A Republican politician has sparked religious fury by demanding all Muslims be forced out of the U.S. military.
Tennessee State Representative Rick Womick claimed serving Muslims posed a significant threat and needed to be kicked out of the armed forces because their religion commands them to lie.
Interviewed on Veteran’s Day by the Think Progress website he said: ‘Personally I don’t trust one Muslim in our military because they’re commanded to lie to us.
‘And if they really are a devout Muslim and follow the Koran and the and the Sunnah, then I feel threatened because they’re commanded to kill me.’
Mr Womick was attending the ‘Preserving Freedom Conference hosted by the controversial group, the Sharia Awareness Action Network.
Asked if he felt that serving Muslims should be ‘forced out’ he replied: ‘Absolutely yes.’
He later reasserted his opinions in an interview with the Murfreesboro Daily News adding: ‘Who are we at war with?
‘We are at war with al-Qaeda and the Taliban, who are Muslims. It’s a Catch-22. They are not allowed to kill their fellow Muslims, we’re at war with Muslims.
‘The only solution I see is that they not be allowed in the military.’
Womick, a Baptist and member of the National Rifle Association, served as a pilot in the Air Firce during the first Gulf War.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) demanded the Tennessee General Assembly rebuke Womick for his comments.
But he described them as a ‘radical Islamic group’.
He added: ‘Whatever they have to say, I choose to ignore.’
Saleh Sbenaty of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro told the Tenneseean: ‘It’s really sad to see Mr. Womick’s comments coming on Veterans Day,’ said Sbenaty.
‘He needs to be reminded that there are thousands of Muslims who serve and are serving (in the U.S. military), and there are many of them who gave up their lives to preserve the freedom of this country and the freedom that he is enjoying.’
There are an estimated six million Muslims living in the U.S. with around 3500 serving the military and many seeing action in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mr Sbenaty added: ‘Al-Qaida doesn’t believe in freedom of religion.
‘They want to rule the world according to their views. And Mr. Womick wants to rule the United States according to his narrow vision.’