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closeCLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Mayor Johnny Piper defended an e-mail he forwarded Friday that encourages "patriotic Americans" to oppose a postage stamp honoring two Islamic holidays.
Piper forwarded it, without comment, to every city council member and department head, other city employees and some friends and family. The e-mail was obtained by The Leaf-Chronicle newspaper.
In a rapid response, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations announced later on Friday it was sending copies of the Quran to Piper and the city council.
The mailing is part of its "Share the Quran" initiative, which is designed to distribute free copies of the Muslim holy book to 100,000 local, state and national leaders by the end of the year.
The e-mail blames Muslims for a series of terrorist attacks against Americans and says, "To use this stamp would be a slap in the face to all those AMERICANS who died at the hands of those whom this stamp honors."
Piper, 59, said he was surprised to learn of the stamp and didn't think the e-mail was anti-Muslim.
"I don't see any reason why it would be inappropriate," Piper told the newspaper. He said he was passing along "information" so others could draw their own conclusions.
The e-mail erroneously claims that President Barack Obama ordered the stamp created.
The U.S. Postal Service said the stamp first came out in 2001 and commemorates the two most important festivals on the Islamic calendar, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. It has been reissued four times.
Clarksville is a city of about 113,000 people and sits beside the Fort Campbell Army base. Piper has been mayor since 2006 after previously serving in that post from 1999 to 2003.
"I don't believe, just for the record, that all Muslims are linked together with radical Muslims that are out to harm Americans, Piper told the newspaper.
"I have some good Muslim friends."
Information from: The Leaf-Chronicle.
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