US Muslims Object To Bush's Statement On Terror Arrests

In a statement in Green Bay, Wisconsin yesterday, President George W. Bush reacted to British arrests in an alleged terrorist airplane bombing plot, saying: "The recent arrests that our fellow citizens are now learning about are a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation. " Reuters reports that leaders of Muslim advocacy groups in the United States strongly criticized the President's choice of language. Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said: "We believe this is an ill-advised term and we believe that it is counterproductive to associate Islam or Muslims with fascism. We ought to take advantage of these incidents to make sure that we do not start a religious war against Islam and Muslims."