CAIR KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE

Between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, that is.

Excerpt from this October 29, 2007 story at the CAIR web site:

A divide is emerging on the presidential campaign trail over battling terrorists: how exactly to label the fight. While Democrats tend to talk about terrorism in general, Republicans increasingly pin the threat directly on Islam.

All the major Republican candidates regularly weave some form of the phrase "Islamic extremism" into their stump speeches. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has taken the rhetoric to a new level, running a television advertisement about "this century's nightmare, jihadism."

Democratic candidates generally don't emphasize linking Islam and terrorism. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton talks more of "global terrorism," while Sen. Barack Obama refers to "stateless terrorism."

"In four Democratic debates, not a single Democratic candidate said the word 'Islamic terrorism,'" former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said at a Republican debate....

And here's the kicker:

The interpretation of jihad as extremist and violent disturbs Nihad Awad, executive director of the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Nihad Awad goes on with some twisted logic:

He says Mr. Romney's use of "jihad" legitimizes claims by terrorists that they are fighting on behalf of Islam.

Um, excuse me, but it is the Koran and the Hadith which codify (i.e., legitimize) jihad.