The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the largest Arab-American civil rights organization, called on President George W. Bush to distance himself from anti-Islamic statements attributed to Attorney General Ashcroft and demanded the latter's immediate resignation.

ADC President Ziad J. Asali and Vice President Khalil E. Jahshan, wrote President Bush to express Arab-American condemnation of the Ashcroft statement which they described as inflammatory, fanatical and inexcusable, particularly coming from the Attorney General of the United States.

In an article by Cal Thomas in Crosswalks.com News Channel, Ashcroft is quoted as saying that Islam is a religion in which God requires you to send your son to die for him.  Christianity is a faith in which God sends his son to die for you.

Asali and Jahshan emphasized to President Bush that the statement attributed to Ashcroft negates the goodwill sought by the President throughout the past five months and added that the statement contradicts your personal position and that of your Administration regarding Islam as a religion.  An irresponsible and bigoted statement of this sort will undoubtedly derail your tireless efforts in emphasizing that the war against terrorism is not one against Islam or Muslims.



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American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
4201 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20008, U.S.A.
Tel: (202) 244-2990, Fax: (202) 244-3196
E-mail: adc@adc.org
Web   : http://www.adc.org
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