Walid Shoebat Interview; CAIR's Ibrahim Hooper Rails Against CU Boulder Appearance

"What part of ‘kill’ do you Americans not understand?” he says, adding that sharia “is not a set of religious laws for the sole purpose of spiritual raising, raising people spiritually. No, no, no. It is a set of constitutional laws, and that’s the problem"--Walid Shoebat

CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper, reached via phone in Washington, D.C., called Shoebat the a darling of the “extreme wing of the pro-Israel lobby” and said Shoebat’s observations appear designed to do nothing more than whip up the post-9/11 hysteria that Muslims are only out to destroy Americans and Jews



We've been tracking the upcoming Walid Shoebat lecture "Why We Want to Kill You"--and the Boulder Weekly now has a featured interview with the ex-jihadist:

And on April 29, likely amid tightened security, Shoebat will speak to the University of Colorado on the invitation of the campus’ College Republicans. He expects to touch on the topic of his book, Why We Want to Kill You: The Jihadist Mindset and How to Defeat it.
. . .
Asked if in his mind Muslims have any redeemable qualities, he says, “I think the Muslims are redeemable, but Islam as a principle is not.” He points to Islamic sharia law and says it is used as a justification to kill outsiders.

“What part of ‘kill’ do you Americans not understand?” he says, adding that sharia “is not a set of religious laws for the sole purpose of spiritual raising, raising people spiritually. No, no, no. It is a set of constitutional laws, and that’s the problem.”

Look at the fawning reception CAIR receives in the following description:

Such statements explain why the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Islamic civil liberties group, chided the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs for having Shoebat and other self-described “former terrorists” speak at a prestigious conference earlier this year meant to provide recommendations on “dismantling terrorism” to Congress and the military/intelligence community.

CAIR, which seeks to further America’s understanding of roughly seven million Muslims and battle “Islamophobia,” issued statements to the press and school claiming that Shoebat and his associates had made “bigoted and inaccurate” statements in the past. CAIR cited several examples, including Shoebat’s claims to Missouri’s Springfield News-Leader newspaper a year ago that there are “many parallels between the Antichrist and Islam.”

“Islam is not the religion of God — Islam is the devil,” Shoebat told the paper.

CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper, reached via phone in Washington, D.C., called Shoebat the a darling of the “extreme wing of the pro-Israel lobby” and said Shoebat’s observations appear designed to do nothing more than whip up the post-9/11 hysteria that Muslims are only out to destroy Americans and Jews.
. . .
Shoebat’s invitations to lecture at universities disappoint Hooper.

“It’s disturbing that he’s invited to credible events held by credible groups,” Hooper says.

How magnanimous--the event and the hosting group, the College Republicans--are "credible" in the view of CAIR.

Second look at CAIR? Oh, nevermind.

Now for the "cost" of the event, something that is never discussed when Leftist moonbats are invited to campus:

And bringing Shoebat to CU is costly — roughly $30,000. Shoebat says the expenses are largely security-driven because he has weathered past threats for expressing his views, at times fearing for his life.

Some colleges have struggled with Shoebat’s appearances, including Columbia University, which prior to a recent Shoebat lecture revoked at the last minute many of the invitations sent out by the school’s campus Republicans, citing safety concerns.

CU is aware Shoebat’s visit could spark controversy and is ready to address the accompanying security issues, says Bronson Hilliard, university spokesman.

“There are always security concerns for these kinds of visits,” he acknowledges.
. . .
Hilliard added CU’s College Republicans are bringing in Shoebat and CU’s administration is extremely hesitant to play “Big Brother” or “micromanage” student events, except in rare cases where a speaker could pose a high threat to public safety.

There are always safety concerns because the moonbat opposition groups hate any speech that they disagree with--and show up to protest and disrupt the events. A look back at how Columbia "uninvited" guests to Shoebat's lecture two years ago.

While there is no confirmed oppositional strategies, one can be assured the event won't go smoothly:

Jack Anthony Roldan, vice chairman of the College Republicans, has yet to hear any rumblings of a protest. The group, he says, wants to highlight the issue of terrorism.

“We felt this would be a unique opportunity for students and community members to hear from two individuals who not only know terror organizations well, but were also a part of them and, at one point, our adversaries,” Roldan explains. “With the events of Sept. 11, the Madrid bombings, the nightclub bombings in Bali and the London bombings, it is evident this threat is growing and it is important for all of us to understand the roots of terrorism and what we can do to ensure our quality of life sustains.”

The event will also include another “former terrorist,” Kamel Saleem. The university’s cultural events board is providing about $10,000. The Walid Shoebat Foundation, according to Roldan, will provide the remaining amount.