The Muslim community in the United States could not stomach Donald Trump anymore and has decided to fight back.
The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), one of at least two major groups that represent the community, has just challenged the likely Republican presidential nominee to a debate, complaining that he has done nothing but incite fear among Americans since he started campaigning for the U.S. presidency, WND reported.
"Ever since you announced your run for presidency of the United States, you have scapegoated the American Muslim community and other minority groups for all your perceived ills of America," MPAC wrote in a letter sent to the Trump campaign headquarters, according to the Hill.
The Muslim group blasted Trump for being "scared of anything that is different than you."
The group issued the angry statement after Trump recalled the story of legendary U.S. Army General John Pershing who executed Muslim prisoners in the Philippines in the early 1900s with bullets "dipped in pig's blood," Newsmax reported.
Campaigning in North Charleston, South Carolina on Friday, Trump said the U.S. needs to get tough with Islamic jihadists just like what "rough guy" Pershing did.
Trump then recounted the story of how Pershing solved the terrorist problem in the Philippines after his soldiers captured 50 terrorists.
"He took 50 bullets, and he dipped them in pig's blood," he said, noting how Muslims abhor pigs so much.
"And he had his men load his rifles and he lined up the 50 people, and they shot 49 of those people. And the 50th person, he said, 'You go back to your people and you tell them what happened.' And for 25 years [after that], there wasn't a problem" in the Philippines, Trump said.
"We better start getting tough and we better start getting vigilant," Trump said. "We better start using our heads or we're not gonna have a country."
The "pig's blood" story appeared to have angered the Muslim community so much that the members decided to break their silence.
"You [Trump] rely on the promotion of fear and Internet lies to fuel the flames of hate and divisiveness across our country," the MPAC letter went on. "Well, we have news for you. We will no longer be bullied. We will no longer be your punching bag."
The other major Muslim group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), also denounce Trump for his comments about the "pig's blood" bullets.
"Donald Trump's inflammatory rhetoric has crossed the line from spreading hatred to inciting violence," said Nihad Awad, CAIR national executive director, in a separate statement reported by the Hill.
"By directly stating that the only way to stop terrorism is to murder Muslims in graphic and religiously-offensive ways, he places the millions of innocent, law-abiding citizens in the American Muslim community at risk from rogue vigilantes," Awad said.
