CAIR hounds ex-Islamists
Crying “fraud” and “bigotry,” the Counsel on American Islamic Relations hounds ex-Islamists
The Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado, invited the three men to tell their story as former Islamic terrorists at the 50th annual Academy Assembly, held during the first week of February.
The four-day event called "Dismantling Terrorism: Developing Actionable Solutions for Today's Plague of Violence," angered a national Muslim group that called the men "anti-Muslim bigots."
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, characterized the men as morally equal to ex-clansman David Duke.
"It's as if they had David Duke come to speak about race relations," he said. "Their entire presentation is based on the false belief that the root cause of all terrorism in the world is Islam and that it's evil and of the devil."
Walid Shoebat, one of the three speakers, said he was born to an Arab father and American mother in Bethlehem in 1960, and he renounced terrorism in 1978 when he came to America and became a Christian.
Shoebat shrugged off objections, saying the three Arab men left a life of terrorism and sectarian hatred after converting to Christianity, and opposition from a group dedicated to Islamism is to be expected.
In addition to Shoebat, Zak Anani and Kamal Saleem described bloody histories with terrorist groups and upbringings in which they were taught to kill in Allah's name.
CAIR is familiar with the men’s presentations in other cities, and the multi-million-dollar mega-force of pro-Islamist intimidation accuses the hapless speakers of distortion and fear-mongering.
The men offered no apologies for their stand.
Shoebat said they are not be fearful of a xenophobe, Islamophobe or American bigot label. “The problem with Islam is if you speak out against Islam, you are a racist,” he said.
Anani called it a mistake to limit discussion about terrorism to “radical” Islam. “There is no radical Islam; there is Islam itself,” he said.
Saleem spoke against the religious extremists of Islam, warning, “just keep an eye on those who seek to take over. If America is taken down and Sharia laws take over, there is no hope,” he said.
CAIR blasted the three men as “frauds,” suggesting their stated histories are suspect. In a prepared statement, they noted the three as so-called, “former terrorists.”
CAIR asked if they should be arrested, and noted the three received a total of $13,000 for their appearance at the Academy Assembly.
CAIR added the message in other venues has favored evangelical Christianity.
CAIR, calling itself as a Washington-based national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group, urged the academy to offer “a balancing perspective” to the anti-Muslim rhetoric of the men.
In a news release, the council noted that the three made “bigoted and inaccurate” statements about Islam and Muslims, and that they told one California university audience that Americans need to “wake up to the dangerous realities of the Islamic faith.”
CAIR noted Shoebat had told a Missouri newspaper, Sept., 2007, issue, he sees “many parallels between the Antichrist and Islam” and “Islam is not the religion of God — Islam is the devil.”
The CAIR news release noted the academy’s invitation could be seen “as a tacit endorsement of their views.”
The audience included as many as 250 cadets.