Council aide blasted for anti-Islam remarks
Houston faith leaders from various religions announced their collective dismay on Wednesday about last week’s comments by a city councilman’s staff member who tried to block the appointment of a GOP precinct chair because of his Muslim faith.
At a May 16 Harris County Republican Party meeting, Christian pastor Trebor Gordon tried to have Syed Ali disqualified based on his religion.
“If you believe that a person can practice Islam and agree with the foundational principles of the Republican Party, it’s not right. It’s not true. It can’t happen,” Gordon said before the vote.
He was overruled and Ali was installed as an Alief-area precinct chair.
Gordon, who serves in leadership at a Houston church and as a chaplain for the Harris County GOP, was the community outreach director last week for new at-large Houston City Council member Mike Knox. He has been reassigned to handle special projects but will retain his full-time $55,000-ayear position, Knox said Wednesday afternoon.
Gordon did not respond to a request for comment left Wednesday with Knox’s office.
The news conference with leaders from Muslim, Christian and Jewish faiths — and representatives of civil rights organizations — was held at the Islamic Society of Greater Houston’s headquarters to show solidarity against religious bigotry in what is arguably the nation’s most diverse city.
‘No role in our society’
Speakers made various calls: for Gordon to be fired; for him to apologize; for him to unblock his Facebook and Twitter pages so the public can evaluate whether he has a history of anti-Muslim views.
“Mr. Gordon … attacked this man and attempted to disqualify him purely because he is a Muslim — which we consider wrong and Islamophobic,” said M.J. Khan, a former City Council member who is president and CEO of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston. He said he has spoken to Knox by phone and believes that Gordon’s comments do not reflect the councilman’s views.
James Douglas, a law school professor and president of the NAACP Houston branch, was not so charitable.
“I don’t think a person who cannot live by the Constitution of the United States ought to be accepting tax dollars as a part of his salary. I don’t think he gets a second chance,” Douglas said, noting that more than a week had passed without a public apology from Gordon. “I think he said what he deep-down believes.”
Martin B. Cominsky, president and CEO of Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, said his organization is “dismayed and deeply concerned that an individual who is a pastor, a chaplain and an employee of the city of Houston would demonstrate such a lack of understanding of America’s constitutional values and Houston’s commitment to respect for all.”
George Gibson, AntiDefamation League Southwest region board chair, said Gordon’s “attitude has no role in our society.”
‘I’m going to keep him’
Bishop James Dixon, pastor of the Community of Faith church in north Houston, said his religious counterparts are people Gordon can seek out for reconciliation.
“If there is the desire on Mr. Gordon’s part to be forgiven — because he is a pastor — he can meet with faith leaders and sit with us to share with us his convictions and his confession and receive the loving counsel ... and guidance of his brother and sisters in the faith community,” Dixon said.
Knox said he wasn’t invited to the news conference but is willing to meet with faith leaders about the controversy.
He said he will not make Gordon apologize or open his personal social media pages to the public. Gordon will be required to attend tolerance training as a condition of continued employment and will be studying the Constitution with the councilman.
“We’re focusing on the separation of church and state and the fact that there are no requirements of religious conviction to hold any public office,” Knox explained. “It is my hope that he will enlarge his view of the world and realize that tolerance is an important part of what we’re about here in this office. As long as he’s making progress in that direction, then I’m going to keep him.”
Knox, a former Houston Police Department officer, was elected in the December runoff for the citywide Position 1. He added that his office welcomes all Houstonians.