Phoenix City Council members last week removed Marwan Ahmad, a Palestinian and Muslim, from the Human Relations Commission after more than five years of service, saying he was promoting messages of intolerance against Israel, the Jewish community and at least one member of the Islamic community.

Mayor Phil Gordon didn't give a specific reason why they ousted Ahmad, but Ahmad's monthly newspaper, Muslim Voice, has come under fire in the past.

In that newspaper, Ahmad depicted a member of the Islamic community as a dog in an editorial cartoon.

Ahmad also publishes the Multicultural Yellow Pages, which excludes references to the Valley's Jewish cultural institutions and replaces Israel with the name Palestine on a Middle East map. He also omits area codes, airlines and restaurants associated with Israel.

Bill Straus, Arizona regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, called that book "one of our community's most glaring examples of cultural division."...

... Ahmad said the City Council has violated his freedom of speech and is mixing local and international politics.

The City Council is "under the influence of the pro-Israel groups, and they're putting Israeli interests before the city's interests," he said...

...Mohammed Riyad, a member of American Moderate Muslims for Public Awareness, said groups are prepared to conduct demonstrations, strikes, counterelection campaigns and file lawsuits if they don't get relief.

While critics of the council decision concede that Ceman, Ahmad's replacement on the board, is a "good man," they consider Ahmad's removal as an affront to Muslims...