Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith on Saturday criticized Indianapolis Jewish community leaders who had joined an interfaith statement condemning his calls to “hate” Islam, calling their expression of solidarity with Indiana Muslims “deeply misguided.”
In a social media post, Beckwith quoted a passage from the Hadith that he said demonstrates hostility toward Jews within Islamic tradition and argued that Jewish leaders were wrong to criticize him for warning about what he described as dangerous teachings in Islam.
“For the Jewish Community of Indianapolis to condemn me for opposing these very teachings within Islamic law that have been and are being used to justify hostility toward Jews and other non-Muslims is deeply misguided,” Beckwith wrote.
The comments came a day after the Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council, Indiana Board of Rabbis and other Jewish, Hindu and interfaith organizations issued a joint statement condemning Beckwith’s recent remarks about Islam and warning that rhetoric targeting one religious minority can make all minority faith communities less safe…