Muslim Organizations Call On McCain To Drop ‘Islamic’ Terrorist Label

[Purveyor]

One of Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) favorite talking points is railing against “Islamic” extremists and terrorists. A few examples:

– “(M)y Democrat opponents who want to pull out of Iraq refuse to understand what’s being said and what’s happening, and that is, the central battleground is Iraq in this struggle against radical Islamic extremism.” <3/24/08>

– McCain underscored “that his focus as president would be waging war against ‘radical Islamic extremism.’ Speaking to about 500 party faithful…McCain said the war in Iraq was part of the fight against Islamic extremism, ‘the greatest evil, probably, that this nation has ever faced.’” <2/18/08>

– “‘The transcendent issue of this campaign will be this conflict we are in between good and evil, between the forces of radical Islamic extremism that are trying to destroy America and everything we believe in,’ McCain told reporters.” <3/16/07>

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) — the nation’s largest association of Muslim organizations — has now started a campaign to persuade McCain to drop the adjective “Islamic” when describing terrorists and extremists. ISNA head Muneer Fareed told the Washington Times:

We’ve tried to contact his office, contact his spokesperson to have them rethink word usage that is more acceptable to the Muslim community. If it’s not our intent to paint everyone with the same brush, then certainly we should think seriously about just characterizing them as criminals, because that is what they are.

McCain’s campaign, however, refuses to budge. Senior adviser Steve Schmidt said that the senator will continue to use the term: “But the reality is, the hateful ideology which underpins bin Ladenism is properly described as radical Islamic extremism. Senator McCain refers to it that way because that is what it is.”

---eoe---

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/21/mccain-islamic-extremism/

[Parche]

1. Radical McCainism

:woohoo: :hi:

[Catch22Dem]

2. So does the war on terror ONLY apply to muslim terrorists?

What about other religions or even non-religious terrorists? I understand the biggest examples of terrorism TEND to be carried out by extremists who follow some bastardized version of Islam, but the others shouldn't get a free pass.

Let me pose this question to repuke voters:
What would you do to the owner of the Iraqi store who sold 10lbs of fertilizer to someone who ended up using it to make a bomb that killed 168 US soldiers? You'd haul his ass to gitmo, waterboard him for a while, then just put a bullet in his head. Fuck yeah!

Now, what should we do to the guy who owned the Ace Hardware (or whatever) that sold fertilizer to Timothy McVeigh, who made a bomb that killed 168 American civilians? Hmmmmmmmmm.

[Skittles]

3. he could just as easily say "radical terrorists"

but that Islamic part really appeals to the ignorant repuke base

[rgbecker]

4. Then, of course, we must consider the USAF jet, loaded with all sorts

of God awful explosives, targeting some poor slob's house in Iraq, not knowing or apparently not caring who is in there. All on account of some American terrorist cell members, traveling some 6000 miles to drive up and down Iraqi highways calling for air support and getting it with the help of you and me, the American Taxpayers! We're all Terrorists and I can tell you I'm not Muslim.