Conyers' measure states that Boykin's remarks have impaired the image of the U.S. worldwide

WASHINGTON, October 29 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – As the White House is besieged by demands to reprimand him for his anti-Islam remarks, Representative John Conyers Jr. (D-MI) presented Tuesday, October 28, a resolution urging President George Bush to "clearly censure or reassign" Lt. Gen. Williams G. Boykin.

The measure echoes earlier statements by American Muslim groups, which called for Boykin's reassignment and urged Bush to scold the general – who is an undersecretary of defense for intelligence – for his Islamophobic comments, reported the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said in a press release e-mailed to IslamOnline.net.

Boykin's remarks, which surfaced two weeks ago, came during a speech before an evangelical Oregon group on the third day of his nomination to the new post, bluntly claiming that Muslims worship "an idol".

Speaking about a Muslim fighter in Somalia , Boykin had said: "My God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God, and his was an idol."

The House resolution states that "Islam is a monotheistic faith whose followers are an integral part of the social fabric of America and Boykin's position requires him to interact routinely with Muslims," and that his remarks "have impaired the image of the United States worldwide."

The rights advocacy group urged U.S. Muslims and "people of conscience" to support the House resolution.

CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said both Democrats and Republicans have to repair the U.S.'s tarnished image in the eyes of the Muslim world.

"The introduction of this resolution creates an opportunity for elected officials of both parties to restate their commitment to religious tolerance in America and to help repair our nation's damaged image in the Muslim world," he stressed.

"We urge President Bush to follow the will of Congress by taking the actions requested in the resolution," he added, thanking Rep. Conyers for sponsoring this importance issue.

Co-sponsors to the resolution include: Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL), Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Rep. Betty McCullom (D-MN) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA).

In the aftermath of his provocative remarks, Boykin backtracked on his position, claiming that they had been "taken out of context," while the Pentagon has opened its own investigation.