Cal Thomas criticized, commended for 'telling it like it is' about Islam
Chad Groening and Jody Brown OneNewsNow.comJuly 9, 2007 cal_thomas.jpg
Recent comments about Islam by nationally syndicated columnist and commentator Cal Thomas have brought sharp criticism from a U.S.-based pro-Muslim lobbying group -- and praise from the head of a Minnesota-based pro-Israel ministry.
In a July 2 commentary aired on radio station WTOP in Washington, DC, Thomas discussed the recent car-bomb terror plots that were thwarted in Great Britain. Eight Muslims are in custody in connection with the attacks; most of them worked for Britain's health service and come from countries in the Middle East and India.
"How much longer should we allow people from certain lands, with certain beliefs to come to Britain and America and build their mosques, teach hate, and plot to kill us?" Thomas asked in his radio commentary. "Not all Muslims from the Middle East and southeast Asia want to kill us," he conceded, "but those who do blend in with those who don't. Would anyone tolerate a slow-spreading cancer because it wasn't fast-spreading? Probably not. You'd want it removed."
Two days later, the same radio station carried a response to Thomas's remarks from Ibrahim Hooper with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a group that exists to promote a positive image of Islam and Muslims in America through media relations, lobbying, education, and advocacy. Ibrahim Hooper, one of the founders of the group who now serves as national director for communications, spoke on behalf of CAIR.
"I would imagine that [Cal Thomas's] next step is the expulsion of the Muslim-American community," said Hooper. "We condemn extremism. We've condemned terrorism....We've issued dozens of condemnations on dozens of terrorism attacks. But guys like Thomas come along and want to say every Muslim should be suspect and should be treated in a certain way," the CAIR spokesman continued. "That's not just and that's not the American way."
Hooper also accused Thomas of spreading "misinformation," referring to him as an "Islamaphobe" -- and labeled Muslims who commit terrorist acts as "a tiny minority of people who are misusing the faith." More often than not, he added, "the people who do these types of things are going even to listen to me."
WTOP permitted Thomas to respond to CAIR's comments on July 4. The syndicated columnist took the opportunity to say that the U.S. has had its share of "disinformation people," implying that Hooper and CAIR are among them. Such groups, said Thomas, argue that "there's no real threat -- and the real threat are the people who are pointing it out, not the people who are plotting to destroy us." (Hear Cal Thomas's complete comments as aired on WTOP on July 4)
He also noted that several "prominent liberal Democrat" leaders in the U.S. Senate have expressed their concerns about CAIR, pointing out the group's "extreme rhetoric" [Dick Durbin of Illinois] as well as "ties to terrorism" and "intimate links to Hamas" [New York's Charles Schumer].
"The truth hurts," Thomas concluded in his follow-up remarks on WTOP. "I'm not making this stuff up...we gotta connect the dots. It's a little late after things begin to explode."
Jan Markell is founder and director of Olive Tree Ministries, a pro-Israel ministry based in Maple Grove, Minnesota. She is praising Thomas for taking a firm stand on the issue of Muslim terrorism.
"I am just thankful that there are a few people out there like Cal Thomas who will tell it like it is," says Markell, "because I'm still waiting for some sort of a rally by Muslims, particularly in America, who are going to start demonstrating against the violence. I don't see it happening."
And she contends the far left in America has not made the connection, even after decades of debate. "I think that political correctness has America's highest leaders today, as we speak, saying once again 'a great religion has been hijacked.'" That is nonsense, says Markell. "I'm with Cal Thomas. Tell it like it is -- or in 20 years, we don't have a country."
Thomas also suggested that the United States needs to monitor Muslims more closely. Markell says she does not find it surprising that the Council on American-Islamic Relations views Thomas' aired comments as incitement against Muslims.
Cal Thomas criticized, commended for 'telling it like it is' about Islam
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