The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations doesn't want Brigitte Gabriel — who, they say, has made anti-Muslim remarks in the past — to speak at a event to be held at the public high school in Little Falls.
The St. Cloud Times says Gabriell is scheduled to speak Monday at an event to be held at the Little Falls Community High School. It's a Central Minnesota Tea Party event.
Gabriel is founder of ACT! for America, which says:
Through informed community action, education, public policy initiatives and grassroots lobbying, ACT! for America is successfully combating the threat of radical Islam.
Gabriel is billed as "one of the leading terrorism experts in the world providing information and analysis on the rise of global Islamic terrorism" on the ACT! for America website.
But the Council on American Islamic Relations says Gabriel has espoused anti-Muslim views, including saying in 2006 that Islam is the real enemy.
In a press release, the council says the Tea Party event with Gabriel shouldn't be held at a public school:
"As Little Falls High School would not, and should not allow a racist or an anti-Semitic speaker to use its facilities, we ask that school and district officials apply the same standard to an anti-Muslim speaker. By allowing the school to host this event, the perception is that the school is endorsing hate speech and anti-Muslim views," CAIR-MN Executive Director Lori Saroya said in the statement. "This perception could have a negative impact on the learning environment for Muslim students."
School officials could not be reached by the paper.
The CAIR release also said:
... hosting an anti-Muslim speaker would also violate the district’s Harassment and Violence Policy. The Harassment and Violence Policy seeks "to maintain learning and working environment that is free from harassment and violence on the basis of . . . religion . . ." The policy specifically states that the school district should avoid having an "intimidating, hostile or offensive environment."
Gabriel’s speech would also contradict the School District’s policy on Religion, which states: "The school district shall neither promote nor disparage any religious beliefs or nonbeliefs." This policy encourages "tolerance" and this event is a clear contradiction to the policy as it clearly promotes intolerance.