There is a new debate in Monroe County related to Governor Spitzer's plan to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. The debate has worked its way into the county legislature races. It has to do with a campaign mailing sent out by the Republican Party.

It is not so much what it says but what it shows that has members of the Islamic community upset. The flyer suggests that county legislature democrats want to license potential terrorists and the literature contains images intended to depict terrorists.

"Seeing these things are very wrong for me to see it in that way it means someone is profiling me that I'm a terrorist," said Dr. Muhammad Shafiq.

Dr. Shafiq is the Imam at the Islamic Center on Westfall Road in Rochester. He says the images are offensive to Muslims and believes the Republican Party is using fear tactics to persuade voters.

"Especially as a Muslim, it looks very very wrong the way they portrayed the pictures as linking Arabs and terrorism, equalizing them to terrorism, is racial profiling," said Dr. Shafiq.

County clerk Cheryl Dinolfo disagrees.

"I really do take issue with that way of thinking because, again, that piece is about not one particular nationality," said Dinolfo.

Dinolfo says licensing illegal immigrants could jeopardize the security of the entire nation. She uses 9/11 as an example.

"The fact remains that there were terrorists who came into this country and harmed our country using licenses to do so," said Dinolfo. [Link]