CAIR Asks Maryland Mayor to Disinvite Anti-Islam Speaker

Retired Gen. Boykin says Constitution should not protect Muslims, there should be 'no mosques in America'

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on Mayor Richard Meehan of Ocean City, Md., to reconsider his speaking invitation to retired Lieutenant General William G. "Jerry" Boykin, who believes that "[Islam] should not be protected under the First Amendment" and that there should be "no mosques in America." Boykin is scheduled to speak at the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast on January 26.

SEE: Mayor's Prayer Breakfast Features Army Commander
http://tinyurl.com/89s4e7e

In a letter emailed today to Mayor Meehan, CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper wrote in part:

"We question the appropriateness of this choice for an official event, given Boykin's long, shameful history of extreme and bigoted views. . . It will be a discredit to your office and a disservice to the citizens of Ocean City if such a man is allowed to spread his divisive falsehoods and prejudiced ideas at a government-sponsored function.

"We respectfully ask whether any taxpayer funds are being spent on this year's Mayor's Prayer Breakfast, and how your office plans to address the appearance of an official endorsement of Boykin's extremist views. We ask that you reconsider inviting him, given that the biased ideas he espouses -- though protected by the First Amendment -- should be repudiated, not given a legitimizing platform."

Boykin's views came under scrutiny in 2003 when media reports revealed that in a public discussion of his efforts to capture a Muslim Somali warlord, Boykin said: "I knew my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God and his was an idol." Speaking in uniform, the general said America's "spiritual enemy. . .will only be defeated if we come against them in the name of Jesus."

Since then, Boykin has continued to openly attack Islam and portray Muslims as a "threat," even stating that there can be no interfaith dialogue or cooperation between Muslims and Christians. In September 2011, Boykin declared on the radio show Focal Point that there should be "no mosques in America."

Jerry Boykin: There Can Be No Interfaith Dialogue Between Islam and Christianity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx8AVh426MI
Boykin: 'No Mosques in America'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQQ_KklamEo

In 2010, Boykin stated in a video message: "[Islam] should not be protected under the First Amendment."

Jerry Boykin: Islam Deserves No First Amendment Protections
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaNjU9TmQ_A

A Los Angeles Times columnist labeled Boykin "an intolerant extremist" and said his appointment as a senior officer was "dangerous" and "a serious mistake" because of his "intolerant message."

SEE: The Pentagon Unleashes a Holy Warrior (Los Angeles Times)
http://articles.latimes.com/2003/oct/16/opinion/oe-arkin16

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.

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CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail:[email protected]; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations