CAIR Asks U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association to Drop Anti-Muslim Speaker for San Diego Event

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association (USNAAA) to drop an anti-Muslim conspiracy theorist as a speaker at a February 21 luncheon for its San Diego chapter.

SEE: Chapter Luncheon, February 21, 2018 at 11:30am
http://www.usnaaasd.com/article.html?aid=580  

CAIR says the speaker, John Guandolo, is an infamous Islamophobe who claims a former CIA director was a "secret Muslim" and that Muslim hotel managers, cabbies and 7-11 workers seek to take over America.

Last month, CAIR welcomed a decision by Tennessee's Trevecca Nazarene University to cancel an anti-Muslim event would have featured three Islamophobic speakers, including Guandolo.

SEE: CAIR Welcomes Tennessee University's Decision to Drop Anti-Muslim 'Summit'
https://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/14911-cair-welcomes-tennessee-university-s-decision-to-drop-anti-muslim-summit.html

CAIR similarly welcomed a decision by Virginia's Amherst County Sheriff's Office to drop an event featuring Islamophobic conspiracy theorist Chris Gaubatz. Gaubatz is an employee of Guandolo's anti-Muslim hate group Understanding the Threat.

SEE: CAIR Welcomes Virginia Sheriff's Decision to Drop Anti-Muslim Event
http://cair.com/press-center/press-releases/14905-breaking-cair-welcomes-virginia-sheriff-s-decision-to-drop-anti-muslim-event.html   

Audio/Video: Islamophobes John Guandolo, Chris Gaubatz Smear Mosques, Say BLM is Funded by 'Enemies' of U.S.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR4VgC0Yf_Y

In a letter to USNAAA's President & CEO Byron F. Marchant, CAIR-San Diego Executive Director Hanif Mohebi wrote in part:

"We urge the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association to disassociate its members from an individual who promotes bigotry and conspiracy theories targeting an American religious minority. While everyone has the right to free speech, no one has the right to the credibility offered by speaking to a respected association of our nation's military personnel."

BACKGROUNDER ON JOHN GUANDOLO:

The FBI is currently investigating an image tweeted by Guandolo's hate group that purported to show the bombing of "CAIR HQ" in Washington, D.C. Guandolo, who has previously tweeted that "CAIR needs to be obliterated," re-tweeted the bombing image on his personal account. Earlier this month, Guandolo tweeted that "Islam is evil & barbaric."

SEE: CAIR Asks FBI to Probe Tweet by Anti-Muslim Group Showing Bombing of 'CAIR HQ'
http://cair.com/press-center/press-releases/14750-cair-asks-fbi-to-probe-tweet-by-anti-muslim-group-showing-bombing-of-cair-hq.html

Minnesota's Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek has accused Guandolo of assaulting him during a national law enforcement conference earlier this year in Reno, Nev.

SEE: Video Shows Anti-Muslim Conspiracy Theorist John Guandolo's Alleged Assault on Minnesota Sheriff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBlxiFVeXtI
Exclusive - Anti-Muslim Conspiracy Theorist Guandolo Assaults Minn. Sheriff at NSA Conference, Per Court Documents
http://imagine2050.newcomm.org/2017/08/11/john-guandolo-assault-richard-stanek-national-sheriffs-association/
John Guandolo Ordered to Stay Away from Sheriff Stanek (Star Tribune)
http://www.startribune.com/restraining-order-filed-against-former-fbi-agent-accused-of-assaulting-sheriff-stanek/439932193/
Anti-Muslim Speaker Now Accused of Assaulting a Sheriff
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/maricopa-county-attorney-john-guandolo-islamophobic-training-9592739

Among his many bizarre and Islamophobic claims, Guandolo has falsely claimed that:

• U.S. mosques are planning armed attacks on law enforcement authorities and churches,
• the Black Lives Matter movement is funded by "enemies of the United States,"
• when a Delaware Imam (Islamic religious leader) touched his nose during the pledge of allegiance before a legislative session it was part of "civilizational jihad,"
• former CIA Director John Brennan was a secret Muslim,
• Muslims are "obligated" to lie,
• Muslim hotel managers, cabbies and 7-11 workers seek to take over America,
• it is "unprofessional" for officials to seek information about Islam from Islamic religious leaders (imams).

CAIR has in the past said Guandolo is putting local Muslim communities at risk by making the false claim that, "Mosques/Islamic Centers are organizing for armed confrontation with law enforcement, shoring up physical defenses where they see likely confrontation and increasing their pre-attack surveillances of churches and other targets."

