Author: Kevin Mooney
Publication: CrossWalk.com
Date: August 2, 2007
URL: http://www.crosswalk.com/news/11549921/
The Young America's Foundation (YAF) is being
threatened with legal action for including Robert Spencer, the author of several
books on terrorism and Islam, in its line-up of speakers this week in Washington,
D.C.
Spencer is scheduled to speak Thursday afternoon
at George Washington University as part of YAF's 29th National Conservative
Student Conference. His topic is entitled "The Truth About the Council
on American Islamic Relations." This same organization, CAIR, is demanding
that YAF either withdraw its invitation to Spencer or take alternative steps
to prevent any false remarks from being made.
A letter from Joseph Sandler, an attorney
representing CAIR, addressed to YAF President Ron Robinson, calls upon YAF
officials to make a decision before "close of business" Wednesday,
Aug. 1. Jason Mattera, a YAF spokesman, told Cybercast News Service the decision
was made to
defy CAIR and its demand that Spencer's talk be cancelled.
"We will not be intimidated by radical
Islamic thugs," Mattera said. "Not only will we let Robert Spencer
speak, but we will invite even more people to hear him. We are not going to
fluctuate the conference just to suit their demands."
The letter from the CAIR attorney describes
Spencer as a "well-known purveyor of hatred and bigotry against Muslims"
who "has a history of false and defamatory statements."
Attorney Sandler vigorously defends CAIR in
his letter and claims the organization has "taken a principled position
against terrorism and extremism." He also claims Spencer has in the past
"falsely accused CAIR of activity that would constitute a federal criminal
offense."
In response to the letter, Spencer asked readers
to make note of the "non-specificity of charges." CAIR cannot be
specific, Spencer argued, because he has not said "anything inaccurate"
about CAIR, or Islam or Jihad.
Spencer has previously argued that many of
today's terrorists and extremists targeting American interests are making
use of Islam's actual theological foundations. As was previously reported
by Cybercast News Service, Spencer has been critical of Western policymakers
who operate under the assumption that Islam has been "hijacked"
by a "tiny minority of Jihadists."
"The texts of Islamic jurisprudence say
it is incumbent upon the Islamic community to wage war against non-Muslims
until they submit or convert," Spencer said during a lecture given to
the Heritage Foundation last November. "This concept is shared by all
the schools of Islamic jurisprudence and is not rejected by anything considered
orthodox."
Sandler makes it clear in his letter that
CAIR has directed their legal representatives to pursue every available legal
avenue to "redress" any statements made during the YAF session the
self-described Muslim civil liberties outfit views as being "false and
defamatory."