Raritan Twp. Committeeman (and former Deputy Mayor) Lou Reiner tonight met with silence calls by

his colleagues and the public for him to resign in the aftermath of his posting comments offensive to Islam on his Facebook page.

The committee passed a resolution censuring him, stripping him of his deputy mayor title, and telling him to resign.

The vote was unanimous, minus his “no” vote.

Earlier this month, the Republican shared posts asserting that Islam is a “cancer” that “must be treated with radiation,” and then made follow up comments to a reporter stating that the “religion itself is absolutely evil”. He also said, “I’m an infidel, and I’m proud of it.”

The entire council this evening asked him to resign.

In response, with around 50 people in audience, Reiner made no statement.

Hunterdon County Democratic Committee Chair Arlene Quinones Perez showed up with a large contingent of fellow Democrats, most of them Raritan Twp. residents, many of whom went to the microphone to echo or amplify the sentiments of the governing body, including Republican Mayor Jeff Kuhl.

The mayor had promised retribution for Reiner amid swift calls for his resignation on the week of Sept. 18th, among them U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski, Quinones Perez and multiple Democratic Party leaders.

In the wake of the uproar, Reiner last month issued the following statement:

“I sincerely regret my Facebook post yesterday using a poor choice of words, seemingly calling the entire Islamic faith violent.  My intentions were to highlight the radical fringe jihadists who have highjacked their faith.  We need more people of faith in our society today. I offer this apology to the vast majority of Muslims who practice their faith peacefully and contribute greatly to our community.”