OKC Muslim Community Speaks Out After Cruz's Statements

Following the terrorist attack in Brussels, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is calling for police in America to patrol Muslim neighborhoods. It’s a statement raising controversy.

Saad Mohammed, a director at The Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City, said after every terrorist attack, the Muslim community is looked at with skepticism. He wants people to better understand their culture.

“Our prayers are out to the people who are victims of this act,” said Mohammed on the Brussels’ attack.

After Tuesday’s incident, Republican presidential candidate Cruz stated, “We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized.”

On CBS This Morning, Cruz defended his statement and said, “Islamism is a political and theocratic philosophy that commands its adherence to wage violent jihad to murder infidels which they define as everybody else.”

Mohammed said that’s false and that Islamism is instead to teach the faith in a non-violent way.

He said the two words “radical Islam” is often used and doesn’t believe it make sense, “These two terms do not go together. Radical means hard, evil […] and Islam and Muslims mean peace.”

And as far as patrolling Muslim neighborhoods, Mohammed states that there is not specific neighborhoods that Muslims live in.

“We’re your doctors, lawyers, teachers, so on and so forth. We are not concentrated in one area. We are part of a community,” he said.

Regardless of Cruz’s statements, he said he and his Muslim brothers and sisters invite others to learn about their religion.

The Oklahoma Republican Party did not return phone calls made by News 9 by the time of publication.