The Sacramento Valley chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SV) has called on Californians to repudiate remarks insulting to Muslims made by a mayor in the northern part of that state.
CAIR-SV said that Redding, Calif., Mayor Ken Murray claimed Shia Muslims “believe it’s acceptable to lie, cheat, steal and kill as long as it ultimately glorifies Allah.”
“Folks, they’re not like us,” said Murray.
When asked about his offensive remarks, Murray drew a distinction between “mainstream” and Shia Muslims, who he called “wing nuts.”
“Either the Judeo-Christian philosophy will survive or the Islamic philosophy will survive,” said Murray.
“The unthinking bigotry and ignorance of such remarks are unworthy of an American public official and should be repudiated by all those who seek tolerance and mutual understanding,” said CAIR-SV Executive Director Basim Elkarra.