Source: The Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/09/29/romney_remarks_alarm_muslims/

On September 29, 2005 The Boston Globe reported on the reactions of Massachusetts Muslims to Governor Romney's recent statement advocating the wiretapping of some mosques. "Romney made the remarks -- which triggered a barrage of criticism from local Islamic associations, civil liberties groups, and religious organizations -- in a Sept. 14 speech on homeland security to the conservative Heritage Foundation... The governor, who insists he would only single out mosques nurturing extremists, has so far stood firm on the remarks. He says he advocates only intelligence-gathering methods sanctioned by the Constitution, but will not bow to what he sees as political correctness when it comes to national security. Mohamed Shalaby, an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, said Romney's remarks threaten to damage what he sees as a generally positive rapport between Massachusetts Muslims and the community at large... Shalaby was part of a small gathering last weekend at the Sharon mosque, which is run by the Islamic Center of New England. There, a group of Muslims from around the Boston area voiced worry and frustration, but they also insisted that their families' security -- and that of their adopted home, the United States, at large -- was their top concern. They said that the governor's remarks were certainly not the most striking that they had heard since the Sept. 11 attacks. But what was surprising, they said, was hearing them from someone of Romney's rank."