BROOKSVILLE, Fla., Nov. 3 (UPI) -- The Republican Party of Florida has urged County Commissioner Tom Hogan to apologize for derogatory comments regarding Muslims.
State GOP Chairwoman Carole Jean Jordan said in a statement, "We cannot condone your divisive remarks," Hernando Today reported on its website Thursday.
"Yes, our nation is at war with a group of individuals who twisted the Islamic faith for their own horrific purposes," the statement continued. "This does not, however, give anyone the right to paint all Muslims with a broad brush and the generalizations you made were reprehensible."
Jordan recalled Hogan had already been asked to apologize and retract his statements earlier this week -- when he said he agreed with his wife's description of Islam as a "frightening" religion.
"Unfortunately, you refused to do so," Jordan said. "Again we ask you to formally retract your statement and apologize for your remarks."
Hogan told Hernando Today Thursday that he was not going to make any apology for his controversial remarks, or those of his wife who had written in a letter to Hernando Today that Islam was "hateful and frightening."
"We have never -- neither one of us -- mentioned a political party," Hogan said. "We never made it political and now the state party is doing that. I resent it on their part. As a citizen, I've done nothing wrong at all and I don't know where all this is coming from."
Jordan said in her statement that the Florida GOP supported Gov. Bush in criticizing Tom Hogan's comments. The Republican Party was "against prejudice and bigotry of any kind," she said.
