What exquisite timing! Bravo, People for the American Way. The liberal Washington-based political organization today unveiled its “Right-Wing Playbook on Anti-Muslim Extremism.”

That release is sandwiched between the horrific slaughter in Norway by a fanatic who fears that a guy named Mohammed is going to occupy the palace in Oslo some day, and Wednesday’s resumption of Republican Rep. Peter King’s ongoing carnival of Muslim-bashing.

The Long Island Republican is convinced that 99 percent of America’s population is threatened by the one percent that identifies itself as Muslim. Get a life, Petey. Cancel your sideshow of hatred.

PFAW says right-wingers use Muslims as a scapegoat for any number of national fears and frustrations, according to Michael Keegan, president of the group. The Report shows how they deny the validity of Islam as a religion; warn of a ludicrous “creeping Sharia” plot to take over America’s judicial system; argue that Muslims do not enjoy First Amendment rights; justify stripping freedoms from Muslims to “defend liberty,” and claim an unholy alliance between Muslims and leftist groups.

The Report notes that Republicans and anti-Muslim activists have gained mileage by playing into the phony story about President Obama being a secret Muslim. It quotes former Arkansas Governor and Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee saying:
“We may have a President who has some fundamentally anti-American ideas that may be rooted in a childhood that was different from the experience of most Americans, because unlike Obama our communities were filled with Rotary Clubs, not madrassas.”

PFAW believes accusations that Muslims are subverting the Constitution and taking over the country have helped to foster anti-Muslim hostility, reflected in the rise of anti-Muslim prejudice and increased attacks on Muslim-Americans and their houses of worship. We are supposed to be a lot better than that.

“Tied in with hatred of President Obama, fear of religious diversity and hostility toward immigrants and gays, anti-Muslim rhetoric and paranoia has become a mainstream, if not ubiquitous part of the conservative movement and the Republican party,” according to the Report.

Maria Sliwa of High 10 Media represents PFAW.