U.S. lawmaker calls for bombing Muslim holy sites

A conservative U.S. lawmaker has angered Muslims by saying that Washington should respond to any future attack by bombing their holy sites.

"If this (attack) happens, then you might think about this as a threat, the retaliation on their holy sites," said U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo on U.S. TV, reiterating remarks he made on a Florida radio station last week.

"We are talking about a situation where our very lives are at stake, not just the life of the United States, but of Western civilization, Tancredo told Fox television.

In last week's interview, Tancredo said that the U.S. should bomb Muslim "holy sites."

When asked if he was "talking about bombing Mecca," Tancredo reportedly replied, "Yeah."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations denounced Tancredo's comments, and demanded a retraction and an apology.

The organization issued a statement saying it is working with leaders of Colorado's Muslim community to organize a meeting with Tancredo.

However, Tancredo refused to retract his remarks.