 |
''It appears that he doesn't have that much knowledge about Islam,'' said Ali. |
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"
|
|
Dozier refused to disavow his hatred-fueling comments.
|
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.
|
