Three Muslim students who wanted to talk with an Oklahoma state legislator about Islam were told to fill out a questionnaire first, said a state leader of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
"Do you beat your wife?" said one question on the form Rep. John Bennett's assistant gave them. "Do you denounce the terrorist organization Hamas?" was another.
The law student and two high school students were shocked and insulted because the 17 questions were based on misinformation about the religion, said Adam Soltani, state director of CAIR.
The students didn't meet Bennett, a Republican, and left his office in the state capitol.
"Nobody should be vetted with stupid, Islamophobic, hateful, bigoted questions before they meet with their representative," Soltani said on a Facebook video. "Let's hold him accountable."
The lawmaker's response
CNN was not able to reach Bennett for comment, but he provided details of the incident to CNN affiliate KFOR.
Bennett said he had already left his office when the students visited, KFOR reported. He said he instructed his assistant to tell the students to fill out the questionnaire, make an appointment and bring their religious texts for a discussion.
Bennett, who has been critical of Muslims in the past, said the questionnaire is based on Islamic religious books and writings by Islamic scholars.
For instance, the full question about wife-beating is: "The Quran, the sunna of Mohammed and Sharia Law of all schools say that the husband can beat his wife. Do you beat your wife?"
Among the questions three Muslim students were asked was: Do you beat your wife?
Among the questions three Muslim students were asked was: Do you beat your wife?
In the response to KFOR, Bennett wrote: "In summary, according to the Quran, Hadith and Islamic law, a woman may indeed have physical harm done to her if the circumstances warrant, with one such allowance being in the case of disobedience. This certainly does not mean that all Muslim men beat their wives, only that Islam permits them to do so."
Another question: "Mohammed was a killer of pagans, Christians and Jews that did not agree with him. Do you agree with this example?" Another: "Sharia Law says that it must rule over the kafirs, the non-Muslims. Do you agree with this?"
"The questionnaire was left for them to provoke their thought. If they weren't aware of what Islam stands for they should know and research, then make a better informed decision on what they want to support or not. If they are aware of what Islam, Sharia, CAIR, jihadist stand for and still support it then they are part of the problem," Bennett wrote to the station.
Democrats denounce Bennett
Soltani said Act for America prepared the questionnaire. The Southern Poverty Law Center said Act for America is "the largest grass-roots anti-Muslim group in America."
The three students visited the state capitol last Thursday for an annual event in which state Muslims talk to lawmakers.
Soltani said they knew about Bennett's previous comments criticizing Islam but wanted to show him what Muslims were really like.
"I think many Muslims in our state would love to talk to him and tell their side of the story," Soltani said. "He may not now or ever change his views of the story, but they just want to talk to him."
The Oklahoma Democratic Party issued a statement saying the questionnaire was "riddled with hate and misinformation."
"What will it take for our governor and Republican legislators to stand up and denounce Bennett's behavior?" the statement said.
'Be wary'
Bennett says he served in the Marines and is a staunch Christian, according to a video on his legislative page. He's known for making highly critical statements about Islam.
In 2014, he posted on Facebook that Oklahomans should "be wary" of Muslim Americans, reported CNN affiliate KWTV.
That same year, the Tulsa World reported, he told a group Islam wants to destroy Western civilization and "is a cancer in our nation that needs to be cut out." He's also been critical of CAIR, which he calls "a terrorist organization."
CNN, March 6 2017
http://www.herbalkeluargaharmonis.com/
"Do you beat your wife?" said one question on the form Rep. John Bennett's assistant gave them. "Do you denounce the terrorist organization Hamas?" was another.
The law student and two high school students were shocked and insulted because the 17 questions were based on misinformation about the religion, said Adam Soltani, state director of CAIR.
The students didn't meet Bennett, a Republican, and left his office in the state capitol.
"Nobody should be vetted with stupid, Islamophobic, hateful, bigoted questions before they meet with their representative," Soltani said on a Facebook video. "Let's hold him accountable."
The lawmaker's response
CNN was not able to reach Bennett for comment, but he provided details of the incident to CNN affiliate KFOR.
Bennett said he had already left his office when the students visited, KFOR reported. He said he instructed his assistant to tell the students to fill out the questionnaire, make an appointment and bring their religious texts for a discussion.
Bennett, who has been critical of Muslims in the past, said the questionnaire is based on Islamic religious books and writings by Islamic scholars.
For instance, the full question about wife-beating is: "The Quran, the sunna of Mohammed and Sharia Law of all schools say that the husband can beat his wife. Do you beat your wife?"
Among the questions three Muslim students were asked was: Do you beat your wife?
Among the questions three Muslim students were asked was: Do you beat your wife?
In the response to KFOR, Bennett wrote: "In summary, according to the Quran, Hadith and Islamic law, a woman may indeed have physical harm done to her if the circumstances warrant, with one such allowance being in the case of disobedience. This certainly does not mean that all Muslim men beat their wives, only that Islam permits them to do so."
Another question: "Mohammed was a killer of pagans, Christians and Jews that did not agree with him. Do you agree with this example?" Another: "Sharia Law says that it must rule over the kafirs, the non-Muslims. Do you agree with this?"
"The questionnaire was left for them to provoke their thought. If they weren't aware of what Islam stands for they should know and research, then make a better informed decision on what they want to support or not. If they are aware of what Islam, Sharia, CAIR, jihadist stand for and still support it then they are part of the problem," Bennett wrote to the station.
Democrats denounce Bennett
Soltani said Act for America prepared the questionnaire. The Southern Poverty Law Center said Act for America is "the largest grass-roots anti-Muslim group in America."
