Muslim group says Air Force Academy speakers use hate speech

By: IVAN MORENO - Associated Press | Wednesday, February 6, 2008 7:55 PM PST

DENVER -- A Muslim advocacy group is decrying the U.S. Air Force Academy's decision to invite three former "terrorists" who the group said slam the religion with "hate-filled" rhetoric.

The D.C.-based Council on American-Islamic Relations said one of the speakers, Walid Shoebat, has said that "Islam is the devil."

Shoebat, along with Kamal Saleem and Zachariah Anani are scheduled to speak Wednesday at the 50th Annual Academy Assembly in Colorado Springs, where the topic of the four-day event is "Dismantling Terrorism."

Maj. Brett Ashworth, an Air Force Academy spokesman, said the purpose of the event is "to educate future officers and delegates from 50 colleges on the ideology and methodology of terrorists."

Ashworth said the men are former terrorists and provide valuable insight to the discussion.

But Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for CAIR, said in speaking about terrorism the men also denounce the Muslim faith.

"Islam is the devil? I mean c'mon!" Hooper said. "And these people are going to talk as experts to cadets who may possibly serve in parts of the Muslim world?"

A message left with the academy seeking to interview the three speakers was not immediately returned. E-mails to Shoebat and Saleem were not immediately answered.

Hooper said the three speakers trigger protests to their speaking engagements throughout the country. He said he told Air Force academy officials that inviting the men to speak about terrorism would be like "inviting David Duke to speak about race relations."

He said CAIR offered to connect the Air Force with Muslims in Colorado who could also speak at the event to balance the discussion. However, he said he was told the topic was terrorism, not religion.

"The academy assembly has nothing to do with religion or evangelical Christianity for that matter," Ashworth said. "This is not going to be a discussion on Islam. It's a discussion on terrorism."

Religion has been a sensitive topic at the Air Force Academy in the past. A group of cadet graduates had claimed the academy violated their rights, saying evangelical Christian values were forced onto them. They filed a lawsuit, which was dismissed in 2006 after a judge said they couldn't claim their rights were violated because they no longer attended the academy.

An Air Force task force also concluded there was no religious discrimination at the Academy but noted some cadets and staff were insensitive. In February 2006, the Air Force adopted new guidelines cautioning top officers about promoting their religious views.

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28 comment(s)[-]Go to Top

Won't Get Posted wrote on Feb 7, 2008 5:21 AM:This won't get posted because after all nobody can talk bad about THAT religion! It is, however, perfectly alright to say anything you want about Christianity! GO FIGURE! ...

If cutting off wrote on Feb 7, 2008 6:22 AM:the infidels head according to the Quran isn't hate speech, I don't know what is! Oh wait, didn't they put out a revised Quran, No? Then my comments stand.

Everybody else wrote on Feb 7, 2008 7:16 AM:knows what the radical muslims are up to, except the media, they are clueless. No wonder everybody is leaving American main stream media to get the real news.

Olaf wrote on Feb 7, 2008 7:52 AM:Doesn't CAIR have ties to "Terrorist" throughout the world??? Why are we as Americans being denied our first right amendment while every kook in the world can bash every other religion when and how they want? Seems Hypocritical to me? Just my thought.

Of this world wrote on Feb 7, 2008 9:04 AM:One can only dream about a world without religion...the reason for so much hate, death and destruction.

Been there wrote on Feb 7, 2008 9:20 AM:Let's make it even. The Catholic Church is based upon idol worship and puts the Pope, Bishops, and church appointed saints between people and God. The Jewish religion is still waiting for thier idol to arrive. Islam's idol's are Mohammed, his relatives, and local mosque leaders. Prety much every organized religion paves a path to hell and uses idols to lead the people down that path, Islam just paves the path in blood!

To Been There wrote on Feb 7, 2008 11:47 AM:Except for the crusades show me a time when Christians or Jews or Hindus or Buddists preached for terrorism and suicide bombings? Show me the violence you describe as a pathway to hell. That is sense preached by the religion of no religion call atheism and has no basis in fact. Get a new line that is not so filled with ignorance gained from listening to kooks and nuts!

What about the Mormoms.... wrote on Feb 7, 2008 12:32 PM:don't forget to bash those mormons....I just watched the movie "September Dawn" about the mountain meadows massacre. Bash everyone equally please.

