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''It appears that he doesn't have that much knowledge about Islam,'' said Ali.
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CAIRO — A prominent US pastor and a former
advisor to President George W. Bush has drawn fire from leaders in the
Muslim minority, rights activists and politicians for calling Islam a
"dangerous" religion.
"It appears that he doesn't have that much
knowledge about Islam," Altaf Ali, executive director of the
Florida Chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations, told The
Miami Herald on Saturday, July 8.
He said he has tried unsuccessfully to meet with
Dozier.
"I want a chance to respond and refute these
accusations," Ali added.
Appearing on the Steve Kane Radio Show, The Rev.
O'Neal Dozier, a Broward clergyman and an ally of Governor Jeb Bush,
criticized Islam as a "cult" religion.
"The Islamic religion in my view is a cult,''
Dozier told the Herald Friday, July 7, when asked to recap the
controversial comments he made earlier on the show.
"On the show I said that Islam is a dangerous
religion," he added, refusing to disavow his comments.
"'I don't look for everyone to believe what I
believe, because everyone is not as astute about religion as I
am," added Dozier, pastor of the Worldwide Christian Center in
Pompano Beach.
"That's my life."
Two recent polls showed that almost half of
Americans have a negative perception of Islam and that one in four of
those surveyed have "extreme" anti-Muslim views.
The Washington Post’s report on the poll findings
quoted experts who say negative attitudes about Islam are "fueled
in part by political statements and media reports that focus almost
solely on the actions of Muslim extremists."
"Serious Split"
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Dozier refused to disavow his hatred-fueling comments.
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Experts say that Dozier's comments reflect a
"serious split" in the black community.
"For the first time, you are seeing a group of
black pastors following the white fundamentalist leaders of our
country," said Lawrence Mamiya, an activist and professor of
religion and Africana studies at New York's Vassar College.
Traditionally, blacks and Muslims in America have
forged a healthy, harmonious relationship — in part because their
leaders tackle the same issues affecting their neighborhoods —
drugs, crime, racism and other social ills, Mamiya said.
If Dozier's sentiments about Islam were to become a
trend, it would cause a "serious split in the black
community," and threaten that relationship, Mamiya said.
Gov. Bush's office issued a statement distancing
him from Dozier.
"Gov. Bush in no way shares Rev. Dozier's
views on Islam," said Alia Faraj, Bush's spokeswoman.
"Florida's greatest strength is its diverse
population, which is bolstered by the many faiths of our
residents."
Dozier has gained notoriety among American Muslims
for his fierce opposition to a plan by the Islamic Center of South
Florida to build a center in Northwest Pompano Beach despite
city-approved plans allowing the mosque to go forward.
In an interview with the Herald last week, Dozier
said:"We don't want our area to be a breeding ground for
terrorists."
CAIR has launched a campaign designed to curb
anti-Muslim hatred on American radio talk shows.
The campaign, called "Hate Hurts
America", is based on the conviction that the increasing attacks
on Islam on the shows nationwide is not only offensive to Muslims and
other people of conscience but to the entire country.
Prompt action by US Muslim leaders have forced
radio hosts and pastors critical of Islam to offer on-air apologies
and backtrack on their racist remarks.
