My daughter sent me this today; I had already seen the news story, but didn't know the reactions among the American Muslim population. Interesting to say the least, and really, how else could it be characterized from their point of view?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful

PAT ROBERTSON'S FATWA

MAS Freedom Calls on Administration to Distance Itself from Television Evangelist Calling for the Assassination of Venezuelan President

(Washington, D.C.) - The Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation calls upon President George W. Bush's Administration to distance itself from television evangelist Pat Robertson who was quoted supporting the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on "The 700 Club".

When Chavez expressed distrust of American officials plot to overthrow and possibly assassinate him, Robertson stated the following:

"You know, I don't know the doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it."

"It's a whole lot cheaper than starting war.and I don't think any oil shipment will stop," he added. Venezuela is the U.S.'s fourth largest supplier of foreign oil.

"This is outrageous, especially when you factor in that Robertson is a close ally of this Administration," said MAS Freedom Executive Director Mahdi Bray. "His groups have received federal funding from the president's faith-based initiatives and have carte blanche within the administration and the Republican Party."

Bray added, "Maybe someone should remind the darling of the Christian Right about the Ten Commandments. About the one that says 'thou shall not kill'?"

"If that had been a Muslim cleric talking about killing a head of state, you would have never heard the end of it," says Bray. "The White House would have denounced it as terroristic, extremist, and incendiary or provocative violent hate speech.

"The fact is that Reverend Robertson is an extremist and this administration embraces him."

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The Freedom Foundation is the public affairs arm of the Muslim American Society (MAS), a national grassroots religious, social, and educational organization. MAS is America's largest grassroots Muslim organization with over 50 chapters nationwide.