Commentators and Public Figures

Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, said during an NBC Evening News newcast watched by millions of Americans: “The God of Islam is not the same God. He’s not the son of God of the Christian or Judeo-Christian Faith. It’s a different God, and I believe it is a very evil and wicked religion.”

Televangelist Pat Robertson said the following about Muslims on his television program: “They want to coexist until they can control, dominate, and then, if need be, destroy.”

Political commentators have repeatedly pointed fingers at Muslims in America. William S. Lind, with the Free Congress Foundation, said: “There is no such thing as a peaceful Islam... Islamics [sic] cannot fit into an America in which the first loyalty if to the American Constitution. They should be encouraged to leave. They are a fifth column in this country.”

Syndicated columnist Ann Coulter said America “should invade their [Muslim] countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.” Coulter also called for the “mass deportation of Muslims.”

The Middle East Forum’s Daniel Pipes went so far as to suggest that 10 to 15 percent of the world’s Muslims, including those in the U.S., were potential killers. He recommended “vigilant application of social and political pressure to ensure that Islam is not accorded special status of any kind on this country.”

(Source: The Status of Muslim Civil Rights in the United States 2002, Stereotypes and Civil Liberties, CAIR Council on American-Islamic Relation Research Center)

Government Officials

“Kirsanow raised the possibility of internment, for camps for the mass detention of Arab Americans, at a Commission hearing in Detroit on July 19. He did not condemn this idea, but raised it as a serious and reasonable possibility in the event of future terrorist attacks against the United States. He also stated that if the perpetrators of any such attack ‘come from the same ethnic group that attacked the World Trade Center, you can forget about civil rights,’ and that ‘not too many people will be crying in their beer if there are more detentions, more stops, more profiling; there will be a groundswell of public opinion to banish civil rights.’”
— Reference made to remarks by Commissioner Peter Kirsanow of the United States Commission on Human Rights at a Commission hearing in Detroit, Michigan on July 19, 2002.
(Source: American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee press release, issued in Washington, D.C. on July 26, 2002, www.adc.org)

“The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That’s not what Islam is about. Islam is peace... America counts millions of Muslims amongst our citizens, and Muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country....And they need to be treated with respect. In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect....Those who feel like they can intimidate our fellow citizens to take out their anger don’t represent the best of America, they represent the worst of humankind, and they should be ashamed of that kind of behavior.”
— Remarks by President George Bush at the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C.
(Source: White House press release, 9/17/01)

“If I see someone [who] comes in that’s got a diaper on his head and a fan belt wrapped around the diaper on his head, that guy needs to be pulled over,” said Congressman Cooksey, a Republican member from Louisiana who sits on the International Relations Subcommittee for the Middle East and South Asia.
(Source: www.theadvocate.com)

Newspapers

NEW YORK TIMES
June 5, 2002
“Finger Printing”

WASHINGTON, June 5 - Calling for a new “vital line of defense” against terrorists, Attorney General John Ashcroft proposed Justice Department regulations today that would require 100,000 foreign students, tourists, researchers and other visitors to register with the federal government.

Mr. Ashcroft said any foreigner who might pose “a national security concern” would be covered by the rules, which would take effect this fall after a public comment period.

Other government officials said men 18 to 35 years of age from about 20 largely Muslim and Middle Eastern nations, including important allies like Saudi Arabia and Egypt, would make up the bulk of those who would be fingerprinted, photographed and required to fill out a long form. The regulations would not affect those with green cards.
(Source: www.nytimes.com)

The Rev. Jerry Vines, pastor of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, FL, told SBC [Southern Baptist Convention] conventioneers that the Prophet Muhammed was a “demon-possessed pedophile.” (Vines is a former SBC president). Vines added that, “Allah is not Jehovah either. Jehovah’s not going to turn you into a terrorist that’ll try to bomb people and take the lives of thousands and thousands of people.” When asked by reporters to condemn those bigoted remarks, both the outgoing and incoming SBC presidents said they supported Vines and his statements. The comments were made at an annual gathering of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in St. Louis, MO.
(Source: www.sbcannualmeeting.org/sbc02/)

“Hamilton College Muslim America Poll: Accounts of Anti-Muslim Discrimination Not Exaggerated”

WASHINGTON, May 30 / U.S. Newswire / — Nearly 75 percent of Muslim Americans either know someone who has or have themselves experienced an act of anti-Muslim discrimination, harassment, verbal abuse or physical attack since September 11, according to a national survey released May 30 at the National Press Club. The Muslim America Poll by Hamilton College and Zogby International, shows that almost two out of three Muslims believe that the FBI questioning and arrests of Muslims in the U.S. after Sept. 11 are unwarranted abuses of civil liberties. The poll of 517 Muslims living in America was developed by Hamilton College and administered by Zogby International.

Poll respondents report being told “you are demons,” “Pig religion,” “you guys did it” and actions of “he spit in my face,” “he pulled off my daughter’s hijab” — the list of taunts and abuses goes on. “It is clear from this poll that reports in recent months on anti-Muslim discrimination, harassment or attacks have not been exaggerated,” said Hamilton Professor of Sociology Dennis Gilbert, whose class designed the poll.
(Source: Hamilton College Muslim America Poll U.S. Newswire, 29 May 2002 15:22)

Village Voice
July 31-August 6, 2002
“Rounding Up the “Enemy”: Sixty Years After It Jailed Japanese Americans, Would The U.S. Consider Another Ethnic Internment?”
by Chisun Lee

“...Only one publicly released poll has asked directly. Conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press over the weekend immediately following September 11, it might provide a reasonable measure of gut reaction in case of future attacks,” says research director Michael Dimock.

“Twelve hundred adults nationwide were asked, “Would you favor or oppose the following measures to curb terrorism... Allowing the U.S. government to take legal immigrants from unfriendly countries to internment camps during times of tension or crisis.” Twenty-nine percent of respondents were in favor, and 57 percent were not. Says Dimock, “A clear majority were opposed. But I know people who looked at that number and went, ‘Oh my god, nearly three in 10 people are in favor of this?’” Moreover, he says, “a higher proportion said, ‘don’t know,’ or refused to answer this than the other questions. There may be some people in their heart of hearts who support the idea and don’t say so over the phone. I’m sure that it did happen.”
(Source: www.villagevoice.com)