Editor’s note: This is an opinion piece submitted to Chevy Chase Patch by a member of the community (and an organizer of the Sept. 24 forum titled, “Is ‘Creeping Shariah’ a Real Threat or a Trumped Up Scare Tactic?”) in response to a story (and its comments) published on Chevy Chase Patch on Sept. 22, 2011, titled, "Islamophobia is Focus of Friendship Heights Forum." As an opinion piece, it does not represent the views of Patch.

I issued the invitation to attend our forum to both Mr. Uncapher and Mr. Grandy on Sept. 12. The invitation was on behalf of myself and the Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition, and in coordination with my friend Saqib Ali. As it was our intent to hold the forum regardless of either Mr. Grandy's or Mr. Uncapher's participation, we publicized the forum at the Sept. 11 Takoma Park Folk Festival at our booth—to the extent our handful of fliers and visitors counts as publicity. If that is of real concern to Mr. Uncapher, I apologize for that, it was entirely my responsibility—not Mr. Ali's.

Neither Mr. Grandy nor Mr. Uncapher have responded to or acknowledged our invitation in any way until now, as was of course their prerogative.  

I didn't expect Mr. Uncapher to have heard of me. I simply issued what I thought was a civil invitation to Mr. Grandy or, if he demurred, to Mr. Uncapher to engage in debate and dialogue about the charges Mr. Grandy is making against our fellow Americans. We later published that invitation on the Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition blog (on Sept. 17), when concerns about the tone of the invitation came to my attention—concerns I think any reasonable reader would agree were misplaced.

Mr. Uncapher says he's puzzled why he might be an appropriate speaker at the forum. Laws have been introduced or passed in 23 states banning the non-existent threat of 'Sharia law' from state courtrooms. The threat may be nonexistent, but the stigmatization these laws and proposals create and amplify is real. Those laws have been largely initiated by Republican legislators in Republican majority legislatures. The Republican Party as a whole or in those states may not have its fingerprints directly on those laws, but it can't avoid responsibility for them. Meanwhile, a recent poll finds that Republicans are twice as likely as Democrats to believe that Muslims want to establish Sharia law in the U.S.

Therefore, I'm very glad Mr. Uncapher appears to be at pains to distance himself and, I assume, the Montgomery County Republican Party from the "creeping Sharia" innuendos that national figures like Mr. Grandy are promoting. His statement to that effect at Saturday's forum could be a proud moment indeed for the Republican Party in Maryland. We would welcome his participation in any event, and I'm glad he's met with the MCMC.

Thomas Nephew
Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition 

Thomas Nephew is a civil liberties activist with the Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition. He will be participating in Saturday's forum titled, “Is ‘Creeping Shariah’ a Real Threat or a Trumped Up Scare Tactic?”