McCain Rebuffs Muslims on Terror Label

"We've tried to contact his office, contact his spokesperson to have them rethink word usage that is more acceptable to the Muslim community," Muneer Fareed, the secretary general of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), told the Washington Times on Monday, April 21.

"If it's not our intent to paint everyone with the same brush, then certainly we should think seriously about just characterizing them as criminals, because that is what they are."

McCain told the Los Angeles World Affairs Council last month that the transcendent challenge of the time is "the threat of radical Islamic terrorism."

He also used the term during an election debate in January with then-rival Mitt Romney.

"I raised it many times, as to whether you have the experience and the judgment to lead this country in the war against radical Islamic extremism."

Democratic White House hopefuls Senators Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton generally shun the term "Islamic" when describing terrorism and extremism.

Stereotyping

The secretary general of ISNA, the largest Muslim group in North America, said those involved in militant attacks should be labeled as "criminals".

"My own take on this is that we tried and failed to stylize this particular onslaught against the US as one that has religious connotations and regional connotations," said Fareed.

"I think this is just criminality, fair and square. We should just call them criminals. You want to call them terrorist criminals, fine," he added.

"But adding the word 'Muslim' or 'Islamic' certainly doesn't help our cause as Americans," stressed the Muslim leader.

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