As of a few days ago, Islamophobic author Raymond Ibrahim was scheduled to appear at the U.S. Army War College. Ibrahim was scheduled to give a presentation on his latest book, Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West, on June 19 at the college’s prestigious 50th Annual Lecture Series.
Ibrahim’s books and other writings present Islam as an inherently violent religion that is and always has been bent on destroying Christianity, and his Islamophobic views come through loud and clear in the articles he writes, such as “Why Western Nations Should Accept Only Christian Refugees.”
Not surprisingly, Ibrahim’s scheduled appearance at the Army War College was met with protest from Muslim organizations, most notably the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), with CAIR-Philadelphia writing to the Army War College’s commandant, Major General John Kem, and provost, James Breckenridge, urging them to revoke Ibrahim’s invitation.
Also joining in the protest was the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), with MRFF’s founder and president Mikey Weinstein having a series of phone calls and texts with MG Kem, and sending Kem some information on Ibrahim and his Islamophobic views.
In response to the protest and communications, the Army War College has made the decision to pull the plug on Ibrahim’s presentation at the 50th Annual Lecture Series, and postpone his appearance to another event where he can be paired with someone who will present “another historical perspective.”
This was the Army War College’s full statement:
“The United States Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC) sponsors Perspectives in Military History: an evening public education program which draws a community audience that can include U.S. Army War College students. The presentation of Mr. Raymond Ibrahim’s book is postponed so USAHEC can pair Mr. Ibrahim’s military history insights in close proximity with another historical perspective, at a time when the USAWC curriculum has addressed historical analysis of influences on conflict.”
Raymond Ibrahim responded to CAIR’s letter with an article on PJ Media titled “CAIR Demands U.S. War College Withdraw My Speaking Invitation, Branding Me a 'Notorious Islamophobe,’” and in this article proved CAIR’s and the other protesters’ point — that he portrays Islam as an intrinsically violent and terroristic religion, writing of his book:
“And this history makes abundantly clear that Islamic terrorism and “extremism” are intrinsic to Islam, and have been from its first contact with Western civilization in the seventh century …”
In his article, Ibrahim also quotes an article from Task & Purpose, which said:
“The trend of disinviting speakers on controversial subjects has been on the rise at American universities in recent years, but this appears to be the first time that a speaker at U.S. military educational institution has been subject to such a campaign, according to a database maintained by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.”
This is completely untrue. MRFF has been getting Islamophobic speakers disinvited from military events for over a decade – getting Franklin Graham disinvited from speaking at a National Day of Prayer event at the Pentagon, getting ACT for America founder Brigitte Gabriel disinvited from speaking at the Air Force Academy, getting Jerry “my god is bigger than your god” Boykin disinvited from speaking at a prayer breakfast at Fort Riley and assisting in forcing him to back out of an event at West Point. In 2008, MRFF also demanded and got equal time to speak to the cadets at the Air Force Academy after the Academy hosted the virulently Islamophobic “3 ex-terrorists,” a trio of self-proclaimed former Islamic terrorists who were later exposed as frauds.
MRFF applaud’s the Army War College’s decision, and Mikey Weinstein has issued the following statement:
“The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) congratulates the U.S. Army War College (USAWC) for canceling the invitation to have the Islamophobe Raymond Ibrahim speak later this month (June 19, 2019) at its heralded U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center. This move was precisely the right thing to do.
“After having been contacted by active duty and veteran Muslim MRFF clients as well as by journalists, and coordinating with its allies at CAIR, MRFF directly contacted the USAWC Commandant, Major General John Kem, to communicate its desire to have Ibrahim’s invitation swiftly withdrawn as per the wishes of MRFF’s clients. Several other organizations were, likewise, joining MRFF and CAIR in registering their formidable disapproval of Ibrahim’s USAWC speech invitation.
“I had several excellent in-depth conversations, over a period of 4 days, via telephone and related texts with the USAWC Commandant, Major General Kem. I found him to be exceptionally reasonable, personable, rational and courteous. I laid out in detail MRFF’s just grievances with Mr. Ibrahim’s tragic brand of base, evil and vile, anti-Muslim prejudice and hatred. Further, I explained to General Kem how MRFF had successfully handled a number of prior incidents just like this one involving invitations for well established, anti-Muslim bigots to speak at the USAF Academy, West Point, the Pentagon and other military installations. In our personal communications, the general and I discussed several possible ways to potentially address the current matter of Raymond Ibrahim’s pending speech. A number of different options were carefully considered and discussed.
“A decision had to be made and made quickly. Major General Kem, and the USAWC he commands, have clearly decided to chose the best option, as far as MRFF is concerned; pulling the plug on Ibrahim’s planned June 19, 2019 speech.
“Again, I can’t stress enough how kind and professional Commandant Kem was in our several phone calls and text communications over the past few days.
“MRFF is encouraged and hopeful that the USAWC will exercise extreme due diligence and equitable discretion in any future matters regarding Mr. Ibrahim or inviting speakers of his hateful, racist ilk to address its renowned faculty, staff, and prestigious student body of stellar national and international military leaders.”
