Santa Fe faith leaders spoke out Tuesday condemning the acrid anti-Muslim ideas that have surfaced during the presidential election campaign.

Imam Aziz Eddebbarh, leader of Taha Mosque on Cordova Road and president of the Santa Fe Interfaith Leadership Alliance, said he wanted to voice concerns about a statement by an organizer of Otero County Republicans calling Muslims "our enemies" and religious attacks that have appeared on television and the Internet.

"American Muslims share our American ideals and have been a vibrant and contributing segment of our society," said Eddebbarh, who spoke at a press conference at United Church of Santa Fe.

Later, Eddebbarh said the mosque where he worships with other Muslims has been targeted with phone messages and visits he describes as "hostile." But he's more worried about what young Muslim children hear from classmates at school about their faith. "It's having a effect on all Muslims across the nation ... especially the silence and what has been allowed to be said. It's also the subtle message; it makes you feel like Muslims are second-class citizens," he said.

Eddebbarh said he supported statements from former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell last week that condemned hate speech against Muslims.

Other leaders reported that churches have been inundated with faxes, mail and other materials that contain fear-mongering messages about Islam. In addition to the Otero County organizer statement, a widely circulated DVD called Obsession that reinforces prejudice against Islam has been disseminated here by a group called The Judeo-Christian View, said United's Rev. Talitha Arnold.

Joining Eddebbarh and Arnold were leaders from some of the more than a dozen area churches who have signed on to "an interfaith statement of support for Muslims" including Lutherans, Catholics, Quakers, Greek Orthodox, Presbyterians, Jews and Methodists.

"If all Muslims are truly our enemies, what is next? Round them up and put them in camps so we can keep an eye on them? That's ludicrous," said Rabbi Marvin Schwab. "We must as a nation stand against prejudice and intolerance and hate. And if we don't, we have to question why we even exists as a nation."

While anti-Muslim sentiment has flared up more in America since terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 and subsequent years of war in the Middle East, the rhetoric has also been used to attack Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama, a Christian. In his book, Obama says his father was raised a Muslim but was a "confirmed atheist" by the time his parents met. His grandfather, however, was a Muslim, he says.

Arnold said Tuesday's event was not about the candidate. "It's about speaking out against ... hatred and fear," she said. "We would be doing the exact same thing regardless of whether there was a presidential election coming up."

Contact Julie Ann Grimm at 986-3017 or jgrimm@sfnewmexican.com.