The three students visited the state capitol last Thursday for an annual event in which state Muslims talk to lawmakers.
Soltani said they knew about Bennett's previous comments criticizing Islam but wanted to show him what Muslims were really like.
"I think many Muslims in our state would love to talk to him and tell their side of the story," Soltani said. "He may not now or ever change his views of the story, but they just want to talk to him."
The Oklahoma Democratic Party issued a statement saying the questionnaire was "riddled with hate and misinformation."
"What will it take for our governor and Republican legislators to stand up and denounce Bennett's behavior?" the statement said.
'Be wary'
Bennett says he served in the Marines and is a staunch Christian, according to a video on his legislative page. He's known for making highly critical statements about Islam.
In 2014, he posted on Facebook that Oklahomans should "be wary" of Muslim Americans, reported CNN affiliate KWTV.
That same year, the Tulsa World reported, he told a group Islam wants to destroy Western civilization and "is a cancer in our nation that needs to be cut out." He's also been critical of CAIR, which he calls "a terrorist organization."
CNN, March 6 2017
http://www.herbalkeluargaharmonis.com/
Reports: FBI Chief to Publicly Reject Trump Allegations of Obama Wiretapping
WASHINGTON —
U.S. news media reports say FBI Director James Comey will ask the Justice Department to publicly reject President Donald Trump's charges that former President Barack Obama wiretapped his telephones at Trump Tower in New York.
The New York Times and NBC News report Comey believes the Trump claims are false and that the charges insinuate the FBI was involved in an illegal wiretap.
The FBI and the Justice Department have yet to comment on the media reports.
The publisher of the Newsmax Media website, Christopher Ruddy - a friend of Trump - wrote Sunday the president told him "This will be investigated. It will all come out. I will be proven right."
Ruddy said he has never seen Trump this angry in a long time.
The president accused Obama Saturday of bugging his phones a month before the November vote as part of the Obama administration's probe into alleged Russian meddling in the election.
Trump has not shown any evidence to back up his claim.
Under U.S. law, a president cannot order a someone's phone to be wiretapped. He would need approval by a federal judge and would also have to show reasonable grounds to suspect why a citizen's telephone calls should be monitored.
Obama's Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, calls the charge simply false.
"There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, or as a candidate or against his campaign," Clapper told NBC's Meet the Press.
Democrats are dismissing the Trump charges of spying as absurd and desperate.
"The president is in trouble," Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on Meet the Press. "If he falsely spread this kind of misinformation, that is so wrong. It's beneath the dignity of the presidency...it shows this president doesn't know how to conduct himself."
The top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, Senator Mark Warner, told CBS's Face the Nation he was "surprised" by Trump's accusation. "To make that type of claim without any evidence is, I think, very reckless."
Some Republicans were not as quick to blast the president, but are still skeptical. Senator Marco Rubio said on NBC that Trump "will have to answer as to what exactly" he was referring to in making the claim that his phones were tapped.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton of the Intelligence Committee told Fox News the wiretap charges will be a part of the Senate investigation into alleged Russian election interference and Trump campaign contacts with Russian officials.
U.S. intelligence has concluded Russia hacked into the computer of Clinton campaign chief John Podesta, with the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks then releasing thousands of his emails in the weeks before the election. It was apparently part of a Russian effort to help Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in the presidential election.
Voanews, March 05 2017
U.S. news media reports say FBI Director James Comey will ask the Justice Department to publicly reject President Donald Trump's charges that former President Barack Obama wiretapped his telephones at Trump Tower in New York.
The New York Times and NBC News report Comey believes the Trump claims are false and that the charges insinuate the FBI was involved in an illegal wiretap.
The FBI and the Justice Department have yet to comment on the media reports.
The publisher of the Newsmax Media website, Christopher Ruddy - a friend of Trump - wrote Sunday the president told him "This will be investigated. It will all come out. I will be proven right."
Ruddy said he has never seen Trump this angry in a long time.
The president accused Obama Saturday of bugging his phones a month before the November vote as part of the Obama administration's probe into alleged Russian meddling in the election.
Trump has not shown any evidence to back up his claim.
Under U.S. law, a president cannot order a someone's phone to be wiretapped. He would need approval by a federal judge and would also have to show reasonable grounds to suspect why a citizen's telephone calls should be monitored.
Obama's Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, calls the charge simply false.
"There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, or as a candidate or against his campaign," Clapper told NBC's Meet the Press.
Democrats are dismissing the Trump charges of spying as absurd and desperate.
"The president is in trouble," Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on Meet the Press. "If he falsely spread this kind of misinformation, that is so wrong. It's beneath the dignity of the presidency...it shows this president doesn't know how to conduct himself."
The top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, Senator Mark Warner, told CBS's Face the Nation he was "surprised" by Trump's accusation. "To make that type of claim without any evidence is, I think, very reckless."
Some Republicans were not as quick to blast the president, but are still skeptical. Senator Marco Rubio said on NBC that Trump "will have to answer as to what exactly" he was referring to in making the claim that his phones were tapped.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton of the Intelligence Committee told Fox News the wiretap charges will be a part of the Senate investigation into alleged Russian election interference and Trump campaign contacts with Russian officials.
U.S. intelligence has concluded Russia hacked into the computer of Clinton campaign chief John Podesta, with the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks then releasing thousands of his emails in the weeks before the election. It was apparently part of a Russian effort to help Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in the presidential election.
Voanews, March 05 2017
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