N.Y. Rep. King criticizes Muslim leaders
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| Sun, 03-07-2004 - 1:09pm |
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apus_story.asp?category=1110&slug=King%20Muslims
Sunday, March 7, 2004 · Last updated 7:11 a.m. PT
N.Y. Rep. King criticizes Muslim leaders
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK -- Leaders of 85 percent of the nation's mosques are involved in terrorist activities, and some have made irresponsible statements about the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, said Rep. Peter King, a Long Island Republican.
"I don't see any need to be politically correct here - the stakes are too high," King said in an interview broadcast Sunday on WNBC-TV's "News Forum."
The 85 percent figure was drawn from research done for his recently published novel, "Vale of Tears," about the World Trade Center attacks, King said.
Muslim groups on Long Island have denounced the claim, accusing him of fanning anti-Muslim sentiment to sell books.
King denied that charge. He said leaders of the mosque in Westbury, N.Y. had tried to pass blame for the attacks on a Zionist conspiracy and had not cooperated with law enforcement officers investigating potential terrorist activities.
"When I have police telling me the Muslim community is not coming forward and cooperating, I have a responsibility to speak out. The Muslim leaders have to be more responsible and there should be new leadership," he said.
King said he supported President Bush's use of images of ground zero in campaign ads.
"Considering all that's gone on over the past two and a half years since Sept. 11, how it is defining our politics, diplomacy and foreign policy, the president would be remiss in not mentioning Sept. 11," King said. "But he's doing it in an understated way."
When asked about Bush's support for a constitutional amendment barring gay marriage, King said he was in favor but urged caution. Individual states should first be given time to consider the issue and pass laws on their own, he said.
King, of Seaford, briefly considered challenging Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer in Schumer's re-election bid, but later dropped the plan. He is now the only Republican congressman between Manhasset and Montauk.
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>""It is unconscionable that an elected official would defame America's Islamic leaders and ordinary Muslims, including those in his own district, just to sell a few more books for personal gain," said CAIR* Executive Director Nihad Awad. "President Bush and other political and religious leaders should repudiate these baseless smears and reject the growing exploitation of legitimate fears of terrorism to marginalize an entire community."
Awad said that since being among the first to condemn the 9-11 terror attacks, American Muslim leaders have frequently worked with law enforcement officials on the national, state and local levels. He also invited King to meet with local and national Islamic leaders to learn more about Muslims in America and their contributions to society."<
>"*CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 25 regional offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada."<
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http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=123-02112004
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