Tennessee Senate confirms Murfreesboro mosque opponent Cardoza-Moore to state textbook commission

Apr. 9—NASHVILLE — Voting along partisan lines, the Tennessee Senate on Thursday confirmed the appointment of activist Laurie Cardoza-Moore, who some critics charge is anti-Muslim, to the State Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission.

Senators approved Cardoza-Moore, whose appointment was made last year by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, on a 25-6 vote.

Sexton said he expects the House next week to consider Cardoza-Moore for the 16-member panel that oversees the official list of textbooks and instructional materials used by Tennessee public school students.

Cardoza-Moore, a Franklin resident, is the founder and president of the Franklin-based nonprofit group Proclaiming Justice to the Nations, which says it combats anti-Semitism. The group had been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center but the designation is no longer on the center's website.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has called on Sexton to rescind the appointment, saying, "This individual should not be anywhere near the selection of textbooks in Tennessee or any state. She clearly has anti-Muslim views that inevitably would negatively impact any textbook selection."

During floor debate, Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, continued to question Cardoza-Moore's suitability for the commission.

Cardoza-Moore garnered national attention when she spearheaded efforts opposing the building of a mosque in Murfreesboro in 2010 and 2011, charging that two members involved in the construction effort had ties to Islamist terrorist organizations.

Akbari said of Cardoza-Moore that Tennesseans deserve someone "who does not fall for conspiracy theories or peddle them."

During a Senate Education Commission hearing on the appointment in late March, Akbari, who noted she is a Christian, asked Cardoza-Moore about a textbook review from her group that appeared to promote what the senators characterized as a Sept. 11 "truther hoax."

After citing a textbook passage that reads, "on September 11th, 2001, members of al-Qaeda carried out a terrorist attack on New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania," the Public Justice report highlighted the phrase "members of al-Qaeda carried out."

And the group noted that "given the plethora of evidence, the reviewer suggests removing the underlined section of sentence... This is a highly contested (per architects and engineers for 9/11 Truth, and demolition experts) argument... There is ample evidence that refute the 'official' story of what was perpetrated that day."

Akbari said the quote was pulled "directly from a review that you made... Are you denying that you did that?"

Cardoza-Moore said in response "that quote, what you're quoting right now, I never would have said it. I need to see the quote in the context that you're pulling it [from]. Is that a Powerpoint presentation that I put together? Because I would never say that al-Qaeda didn't participate."

She said of the quote that "anybody can take information and put it into and suggest I said something and it's being taken out of context. I would have to see exactly what you're looking at so I could refer to it."

Saying she would put the question to her "more simply," Akbari asked "do you deny that al-Qaeda was responsible for the 9/11 attacks?"

Replied Cardoza-Moore: "No, I don't deny it. I never have."

Sen. Janice Bowling, R-Tullahoma, who handled Cardoza-Moore's appointment resolution in committee and again Thursday on the Senate floor, praised Sexton's appointment of the activist to the commission. Cardoza-Moore has been serving on the commission since November.

"Speaker Sexton did not appoint Mrs. Moore to represent the teachers' unions, the textbook publishers or other parts of the education establishment," Bowling said. "Rather, she was selected to represent parents from across Tennessee who cherish their children's future and cherish the truth."

Those voting for her confirmation included Bowling; Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville; Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, and Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson. All six Democrats voted no.

Sexton, who hopes to have Cardoza-Moore's appointment resolution up on the House floor as early as Monday, defended the appointment.

"Her role is, it's math and English arts," the speaker said. "A lot of people in committee were complaining, talking about civics and history. It wasn't pertinent to what she's being appointed to. And she's been on the committee now for several weeks, she's been attending meetings. There's been no problems."

Sexton said Cardoza-Moore has "been a great advocate and working with the committee. So we would expect the same when she's appointed officially by the General Assembly."

Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.