A controversial Islamic organization in America is campaigning against the popular Jewish radio psychologist, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, for what they term an "anti-Muslim tirade" on her program this week.
Schlessinger, whose syndicated call-in talk show is listened to by 12 million Americans, "crossed the line from legitimate commentary on terrorism to Islamophobic bigotry," accused the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR.
The comments, on Dr. Laura’s program Monday, came in response to a mother who asked whether her 16-year-old daughter should take part in a Catholic high school class's field trip to a local mosque. The visit was part of a "moral themes" class that aimed to help students learn how "Muslims are treated" in the United States.
Schlessinger told the mother, "This is a class on morals. What is the point of going to a mosque? ... You're joking, of course… How many Americans have tortured and murdered Muslims? I think you ought to stand up against this class and this teacher. This is despicable. You tell him you are willing to go to the mosque only if it is one that has done its best to rout out terrorists in its midst instead of complaining.
"I am horrified that you would let her go. I am so sick and tired of all the Arab-American groups whining and complaining about some kind of treatment. What culture and what religion were all the murderers of 9-11? They murdered us. That's the culture you want your daughter to learn about?"
Schlessinger's producer, Keven Bellows, told the internet news site WorldNetDaily that the radio host is formulating a response but cannot comment at the moment.
In a statement, CAIR said last year it asked Schlessinger to clarify her claim there is a "Muslim plan" to take over the world.
The group's communications director, Ibrahim Hooper, said "Dr. Laura's anti-Muslim tirade demonstrates a level of hostility toward Islam that should be of concern to her program's audience and sponsors."
"It has been our experience that one-on-one interactions with ordinary American Muslims are the best way to dispel Islamophobic stereotypes and promote religious tolerance," Hooper said. "It is a pity that Dr. Laura would interfere with that learning process by dissuading a student from visiting a mosque."
However, CAIR itself has helped cast doubt on Muslim groups that purport to be mainstream promoters of peace and tolerance, reports WorldNetDaily.
CAIR is a spin-off of the Islamic Association For Palestine, or IAF, identified as a "front group" for the terrorist organization Hamas, according to two former heads of the FBI's counter-terrorism section.
In July, a member of CAIR's national staff, Randall Todd "Ismail" Royer, was among 11 men indicted for conspiring to train on American soil for a "violent jihad." Another CAIR figure, Bassem Khafagi, was arrested in January while serving as the group's director of community relations.
Schlessinger, whose syndicated call-in talk show is listened to by 12 million Americans, "crossed the line from legitimate commentary on terrorism to Islamophobic bigotry," accused the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR.
The comments, on Dr. Laura’s program Monday, came in response to a mother who asked whether her 16-year-old daughter should take part in a Catholic high school class's field trip to a local mosque. The visit was part of a "moral themes" class that aimed to help students learn how "Muslims are treated" in the United States.
Schlessinger told the mother, "This is a class on morals. What is the point of going to a mosque? ... You're joking, of course… How many Americans have tortured and murdered Muslims? I think you ought to stand up against this class and this teacher. This is despicable. You tell him you are willing to go to the mosque only if it is one that has done its best to rout out terrorists in its midst instead of complaining.
"I am horrified that you would let her go. I am so sick and tired of all the Arab-American groups whining and complaining about some kind of treatment. What culture and what religion were all the murderers of 9-11? They murdered us. That's the culture you want your daughter to learn about?"
Schlessinger's producer, Keven Bellows, told the internet news site WorldNetDaily that the radio host is formulating a response but cannot comment at the moment.
In a statement, CAIR said last year it asked Schlessinger to clarify her claim there is a "Muslim plan" to take over the world.
The group's communications director, Ibrahim Hooper, said "Dr. Laura's anti-Muslim tirade demonstrates a level of hostility toward Islam that should be of concern to her program's audience and sponsors."
"It has been our experience that one-on-one interactions with ordinary American Muslims are the best way to dispel Islamophobic stereotypes and promote religious tolerance," Hooper said. "It is a pity that Dr. Laura would interfere with that learning process by dissuading a student from visiting a mosque."
However, CAIR itself has helped cast doubt on Muslim groups that purport to be mainstream promoters of peace and tolerance, reports WorldNetDaily.
CAIR is a spin-off of the Islamic Association For Palestine, or IAF, identified as a "front group" for the terrorist organization Hamas, according to two former heads of the FBI's counter-terrorism section.
In July, a member of CAIR's national staff, Randall Todd "Ismail" Royer, was among 11 men indicted for conspiring to train on American soil for a "violent jihad." Another CAIR figure, Bassem Khafagi, was arrested in January while serving as the group's director of community relations.