Campaign Flyer Offends Muslim Community ! Like I Care

Campaign flyer offends Muslim community
ROCHESTER
There is a new debate in Monroe County related to Governor Spitzer’s plan to give driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. The debate has worked its way into the county legislature races. It has to do with a campaign mailing sent out by the Republican Party.
It is not so much what it says but what it shows that has members of the Islamic community upset. The flyer suggests that county legislature democrats want to license potential terrorists and the literature contains images intended to depict terrorists.

“Seeing these things are very wrong for me to see it in that way it means someone is profiling me that I’m a terrorist,” said Dr. Muhammad Shafiq.

Dr. Shafiq is the Imam at the Islamic Center on Westfall Road in Rochester. He says the images are offensive to Muslims and believes the Republican Party is using fear tactics to persuade voters.

“Especially as a Muslim, it looks very very wrong the way they portrayed the pictures as linking Arabs and terrorism, equalizing them to terrorism, is racial profiling,” said Dr. Shafiq.

County clerk Cheryl Dinolfo disagrees.

“I really do take issue with that way of thinking because, again, that piece is about not one particular nationality,” said Dinolfo.

Dinolfo says licensing illegal immigrants could jeopardize the security of the entire nation. She uses 9/11 as an example.

“The fact remains that there were terrorists who came into this country and harmed our country using licenses to do so,” said Dinolfo.

County Democrats say the Republicans are attacking them on the licensing issue that the county legislature has virtually no control over. Democrats accuse Republicans of using the topic to try and hold onto control of the county legislature.

“Frankly putting someone on the face of campaign literature with an Uzi in his hand and accusing Democrats of aiding and abetting terrorists is about the terrorists is the lowest form of discourse or communication I’ve ever seen in this community,” said Monroe County Democratic Chair, Assemblyman Joe Morelle.

Dr. Shafiq is calling on County Republicans to denounce the mailing. But Thursday night, the county clerk offered no apologies.
Dinolfo is not up for reelection next Tuesday. Nine county legislature seats are being contested. Republicans currently control the Monroe County legislature 17-12.

Wild Thing’s comment………
Ah the Muslims are outraged again. What else is new? Ask me if I care? NOT! Muslims are always angry about something, so we can discount that. On the broader point, issuing licenses to illegals does indeed compromise our security. Drivers’ licenses are used as de facto ID cards in our country. Those—Hillary, Obama, Edwards—who would issue these cards to illegals put pandering to foreign lawbreakers before the security of our people. No doubt about it.
Most of the 9/11 terrorists had American drivers licenses. Some of them, sad to say, had licenses from my sorry, leaky DMV state, North Carolina. Also, eight of them were registered to vote. Last but not least, ALL of them were Muslims.
Any Muslims who object to “profiling” can stick it up their … turbans.
I say ignore the complainers and continue to use the offensive images and you will win. Cower and remove them and you lose because you show that even if you are against the practice, you have no strength, will, or cojones to see it through and if you will cave to the enemy on a complaint how will you accomplish anything at all?