Excerpt:
Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a Democrat from Orange running for U.S. Senate, is under fire for saying that between "5 and 20 percent" of Muslims could be extremists willing to participate in terrorism.
Critics, including Islamic and immigration-rights activists, said the statement was inaccurate, reckless and promoted a false stereotype. One group called for her to bow out of the race to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer.
"At a time when bigoted, Islamophobic rhetoric is spurring troubling incidents of hate across the country - including in Orange County - Rep. Loretta Sanchez' wildly off-the-mark claims are irresponsible and dangerous," Reshma Shamasunder, executive director of the California Immigrant Policy Center, said Friday.