The old testament wrote on Feb 7, 2008 1:27 PM:does say an eye for an eye, but nobody does it. The quran says cut the head off ifidels, and the muslims do it. Don't think they do? Read da news, you might not like it, but you can't change the truth, unless of course you are in the media.

CAIR wrote on Feb 7, 2008 1:28 PM:has their agenda and KAL has their own. Keeping Americans Living.

Hey Shoebat... wrote on Feb 7, 2008 3:02 PM:just be glad you can express your outrage regarding the perceived derogatory comments you say you heard. In your family's homeland you would probably risk stoning in the town square or loss of your tongue. Unless you would prefer to live under such laws I suggest you develop a slightly thicker skin and learn what a democracy is all about.

Show me... wrote on Feb 7, 2008 4:37 PM:a Christian or a Hindu or a Jew or a Buddhist willing to blow himself up to kill innocent civilians and I'll stop calling Islam a religion of hate.

wake up wrote on Feb 7, 2008 5:27 PM:Actually contrary to some posters, criticizing Christianity isn't usually considered acceptable. Whenever it's done, a similar response occurs. Islam on the other hand, is widely degraded. On top of this, the Air Force indoctrinates its students with Christianity despite the Constitution's "freedom" of religion - so it's not surprising who they would choose to talk about Islam. Ultimately, the Muslim world is a few centuries behind the West in social development; think of Europe's Middle Ages in modern times. The Inquisition, Crusades, witch hunts, and more are now jihad, suicide bombings, etc. It's a sad state of affairs when we don't acknowledge the true Axis of Evil - Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

WhoWhat wrote on Feb 7, 2008 6:09 PM:To wakeup, When do Christians behead someone who criticizes Christian values or the bible. Trying to lump all faiths into your world of simplicity and blaming all faiths for the worlds ill's? maybe you should wake up.

Wake up is snoozing wrote on Feb 7, 2008 7:01 PM:and having baaad dreams. Hmm, I didn’t read about a mob of Christians issuing a jihad on the actress Kathy Griffin when she slurred against Christ a few weeks back, nor do I remember seeing any Christian group calling in death threats to the NY Times when the Times defames their religion in cartoons. Seems to me I remember a whole nation (Denmark) on alert because some newspaper exercised their free speech rights and printed cartoons of Mohammed - ooh boy. True Axis of Real Evil is the pagan tree hugging anti-military crowd. Wake up and head back to Berkeley

ed wrote on Feb 7, 2008 7:20 PM:Despicable as suicide bombers are, look at your pro-life 'born-again Christian' president who has inflicted the most death and destruction seen since carpet bombing in 'Nam. Just what do you think happens to human bodies when tons of bombs are dropped from 30,000 feet? Far more carnage than a suicide bomber with the net result of thousands more blown to pieces. And all of this is acceptable to 'Christians' in the USA because they are moslems. The only reason 85% of Americans are against the occupation in Iraq is because we aren't winning. And that fact is not lost on foreigners which is why we have lost the moral high ground in the world. You can thank the 'Christian' neocons for that.

WhoWhat wrote on Feb 7, 2008 9:05 PM:Ed as usual your vivid imagination does not reflect any facts. In Iraq we NEVER "carpet bombed" we utilized the newest and most effective precision bombing the world has ever seen and was very specific at taking out the enemy. Did you pay any attention at all or are you having fun making things up? And how does dropping a bomb down a munitions factory chimney equate to forcing a retarded person to don a explosives vest and kill hundreds of innocents? Your moral equivalencing is disturbing, and shows the dangerous irrational thinking of the left.

Talk about kooks and nuts wrote on Feb 8, 2008 12:36 AM:"That is sense preached by the religion of no religion call atheism and has no basis in fact. Get a new line that is not so filled with ignorance gained from listening to kooks and nuts!"

Talk about kooks and nuts. You have no clue as to what Atheism is.

Christians kill in the name of their God. It doesn't matter which alter boy they hide behind. Your following a belief that is only in your mind, something to comfort you in the face of death. You have no soul, Jesus didn't die for you, he was nailed on a cross and died of exposure just as any human would. Face the facts. Do you really believe in ghost and hobgoblins?
I'd bet you even give your cat a human personality. How egotistical of you.

