Virginia Muslims Asked to Contact Davis and Wolf About Anti-Muslim Remarks

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The Maryland and Virginia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MD/VA) today called on Muslims and other people of conscience in Northern Virginia to contact GOP Reps. Frank Wolf and Tom Davis and urge them to repudiate recent anti-Muslim remarks by Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA).

CAIR-MD/VA says Northern Virginia has a large population of Muslim voters who are concerned about a recent letter Goode sent to constituents slamming the planned use of a Quran for the ceremonial swearing-in of Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress. (No religious texts of any kind are used for the official swearing-in ceremony.)

"I do not subscribe to using the Koran in any way," wrote Goode. "The Muslim Representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran."

Goode also decried the growth of the American Muslim community. He wrote, "I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America." (Keith Ellison has traced his family's roots in America to the year 1742.)

A number of Democratic leaders have repudiated Goode's Islamophobic remarks. But aside from mild rebukes from Sen. John W. Warner (R-VA) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), GOP officials have remained silent on the issue. The White House said "no judgments have been made" as to whether President Bush will condemn Goode's comments or those of Dennis Prager, a presidential appointee to the governing board of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum who sparked the Quran oath controversy.

SEE: Bush is Urged to Act on Criticism of Muslim (New York Times)
SEE ALSO: A Bigot in Congress (Washington Post)
Fear and Bigotry in Congress (New York Times)

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be firm, but POLITE.)

1. CONTACT Reps. Frank Wolf and Tom Davis and urge them to repudiate Rep. Goode's Islamophobic comments. (Phone calls are best, followed by faxes and e-mail messages.)

The Honorable Frank Wolf
U.S. House of Representatives
241 Cannon Building
Washington, DC 20515
Tel: (202) 225-5136
Fax: (202) 225-0437
E-Mail: http://www.house.gov/wolf/email/email.html

The Honorable Tom Davis
U.S. House of Representatives
2348 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-4611
Tel: (202) 225-1492
Fax: (202) 225-3071
E-Mail: http://tomdavis.house.gov/davis_contents/center/feedback/

Sample Letter:

I urge you to publicly repudiate bigoted remarks by Rep. Virgil Goode, who wrote to his constituents: "If American citizens don't wake up. . .there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran." He also wrote: "I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary."

Such Islamophobic and un-American views are unworthy of anyone elected to public office and should be condemned by all those who value religious tolerance and diversity.

Since Rep. Goode has chosen not to apologize for his bigoted statements, it is up to other Republican members of the Virginia delegation to Congress to take a public stand in support of the American Muslim community and its right to political participation.

Combined with the "macaca" incident during the recent election season in Virginia, Goode's remarks reflect badly on our state and its citizens' respect for other faiths.

As a constituent, I would respectfully request a written response to this letter.

(Make sure to include your name address and ZIP Code in the letter)

2. CONTACT President Bush to ask that he condemn Rep. Goode's remarks and rescind Dennis Prager's appointment to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Fax: 202-456-2461
E-Mail: comments@whitehouse.gov

3. SEND COPIES of all correspondence to CAIR at: info@cair.com

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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington , D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: info@cair.com
URL: http://www.cair.com