Flier in Mayoral Campaign in Tennessee Uses Arabic Gibberish

The county mayoral campaign of Jimmy Evans sent out a flier blaming incumbent Mayor Ernest Burgess for the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro disputes. The front page of the advertisement displays the name "Ernest Burgess," shows Arabic writing and an image of what appears to be a mosque with a sun in the background and then adds "See translation inside ..."

The next page offers the following message as the supposed translation: "Thank you Ernest Burgess. Without you, the Mosque would not be possible!"

But the American Center of Outreach, a local Muslim advocacy group, said the Arabic letters first appeared to be gibberish but actually are the intended words backward and without proper punctuation or spacing for the language.

Evans is running against Burgess in the May 6 Republican primary for Rutherford County offices. The general election is Aug. 7.

Mayor Burgess offered the following statement about the attack advertisement: