Columnist Calls for Curtailment of Muslim Civil Liberties in the U.S.

December 31, 2004

Source: Editor and Publisher

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000744193

On December 31, 2004 Editor and Publisher reported, "when an opinion survey released by Cornell University last week found that 44% of Americans wanted to curtail the civil liberties of all Muslim-Americans, with better than one in four saying they should all be required to register their location with the federal government, many commentators expressed concern. Not syndicated columnist Daniel Pipes, however. In his latest column he declares that he was 'encouraged' by the Cornell survey, calling it 'good news.' But he also identifies 'the bad news,' which he describes as 'the near-universal disapproval of this realism. Leftist and Islamist organizations have so successfully influenced public opinion that polite society shies away from endorsing a focus on Muslims.' In addition to those who want all Muslim-Americans to register, 29% agree that law enforcement agents should infiltrate Muslim civic and volunteer organizations, and 22% said the federal government should profile citizens as potential threats based on the fact that they are Muslim or have Middle Eastern heritage."