Source: Muslim Public Affairs Council
http://www.mpac.org/article.php?id=720
The Muslim Public Affairs Council today commended Fomer Secretary of State Colin Powell, who addressed the issue of Islamophobia in the current election cycle on NBC's "Meet the Press" this morning. Secretary Powell, who served both as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H.W. Bush and Secretary of State under President George W. Bush’s first term, has dedicated his life to the service of our country.
His pointed words resonate with millions of Americans who see no place for divisive language and Islamophobia in the electoral process. Of significant importance was Secretary Powell's recognition of so many Muslim Americans who serve their country in various capacities:
I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be associated with terrorists." This is not the way we should be doing it in America.