Go ahead and pick on other religions, but leave the Atheist out of it. We want no part of your imaginary world. We have no war with you, just keep your pamphlets and prophets to yourselves.

Holy Scopes!! wrote on Feb 8, 2008 6:12 AM:Nener, nener, nener! My religion is better than your religion. Nener, nener, nener!

Besides Denmark's cartoons wrote on Feb 8, 2008 6:47 AM:remember this one boys and goils? The Satanic Verses : A NOVEL
by Salman Rushdie -

WhoWhat wrote on Feb 8, 2008 8:10 AM:To the extreme Athiest.
You spend an entire sentence full of loathing and hate towards Christians and their ideals, then say you have no war against them, talk about a hypocrite. I believe we are here for a reason and that there is more to this life then meets the eye. I see most religions as beneficial (other than the " " Muslim extremists) You believe you are perfect? Talk about arrogant. You are a lost soul and I pity you. If I were you I might try to be more open minded and tolerant, you never know.....

Yo Atheist, wrote on Feb 8, 2008 10:41 AM:Like I said above, show me an example other then the crusades where Christians are hurting others for their religion! Face the facts, religions in most cases do way more to help people then hurt them. What have you or your fellow atheist done lately to help anyone other then yourselves? Organized religions around the world contribute to the cause of helping those with less with both money and time! The problems of those same religions are far outweighted by the good that is done day in and day out! The only purpose I can see that atheist have is to run down what others believe in without giving much back in return. AND I must say, that is really pitiful way to live a life!

To Yo Atheist wrote on Feb 8, 2008 11:40 AM:Christian religions hurt others by creating idols for the masses to worship. If you pray to anyone or anything other than directly to the one and only God you are committing idol worship. This same problem exists for Mormons, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and any of the other man-made religious organizations that tell you you'll go to hell if you don't do things thier way and pray through thier prophets. Islam is just more evil than the other religious scams because they don't wait for God to judge and punish, they appoint themselves as judge and executioner. But in the end they all pave paths to hell!

To WhoWhat wrote on Feb 8, 2008 3:02 PM:How in the real world do you read "hate" in my post? Loathing? I could care less in your beliefs. Talk about misguided souls. Keep follow the light, it will burn out just as you get there. Twist the words, your type has done so for so many years.

Yo Atheist:
Here we go, Atheist have no morals do we? Again a "true" christians statement about something they know nothing about.
Ok, lets see, how many Native American peoples were murdered, their way of life taken from them forever by the christian way? That's not so far in the past as to shuffle off into the dark ages. Feel comfort in that this Atheist will take that to his grave, a very heavy burden on his heart. You can bitch and complain about Indian gaming all you want, it will never, ever repay those Americans for their loss. So what do you say about that Mr. or Mrs. Cross?

Of this world wrote on Feb 8, 2008 4:05 PM:Let's face it, most so-called religious people are narcissistic and do charitable work for their own ends. They help people if they beleive their good deeds will pay off for them when they die. These believers actually believe that an invisible spirit is watching them and taking notes on their behavior. These were classic ancient scare tactics used by powerful religious leaders in order to control people. And they still work in 2008. How dumb can people be...

WhoWhat wrote on Feb 8, 2008 6:02 PM:This story is about the evil of killing and torturing by extremist of the muslim faith, the Atheists take it over to implicate any religion and bash religions as a whole. They (Atheists) lead a sad and empty life with a spiritual void that leaves their heart dark and bitter, just read the ignorant posts above. I follow no specific religion but have respect and tolerance for those that do.
Maybe when these posters finally grow up they will understand.

Didn't take long wrote on Feb 8, 2008 6:06 PM:for this to break out into a war :( It just goes to prove, the less said about religion, the better.

Gary wrote on Feb 8, 2008 7:10 PM:Wow, they are upset because their own religious memebers call their religion as it is. I would have to agree with "Showme" comment. I think the preaching of, oh i dont know, lets just use islam, is full of hate and i dont think i could be convinced otherwise. I mean come on, when you preach killing people in your sermons, what would you expect people to think. To those who's religion preaches hate and murdering of innoccent people. Dont get mad when your own followers call it how it is. I know some will read my posting and say their little coments, but go ahead, i called it how i saw it. Tough!

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