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CAIR: TN GOP Rep. Tells Muslims to 'Go Back to Where They Came From'
CAIR says GOP leaders must demand Rep. Womick's resignation from Tennessee General Assembly

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/18/11) –- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called state and national GOP leaders to demand the resignation of a Tennessee lawmaker after he suggested in a radio interview that U.S. Muslims should "go back to where they came from" if they objected to his recent call for the removal of all Muslims serving in the military.

CAIR, a Washington-based Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said Republican State Rep. Rick Womick's "bigoted and un-American" views render him incapable of fairly representing the people of Tennessee.

In a radio interview, Rep. Womick sought to defend his call for a purge of Muslims from the American military and said that if Muslims object to his views, "They can go back to where they came from."

SEE: Womick: If Muslims Don't Like Being Banned From The Military, "They Can Go Back To Where They Came From"

"Responsible state and national Republican Party leaders must repudiate Representative Womick's bigoted and un-American remarks and demand that he step down," said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. "His understanding of the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause is obviously too flawed for him to fairly and effectively represent all the citizens of Tennessee."

The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment prohibits a state from denying "any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

SEE: 14th Amendment

Hooper noted that Womick was a co-sponsor of a Tennessee bill that, in its original form, would have effectively outlawed basic Islamic principles (Sharia) and made the practice of Islam illegal in that state.

Earlier this year, CAIR called on state and national GOP leaders to repudiate a lengthy rhetorical attack on Islam and the Quran by Womick.

During a hearing of the Tennessee House Judiciary Committee, Womick claimed the proposed Material Support to Designated Entities Act was "not about religion," then launched into a lengthy attack on Islam and its revealed text, ultimately comparing the faith to Nazism and white supremacy.

VIDEO: Rep. Womick Smears Islam (Start at minute 55.)

The original draft of the legislation was reportedly written with the assistance of David Yerushalmi, head of the anti-Islam hate group Society of Americans for National Existence (SANE), who sent a video message to a recent anti-Sharia conference.

On its now password-protected website, SANE offered a policy proposal that would make "adherence to Islam" punishable by 20 years in prison, called for the immediate deportation of all non-citizen Muslims and urged Congress to declare war on the "Muslim Nation," which SANE defined as "all Muslims."

SEE: A SANE Act to Deal with the Islamic Threat to America's National Existence (SADITANE)
Meet the White Supremacist Leading the GOP's Anti-Sharia Crusade

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recently noted that Yerushalmi has "a record of anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant and anti-black bigotry."

David Yerushalmi: A Driving Force Behind Anti-Sharia Efforts in the U.S.

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.