Sue Myrick (R) Reaches Out To Charlotte Muslims, Addresses Terrorism

Sue Myrick Reaches Out To Charlotte's Muslim Community


U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) met face-to-face Thursday in a town hall meeting with members of Charlotte's Muslim community, defending controversial comments she's made about Islamic extremists.

Myrick stepped into the fire last year when she began talking about her concerns that radical Muslims are "infiltrating" American institutions, including the U.S. government.

In the foreword to a book titled, "Muslim Mafia," Myrick wrote, "America is asleep to the danger that confronts us. Since the 1960s there has been a concerted effort on the part of radical Islamists to infiltrate our major institutions."

Myrick also publicly requested an investigation into the Council of American Islamic Relations, accusing the civil rights organization of "infiltrating" the offices of key members of Congress by placing interns there.

In November, when Army Major Nadal Hasan shot 13 people at Fort Hood, Myrick said some of her fears were realized.

Supporters call her words courageous. Several Muslim groups, including the American Islamic Forum for Democracy and it's founder Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, support her.

Myrick said the purpose of Thursday night's forum was to reach out and discuss those topics, especially with many Muslims who complained the congresswoman was painting their community with too broad a brush.

The Government Center auditorium where a forum was held was packed. Many people in the crowd wore traditional Muslim head coverings, but there were also dozens of non-Muslims who told NewsChannel 36 they came to learn or to support the congresswoman.

"When I talk about that, I talk about people who are supporters or sympathizers with a radical agenda that they would like to see implemented. It isn’t all Muslims are bad or that all Muslims are trying to do this," Myrick explained. "Radicalism is like a form of cancer that humanity has and we have the means to cure it...We need to stand up against it and find ways to solve it."

"I feel the hurt of Americans, but I also feel the hurt of Muslims who have nothing to do with what's going on," said Khalil Akbar, a local man. "No one has ever said to me, 'Blow up anything,' because if I heard that kind of rhetoric I would be the first one to deal with it."

"As citizens of a non-Muslim country, we have a contract with America, not a contract on America," Jibril Hough, spokesperson for the Islamic Center of Charlotte, said.

Hough and Akbar both encouraged Myrick to visit a mosque or Islamic center and continue the conversation.

As she left for Washington Thursday night, Myrick pledged to make this just a first step. "We'll see where we go from here," she said.


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Sources: WCNC, MSNBC, Jihadwatch.org, Google Maps