Alternet.org Op-Ed: Ted Cruz Asked Me to Educate Him About Muslims

Here’s an op-ed I wrote recently on Senator Ted Cruz’ comments about patrolling Muslim neighborhoods and his waging war on religious liberty.

“There is a war on faith in America today, in our lifetime,” MSNBC quotes Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz as saying. “Did we ever imagine that in the land of the free and home of the brave, we would be witnessing our government persecute its citizens for their faith?”

On Tuesday I awoke to the horrible news of an attack in Brussels. My heart goes out to the victims of the attack, just as it did last week for the victims of attacks in Ankara and Istanbul. The coverage overshadowed everything else in the news, except one: politicizing tragedy. As news poured in, so did statements by politicians. Among this cacophony of condemnation was a particularly odd call to action from Texas state senator and presidential candidate Ted Cruz.

Senator Cruz is a well-known figure here in Texas. He served as solicitor general in the state longer than any other. His stance as a U.S. senator against NSA wiretapping is admirable and I commend him for it.

A few months ago, friends of the Cruz family contacted me to meet with the campaign… Read More on Alternet.org’s GrayZone Project. 

Update: This piece was just picked up by Salon.com