WASHINGTON, April 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslims civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced its opposition to the confirmation of Mark E. Green as President Trump's new Army secretary because of his past Islamophobic statements.

[NOTE: Also today, CAIR called for hate crime investigations of apparently bias-motivated incidents targeting Muslims in Wisconsin and Texas. CAIR said the incidents are part of "almost daily" attacks on American Muslims and other minority groups nationwide in recent months. SEE: http://tinyurl.com/HateIncidents ]

The Trump administration announced Green's nomination on Friday. Green is a retired Army officer and Tennessee state senator. [NOTE: The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee is expected - at the earliest - to hold a confirmation hearing for Green sometime mid-to-late-May. The actual date of the confirmation hearing is subject to change.]

Green's Past Islamophobic Statements:

• Said It was "a Great Question" When a Man Claimed American Muslims "Don't Belong Here"
  
  Speaking at a Chattanooga Tea Party meeting in the fall of 2016, Green said it was "a great question," when a man spoke of his worry regarding an armed insurrection by people who he claimed, "don't belong here, like Muslims in the United States."
  
  
• Referred to a "Muslim Horde" as Part of the "Assault of Islam"
  
  Speaking at the same Tea Party event, Green said that only information about Islam that should be taught in public schools is "the history of the Ottoman empire" and "the assault of Islam out into the Levant and North Africa and into Constantinople. . .it was 1492 when Constantinople fell to the Muslim horde."
  
  
• Said He "Will Not Tolerate" Students Learning About Muslim Belief and Practices
  
  Continuing at the Tea Party meeting, a person read out a paragraph from a textbook stating that Muslims believe in all the prophets in the Old and New Testament, to which Green replied, "We will not tolerate that." Green also said, "When you start teaching the pillars of Islam. . .we will not tolerate that in this state."
  
  
• Claimed Muslims Do Not Believe Jesus "Was Born from A Virgin"
  
  When speaking of his experiences proselytizing in Toronto in a Pakistani community, Green falsely claimed that Muslims do not believe that Jesus "was born from a virgin."

[NOTE: Muslims worldwide love and revere the Prophet Jesus. The Quran states: "Behold! The angels said: 'O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him. His name will be Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and in (the company of) those nearest to God.'" (The Holy Quran, 3:45) His virgin birth was confirmed when Mary is quoted as asking: "How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?" (The Holy Quran, 3:47)]

VIDEO: Senator Mark Green, MD Speaks at the Chattanooga Tea Party
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa8ujuV8VQs

Other groups are opposing Green's confirmation because of his criticism of federal attempts to bar discrimination in workplaces and businesses.

SEE: L.G.B.T. Advocates Criticize Nominee for Army Secretary
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/us/politics/mark-green-army-secretary-nominee-lgbt-criticism.html

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.

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CONTACT: CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

Related Links

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