CAIR Asks Air Force to Drop Islamophobic Instructor Linked to Anti-Muslim 'Propaganda' Group

WASHINGTON, March 29, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today announced that it is calling on the U.S. Air Force to sever ties with a counterterrorism instructor at its United States Air Force Special Operations School (USAFSOS) in Florida who CAIR says is associated with an "anti-Muslim propaganda mouthpiece, and has made a number of false statements betraying a personal prejudice against Islam and Muslims."

Patrick Dunleavy, who teaches a USAFSOS course called "The Dynamics of International Terrorism," is a "senior fellow" with the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT).

SEE: Dynamics of International Terrorism (DIT)
http://www.afsoc.af.mil/Units/AirForceSpecialOperationsAirWarfareCenter/USAFSOS/DIT.aspx 
Investigative Project on Terrorism: Patrick Dunleavy
http://www.investigativeproject.org/author/Patrick+Dunleavy

IPT's founder, Steven Emerson, has a history of making Islamophobic and factually inaccurate statements, most recently resulting in a previous British Prime Minister referring to him as a "complete idiot" for claiming there are Muslim "no-go zones" in that nation. Even Fox News was forced to apologize for Emerson's false claim.

Emerson made similarly inaccurate and Islamophobic claims about incidents such the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800 and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. The Southern Poverty Law Center included Emerson in its recent listing of "anti-Muslim extremists."

CAIR Islamophobia Monitor: Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) - Steve Emerson (Founder)
http://islamophobia.org/islamophobic-orgs/investigative-project-on-terrorism.html 
A Journalist's Manual: Field Guide to Anti-Muslim Extremists
https://www.splcenter.org/20161025/journalists-manual-field-guide-anti-muslim-extremists#emerson

In a letter delivered March 17 to Lieutenant General Marshall B. Webb, commander of the U.S. Airforce Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field in Florida, CAIR-Florida Communications Director Wilfredo A. Ruiz, Esq., wrote in part:  

"As you may recall in 2012, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey ordered the U.S. military to 'scour its training material to ensure it doesn't contain anti-Islamic content." Mr. Dunleavy's public statements and professional affiliations indicate that he is part of the issue Dempsey was trying to resolve."

Ruiz's letter cited Dunleavy's past Islamophobic statements, including: 1) "To Americans [morality] means individual liberty, equal rights for men and women, religious freedom, free speech, etc. But these are contrary to the moral code of Islam." 2) "The concept of "friendship," . . .is a relationship based on at least some degree of shared moral and political ideals. By that standard no Muslim nation is a friend of the U.S." and 3) "To many Muslim parents, visions of violence and death are indeed the "better future."

He concluded by writing:

"As a former U.S. Navy officer (Lieutenant), both in the JAG Corps and the U.S. Navy Chaplain Candidate Corps, I know the importance of high quality, factual training. I believe the above information provides suitable evidence that Mr. Dunleavy does not fit the U.S. military's standards for a subject-matter expert. I respectfully ask that you end any connection between Mr. Dunleavy and the U.S. Airforce Special Operations Command."

The Washington-based civil rights and advocacy organization urges community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR's Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by filing a report at: http://www.cair.com/civil-rights/report-an-incident/view/form.html     

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.

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CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)