An Arab-American politician is upset that his own party took him off the ticket for a Passaic County election over comments he made.

Sami ?Murray? Mehri was running for the position of freeholder as a Democrat. Mehri says he was taken off the party?s ticket after U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) expressed concern over comments the candidate made in 2002. During a fundraiser, Mehri called the September 11 hijackers ?crazy fanatics.? However, Mehri also said he could not see the comparison between the hijackers and Palestinian suicide bombers.

Mehri says his comments were taken out of context and he is a victim of post-September 11 politics and an anti-Arab sentiment in the wake of the unsuccessful Dubai ports deal. Mehri has lived in the U.S. since moving from Lebanon in 1977.