WASHINGTON - September 12 - In remarks before the Arab American Institute today, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold called on the President to stop using the phrase “Islamic fascists,” an offensive and misleading term. The administration has used this phrase increasingly when talking about al Qaeda, its affiliates and its sympathizers. Feingold says the use of the term “Islamic fascists” actually hurts our efforts in fighting terrorism globally because it alienates peaceful Muslims around the world whose support we need in fighting terrorism.

“I call on the President to stop using the phrase “Islamic fascists”, a label that doesn’t make any sense, and certainly doesn’t help our effort to build a coalition of societies to fight terrorism,” Feingold said. “The President has often correctly referred to Islam as a religion of peace, but this reckless language, much like his prior reference to the fight against al Qaeda as a ‘crusade,’ completely cuts the other way. Fascist ideology doesn’t have anything to do with the way global terrorist networks think or operate, and it doesn’t have anything to do with the overwhelming majority of Muslims around the world who practice the peaceful teachings of Islam.”

During his remarks, Feingold also addressed national security issues, highlighting the need to refocus our attention on al Qaeda and other terrorist networks instead of getting bogged down in Iraq, which had no connection to the 9/11 attacks. He also discussed how we can protect the rights and freedoms of law-abiding Americans as we fight terrorism.

Feingold’s complete remarks are available at here.

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