John Guandolo: Indict Journalists - Muslim Hotel Managers, Cabbies, 7-11 Workers Seek U.S. Takeover
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-NMLtiwfZM 
Audio: Islamophobe John Guandolo Claims Mosques, MSA Chapters Seek 'Overthrow' of U.S. Government
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=645fIfXjdp8
Video: John Guandolo Claims Muslims are 'Obligated' to Lie, Talking to Imams is 'Unprofessional'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juQj8FDINz0  
CAIR Islamophobia Monitor: John Guandolo
http://islamophobia.org/islamophobic-individuals/john-guandolo/75-john-guandolo.html
Video: Islamophobe John Guandolo Claims CIA Director John Brennan is a Secret Muslim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aieUdwZoYMg
Guandolo: Delaware Imam Touching His Nose is Part of Civilizational Jihad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq2IL2oJsQE

Backgrounder on Islamophobe John Guandolo:

CAIR's profile of Guandolo documents his belief that America "is at war with Islam" and that major Muslim organizations and mosques are "preparing for combat." Guandolo also claims there is inaction on the part of the U.S. government to counter this threat because people inside the Trump White House "have been co-opted by the bad guys." 

Earlier this year, Guandolo excused a terror attack on a London mosque because "people who are still sane" are "having to make very difficult decisions."

CAIR Islamophobia Monitor: Understanding the Threat
http://www.islamophobia.org/islamophobic-organizations/32-understanding-the-threat.html

In 2016, a Texas college canceled a similar event. The college's decision came following a request by CAIR's Dallas-Fort Worth chapter.

SEE: Texas College Cancels Controversial Law Enforcement Training Event Led by 'Anti-Muslim Conspiracy Theorist'
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/texas-college-cancels-controversial-law-enforcement-training-event-led-by-anti-muslim-conspiracy-a7061731.html
Ex-FBI Agent John Guandolo to Host Anti-Muslim Training at Texas College
http://imagine2050.newcomm.org/2016/05/31/fbi-agent-guandolo-islamophobia-training-texas-college/ 
CAIR-Dallas Asks College to Cancel Law Enforcement 'Training' by Islamophobe John Guandolo
http://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/13562-cair-dallas-asks-college-to-cancel-law-enforcement-training-by-islamophobe-john-guandolo.html

In 2015, CAIR welcomed the withdrawal of an FBI representative from an event in Texas that was initially sponsored by the anti-Muslim hate group ACT! for America and featured Guandolo.

SEE: FBI Withdraws from Texas Event Initially Sponsored by Hate Group and Featuring Anti-Muslim Conspiracy Theorist
http://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/12832-fbi-withdraws-from-texas-event-sponsored-by-hate-group.html

Virginia's Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy rescinded its approval of in-service training credits for state law enforcement scheduled to attend a training Guandolo was conducting in Culpeper, Va., after being made aware of his anti-Islam rhetoric.

SEE: Virginia Agency Pulls Accreditation for Anti-Muslim Training
http://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/12387-virginia-agency-pulls-accreditation-for-anti-muslim-training.html      

A sheriff in Kansas decided not to partner with a citizens group sponsoring a Guandolo training after being informed of his conspiracy theories. When a journalist at Kansas' Wichita Eagle covered the controversy, Guandolo accused the reporter of material support of terrorism.

SEE: Kansas Sheriff Won't Partner on Training by John Guandolo
http://www.cair.com/press-center/cair-in-the-news/12503-kansas-sheriff-wont-partner-on-training-by-john-guandolo.html      

A number of Arizona police departments decided not to send officers to one of Guandolo's trainings.

CAIR: Arizona Police Departments Drop Out of Islamophobic Training
http://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/12655-arizona-police-departments-drop-out-of-islamophobic-training.html     

Guandolo left the FBI shortly after reports surfaced that he had allegedly engaged in a sexual relationship with a key witness in a corruption trial targeting a member of Congress. In addition, he is documented as having falsified his credentials and work experience.

Major General Tony Cucolo, Commandant of the US Army War College, informed CAIR in an email: "Mr. Guandolo's claim (in print) that he teaches at the Army War College and any other references (e.g., online) identifying him as an adjunct instructor here are simply untrue."

The Washington-based Muslim civil rights group is asking Muslim 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: https://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-San Diego Executive Director Hanif Mohebi, 858-774-9991, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]  

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)