Republican lawmaker calls for Muslims to be barred from US army

New York Daily News

NEW YORK, Nov 16: A Tennessee lawmaker is drawing intense criticism after calling for the removal of all Muslims serving in the U.S. military. Republican State Rep. Rick Womick first made the controversial remarks Friday during a conference on Islamic extremism in America. "Personally, I don't trust one Muslim in our military" and "if they truly are a devout Muslims, and follow the Quran and the Sunnah, then I feel threatened because they're commanded to kill me," the U.S. Air Force vet told Think Progress.When asked if Muslims should be booted from the military, he replied "absolutely, yeah." The Washington-based Council on American Islamic Relations blasted Womick this week. "The Tennessee General Assembly must formally rebuke Representative Womick for defaming all members of the military — including the thousands of Muslims who proudly serve our nation — and for sending a message of hate to the hundreds of thousands of Muslims serving alongside our troops in other nations," CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said in a statement. "It was particularly offensive that Womick made his un-American remarks on Veterans Day," Hooper added. Saleh Sbenaty, of the Islamic Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., which is part of Womick's district, even called for the lawmaker's impeachment, according to the Tennessean. But Womick, a Baptist and member of the National Rifle Association, stuck to his remarks. "Who are we at war with?" Womick asked Murfreesboro's Daily News Journal. "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." There are approximately 6 million Muslims living in America, with about 3,500 serving in the military.