Attacks on Muslims on rise during US election season

Wednesday, 16 May 2012 15:45 |

Attacks on Muslims on rise during US election season

The head of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' (CAIR) New York Board says attacking Muslims is on the rise in the US due to the election season.

"We're seeing attacks on Muslims on the rise again because it's an election season," Zead Ramadan told us on Sunday.

"Every time there is an election cycle, some people like Newt Gingrich, Santorum, and even Mitt Romney had made vary negative comments about Muslims and that makes people think that if someone is running for president, he could make negative comments and he is spreading negative rhetoric about Muslims… I think it's very dangerous," he added.

Ramadan called on the US government to cope with the issue.

"We have to protect Muslim-Americans just like we protect Jewish Americans, African Americans, Chinese Americans, or any other kind of group that is targeted because of bigotry," he said.

Recently, it has been revealed that a US military course portrayed Islam as the enemy of the United States.

The course advocated "total war" against all the world's Muslims, including possible nuclear attacks on the holy cities of Mecca and Medina and the wiping out of civilian populations.

The Pentagon has confirmed the course material found on their website is authentic.