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A group of New York State Muslims are offended by a new memorial honoring those who died in the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on America.
They have written a letter telling the city to change the words because "they will encourage hatred to Muslims."
The memorial, and a small memorial park is scheduled to be dedicated this weekend.
The city manager has responded.
TV WICZ reports that a spokesman for the "Islamic Organization of the Southern Tier" has told them that having the words "Islamic terrorism" on the monument is a "broad brush against the many Muslims who live in the area."
City Manager Donald Castelluci of Owego, New York told Todd Starnes, "They want us to change the word from 'Islamic terrorists' to either 'terrorist' or 'Al Qaeda terrorist'."
He says he sent an email back to them saying, "I disagreed with them 100 percent."
The city has no plans to change a single word, the manager says.
"I don't live in a politically correct world," Castelluci told TV 40, "I live in an historical fact world ...whether it's American, homegrown, Christianity, Islamic, you call it what it is. And we don't whitewash things around here."
"This is not about religion. It's about one event on one day that killed more than 3000 people," he says.
The memorial is indeed accurate.
It reads, "Town of Owego--9/11 Memorial."
"On September 11, 2001, nineteen Islamic terrorists unsuspectedly boarded four airliners departing east coast airports to hijack the planes and carry out a series of coordinated attacks against the United States."
"This is a tribute to all lives lost that day and to the heroic sacrifice of all who rushed to help."
"As Americans, we honor their memory, by living our lives in freedom."
"We will never forget."
They and others in the region will honor and commemorate this weekend.
Hopefully those of us around the country who do not live in Owego, New York will be reminded that there are still leaders, elected and volunteer---from the small towns across this great land to the cities; from our state capitols to Washington DC------who still love America, have deeply held convictions about that love, and refuse to bow down to political correctness.
God bless them.