Under criticism from Muslim rights groups, Rep. Virgil Goode is refusing to apologize for remarks he made about immigration. From the Richmond Times-Dispatch: U.S. Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr. will not apologize to upset Islamic groups for a letter he wrote that decries the migration of Muslims to America, his press aide said today.
"He stands by the letter," said Linwood Duncan, aide to the 5th District Republican.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations demanded an apology for the letter, which Goode, of Rocky Mount, sent to hundreds of constituents and which the council labeled Islamophobic.
"We need to stop illegal immigration totally and reduce legal immigration and end the diversity visas policy pushed hard by President Clinton and allowing many persons from the Middle East to come to this country," Goode 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 and to prevent our resources from being swamped."
Islam is both a religion and a political ideology. An unknown percentage of the world's Muslims are in sympathy with the terrorists who seek an end to our civilization and the imposition of Shari'a law on our country. The Constitution does guarantee freedom of religion, but as Justice Jackson said, it is not a suicide pact.
As for CAIR, I still await its taking a stand on the issue of Americans being allowed to bring Bibles into Saudi Arabia and visit Mecca, even if they are not Muslims. That is certainly an issue in American Islamic relations.
Hat tip: Ummah News Links
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