[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 106 (Friday, July 29, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1684]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       COMMENTS BY A REPRESENTATIVE IN THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS

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                            HON. JAY INSLEE

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 28, 2005

  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, too often, violence claims innocent lives in 
our world. We have seen suffering on our own soil, and all over the 
world in places like Indonesia, Israel, Palestine, Pakistan, Iraq, 
Afghanistan, and recently, England. Amid this instability, for a 
Representative in the United States Congress to even hypothetically 
suggest that the United States would destroy Mecca, a holy site of one 
of the world's major religions, serves only to exacerbate the 
impression that U.S. actions in the Muslim world are part of a 
religious struggle--certainly a step backwards in national security. 
Sadly, such statements also perpetuate the unfortunate misunderstanding 
that an entire religion is responsible for the actions of a minority of 
religious extremists. These reckless comments do not reflect American 
values, and irresponsibly put American security at risk.

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