Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Rep. Salazar silent on Tancredo demand

M.E. Sprengelmeyer, Rocky Mountain News

Published September 21, 2006 at midnight

Text size  

More Colorado Government

More stories »

Rep. Tom Tancredo challenged one of his Colorado colleagues but drew no response on Thursday in a flap touched off by the pope’s controversial comments about Islam.

On Wednesday, Tancredo sent a letter to Pope Benedict XVI, urging him to resist calls to apologize over a recent speech that quoted a 14th century emperor who suggested that the Prophet Mohammed had inspired "things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

Tancredo’s letter, which included criticisms of specific passages in The Koran, drew a strong response from Nayyera Haq, the Muslim communications director for Rep. John Salazar, D-Manassa.

Haq, who said she was speaking only for herself, accused Tancredo of "hateful," irresponsible words that alienate progressive Muslims and merely "throw more fuel on the fire."

Tancredo fired back in a written statement directed at Rep. Salazar, saying he needed to clarify whether or not he agreed with Haq.

"Either he believes that forced conversion, the suppression of religious freedom, and threats to kill ‘non-believers’ are wrong as I do; or he agrees with his spokesperson, who seems to think that Americans should simply sit down and shut up when radical Islamofascists threaten to kill us if we don’t become Muslims," said Tancredo, whose note also referred to Haq as a "political hack."

Salazar’s office declined to respond.

"Neither Congressman Salazar, nor his staff will dignify that with a response," said Haq, who said she had shared Tancredo’s latest missive with her boss.

A spokesman for Tancredo, Carlos Espinosa, later pressed the issue.

"The constituents of the 3rd district elected and pay for Congressman Salazar to represent them, not to provide a platform for one of his staffers to push a personal agenda," Espinosa said.

"We just want to know whether Salazar agrees with what came out of his office yesterday, or if his press person has a green light to run a mini-personal policy shop out of his office?"

Comments

  • August 13, 2008

    5:01 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    johnckircher writes:

    Rep Salazar is 'silent' on a lot of things.
    Like a vote to increase our fuel supplies to bring down gas prices, securing our boarders to reduce crime and taxes, and leadership to bring down the number of abortions that has depopulated this country of our own young workers.
    He supports fish projects and Obama and his other Democrat leaders.
    Just who does he represent?