Giuliani Expresses Respect For The Muslim Religion
December 29, 2007 3:52 PM
ABC News' Jan Simmonds Reports: Rudy Giuliani, R-N.Y., today expressed his respect for the Muslim religion in the wake of negative comments made by a high ranking campaign volunteer in New Hampshire.
John Deady, the now former co-chair of the New Hampshire Veterans for Rudy, told The Guardian newspaper last Sunday that Giuliani should be elected President because he understands how to address the threat posed by the "rise of the Muslims", which he described as "one of the most difficult problems in current history."
"These people are very dedicated and they're also very, very smart in their own way," Deady told a cameraman with The Guardian. "We need to keep the feet to the fire and keep pressing these people until we defeat or chase them back to their caves or in other words get rid of them."
Responding to a question about Deady's remarks in Clive, Iowa today, Giuliani said a problem does not exist within the Muslim religion or its followers. Rather he explained, it was with those who corrupted the religion's beliefs.
"It?s a religion that many people follow and follow faithfully. And it leads to good lives," said Giuliani outside his car. "I have great respect for the religion and I also have a clear understanding that there is a small group of people who have misused it and turned it into a political ideology."
The former Mayor of New York also went on to note that he thought he expressed those views in "an even more succinct and powerful way on the evening of September 11th."
According to Wayne Semprini, the New Hampshire Chair of the Giuliani Campaign, John Deady is no longer a member of the campaign.
"Mr. Deady offered his resignation from his volunteer position in the campaign and I accepted his resignation," said Semprini.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/12/giuliani-expres.html
