Did Rep. Rodne backtrack after making anti-Muslim comments?

Republican State Representative Jay Rodne was as quick to respond to comments he made about Muslims as readers were to call him out on them.

Rodne posted comments on his personal Facebook page that sparked controversy.

Muslim constituents are asking for a meeting and Washington Democrats are asking for stripping him of leadership in the House Judiciary Committee.

The comments ignited a conversation about the country’s divide over Syrian refugees. That divide was evident on KIRO Radio’s Tom and Curley Show.

Tom Tangner: A state representative, on his personal Facebook page I’ll give you that, but still … Now he’s in damage control.

John Curley: Since 2003, 700,000 refugees have come to the US; 3,400 have settled in Washington. Not all Muslims but, this is from 2003, from Iraq, Iran, Syria, anywhere in the Middle East where you have an imbalance, or a civilization people can’t thrive in. I’m not defending Rodne’s position, but somebody could say that since 2003, 700,000 have come in. How many Muslims? I don’t know. I got a friend from Iraq that’s a Christian that’s come in. You could say that eventually you could get to a million … We had 1 million Vietnamese that came in during the 1970s.

TT: He’s saying that Obama wants to. No. This is a reaction to the Syrian refugee problem … He calls them “brutal barbarians,” that “Islam is barbarism medievalism,” … and “Islam is a medieval ideology that has not reconciled with modernity like Judaism and Christianity did centuries ago. Islam command subservience, or you die, it’s that simple. ISIS is simply carrying out the tenants of their faith” … Islam is not of one kind, but this is an extreme version of Islam that he is objecting to.

JC: Could you see that it is possible he is talking about this type of Islam, not that type, where he is saying it’s not Democratic … with basic tenants of Islam it all reaches to one supreme leader.

JC: I think you are trying to give a theological rational to what are clearly impetuous comments he made right after the Paris attack. Even he is backing down now … saying I only mean specific Muslims. He’s backtracking it, but it was those intemperate remarks he made right off the bat that have gotten him in trouble.

Rodne has been interviewed by KING 5 saying he stands by his comments, but that he is not talking about the vast majority of Muslims around the world who want to live in peace. He said that he has Muslim friends.

TT: I think he’s backing down. He was basically mad. That’s the problem with Facebook, you put stuff out there, and now he’s saying ‘No, it’s just that small sliver [of Muslims].'”

Rodne has also said in an interview that he is glad his Facebook posts have sparked a conversation because, in his view, there is a lack of leadership from the president and Washington’s governor.

TT: Nice cover.