Panelist Faces Ouster Over Anti-Muslim Letter
The City Council will consider removing a committee member who wrote a letter saying that “Muslims are out to destroy our world.”
The council on Dec. 4 could discuss a request that Justin Ruhge leave the Economic Development Committee, which works to attract new business to the community.
Ruhge wrote a letter that appeared in the Nov. 16 issue of the weekly Santa Maria Sun in which he supported U.S. foreign policy and criticized Muslims.
On Tuesday, Councilman Jan Keller called the remarks offensive and asked colleagues to remove Ruhge from the advisory committee or ask him to resign. Ruhge, however, said he was referring to radical Muslims, not all who practice the religion.
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