May 16-2014
The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is accusing some Republican Party lawmakers and local party organizations in the state of actively fostering anti-Muslim sentiment.
CAIR’s Florida chapter last week sent letters to almost every Republican Club and party subdivision in the state, asking the groups to stop bringing in speakers who espouse anti-Islamic views. The letter said it represented the interests of more than 150,000 registered Florida Muslim voters.
Hassan Shibly, executive director of CAIR, based in Tampa, said such speakers not only inflame anti-Islam tensions but have also led to discriminatory legislation—specifically Senate Bill 864, sponsored by Republican State Senator Alan Hayes. The bill authorizes school districts to select their own textbooks instead of picking them from a list approved by the state.
The textbook debate came about after a parent in Volusia County became uncomfortable with the number of pages in a history textbook that described Islam and organized a protest to persuade the school district to stop using the book. The complainers said the textbook had an entire chapter on Islam, but none on Christianity.
Others pointed out that the book that was cited was the second volume of a pair in which the first volume had whole chapter on Christianity and Judaism.
Shibly said the letters were only sent to Republican lawmakers and groups because Republicans drafted and support the bill and because no other party has invited anti-Islam speakers to give presentations at its meetings.
“Our office has documented a pattern of local GOP organizations inviting extremist anti-Muslim speakers who promote fear and hatred of the entire Muslim faith and community, often under the pretense of targeting ‘radicals,’ ” Shibly wrote in the letter.
