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- MEDIA ADVISORY -

CAIR: Va. Law Students to Challenge Speaker Who Says 'Annihilate' Islam

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/4/11) –- On Wednesday, October 5, a representative of theCouncil on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will take part in an event at Virginia'sGeorge Mason University School of Law designed to challenge the hate-filled views ofNonie Darwish, a notorious Islamophobe who has stated that Islam is a "poison to a society" that is "based on lies" and must be "annihilated."

WHAT: GMU Law Students Challenged Speaker's Hate-Filled Views
WHEN: Wednesday, October 5, 4 p.m.
WHERE: Hazel Hall, Room 225, 3301 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Va.
CONTACT: CAIR Staff Attorney Gadeir Abbas, 720-251-0425, E-Mail: gabbas@cair.com

The event, called "Combating Islamophobia: Protecting Freedom of Religion from Intolerance and Bigotry," is scheduled just prior to an appearance by Darwish at the law school. Sponsors of the anti-hate event include the American Constitution Society, the Muslim Law Students Association and the Arab Law Students Association.

CAIR Staff Attorney Gadeir Abbas and Haris Tarin of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) will offer presentations on the rising level Islamophobia in American society and how to promote tolerance and mutual understanding.

CAIR recently released a video of Darwish speaking at a protest in Florida earlier this year in which she states:

"Islam is a poison to a society. It's divisive. It's hateful. Look what Islam is doing on our college campuses. It's full of anti-Semitism. It's going to turn us against one another. It's going to produce chaos in society. Because Islam should be feared, and should be fought, and should be conquered, and defeated, and annihilated, and it's going to happen. Ladies and gentlemen, Islam is going to be brought down. . .Because Islam is based on lies and it's not based on the truth. I have no doubt whatsoever that Islam is going to be destroyed."

[The rally at which Darwish spoke was sponsored by the hate group Stop Islamization of America (SIOA). SIOA, which has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, is headed by two of the nation's leading Islamophobes, Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer.]

Video: Nonie Darwish Says Islam Should be 'Annihilated'
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Pamela Geller Associate John Jay Openly Calls for Mass Murder

Darwish is scheduled to speak at the law school on October 5. [5 p.m., Room 121]. Her address, titled "The West's Clash with Radicalism," is sponsored by the Federalist Society and the Jewish Law Students Association. She will be introduced by ProfessorMichael Krauss.

Darwish, a self-styled "former Moslem," has written that "Islam is cruel, anti-women, anti-religious freedom and anti-personal freedom in general." A review of her book, "Cruel and Usual Punishment: The Terrifying Global Implications of Islamic Law," states: "For Darwish, Islam is a sinister force that must be resisted and contained."

She told the New York Times: "A mosque is not just a place for worship. It's a place where war is started, where commandments to do jihad start, where incitements against non-Muslims occur. It's a place where ammunition was stored."

Darwish's group, Former Muslims United, once put up a billboard stating "Stop theMurfreesboro Mosque" in an attempt to block the construction of a mosque in Tennessee.

Video: Nonie Darwish Says Mosques are 'Where War is Started'
Across Nation, Mosque Projects Meet Opposition (NY Times)

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.