for an apology.

"This kind of speech from an elected official is harmful to the war on
terror and does not represent the sentiments of the American people,"
James

Zogby, the Washington-based institute's president, said in a statement.

"Irresponsible language such as this only widens the gap between the US
and

Arab and Muslim world."

Asked if Mr Tancredo planned any further reaction to the response from
Muslim and Arab groups, Mr Adams said, "He's not advocating that (a strike
on Muslim holy sites) as his policy or US policy. I think if he made a
mistake in this thing, it was answering an extreme hypothetical".

This is not the first time a US official has touched off controversy by
offending Arab and Muslim-Americans.

In 2003, Army Lieutenant General William Boykin sparked a brief firestorm
after making speeches while in uniform that referred to the war on
terrorism as a battle with "Satan" and said America had been targeted
"because we're a Christian nation".

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Muslims question Mecca comments
From correspondents in Washington
July 21, 2005
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16000317%5E1702,00..html

A US congressman who suggested the United States might consider bombing
Muslim holy sites, including Mecca, has drawn apology demands from US
Muslim and Arab groups but rejected a request to meet with one leading
organisation.

Republican Tom Tancredo made the comment on July 14 in answer to a radio
host's question about a possible response to any hypothetical nuclear
terrorist attack on the United States.

"If this happens in the United States and we determine that it is the
result of extremist fundamentalist Muslims, you could take out their holy
sites," the Colorado Republican said.

"You're talking about bombing Mecca?" the host asked.

"Yeah," Mr Tancredo responded, according to an audio excerpt posted online
by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based group.

A spokesman for the congressman confirmed the substance of Mr Tancredo's
remarks.

The council called for Mr Tancredo to apologise and said in a statement
that council officials were working with leaders of the Colorado Muslim
community to set up a meeting with the congressman.

Mr Tancredo's spokesman, Will Adams, said today the congressman had no
plans to meet with the council because "we don't think they reflect the
majority moderate Muslim community in the United States".

Mr Adams said Mr Tancredo's staff was seeking meetings with "moderate"
Muslim groups in Colorado.

The Arab American Institute also called for an apology.

"This kind of speech from an elected official is harmful to the war on
terror and does not represent the sentiments of the American people,"
James

Zogby, the Washington-based institute's president, said in a statement.

"Irresponsible language such as this only widens the gap between the US
and

Arab and Muslim world."

Asked if Mr Tancredo planned any further reaction to the response from
Muslim and Arab groups, Mr Adams said, "He's not advocating that (a strike
on Muslim holy sites) as his policy or US policy. I think if he made a
mistake in this thing, it was answering an extreme hypothetical".

This is not the first time a US official has touched off controversy by
offending Arab and Muslim-Americans.

In 2003, Army Lieutenant General William Boykin sparked a brief firestorm
after making speeches while in uniform that referred to the war on
terrorism as a battle with "Satan" and said America had been targeted
"because we're a Christian nation".

---
http://www.ElmerFudd.US/ http://www.notserver.com/
http://sf.irk.ru/www/ot3/otiii-gif.html
http://www.rightard.org/ http://www.thedarkwind.org/