When a Frankfort Township official pressed "forward" on an anti-Muslim missive earlier this summer, he might have done more than disclose his feelings about Islam. He might have made himself the butt of a joke. The message that township assessor Paul Ruff forwarded was a hoax.

Despite outrage from the local Muslim community, a Frankfort Township official did not apologize Wednesday for circulating an e-mail with anti-Islamic sentiments.

Muslims in Will County are demanding an apology from Frankfort Township Assessor Paul Ruff for an e-mail he helped circulate that allegedly contained anti-Islamic sentiments.

Frankfort Township Assessor Paul Ruff has been asked to apologize to the local Muslim community after he circulated an e-mail with anti-Islamic sentiments, officials said.

The American Islamic Association of Frankfort is holding an interfaith meeting and press conference at 6 p.m. Tuesday to respond to a SouthtownStar article about a personal e-mail sent by Frankfort Township Assessor Paul Ruff containing anti-Muslim comments. Members of churches and synagogues as well as Ruff have been invited to attend and express their views.

An e-mail sent by Frankfort Township assessor Paul Ruff to many in the Frankfort/Mokena area is filled with anti-Muslim sentiments.The e-mail, circulated in June, said America should follow the lead of Australia's former prime minister John Howard, who said Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law should get out of Australia.