Two candidates for the 6th Congressional District seat now held by U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon weighed in on the controversy over a plan to build an Islamic center south of Murfreesboro, with one slamming the proposal and another calling on supporters to back it.Lou Ann Zelenik, a former chairman of the Rutherford County Republican Party, released a statement Thursday saying the proposal for a mosque and community center off Bradyville Pike should be blocked to protect the nation's "Judeo-Christian tradition." She said the U.S. is not obligated to open its society to American Muslims until they "find it in their hearts to separate themselves from their evil, radical counterparts."
On Friday, Democratic candidate Ben Leming, a former Marine who served in Iraq, responded by challenging other candidates to denounce Zelenik's remarks. "The Americans that want to build this mosque are already our neighbors," Leming said in a statement. "They live next to us and they are a part of our community. They are not the enemy."
State Sen. Diane Black, a Republican candidate for the office, said in a statement that Americans have the right to practice their faith as long as they do not threaten others. "I'm very concerned that violent jihadism is becoming the norm, not the exception, in too much of Islam today and American communities have a right to be vigilant in ensuring that Islamic institutions in this country do not aid the jihadist viewpoint."
Ay Pee's take on Zelenik:
Candidate denounces Murfreesboro mosque proposal