Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin has said "there should be no mosques" in the USA
MRFF deserves a lot of credit for exposing to West Point the fact that General Boykin should not be speaking at West Point’s National Prayer Breakfast.
General Withdraws From West Point Talk
By ERIK ECKHOLM
Plans for a talk at West Point by a retired general known for his harshly anti-Muslim remarks were abruptly canceled on Monday after a growing list of liberal veterans’ groups, civil liberties advocates and Muslim organizations called on the Military Academy to rescind the invitation.
Lt. Gen William G. Boykin “has decided to withdraw speaking at West Point’s National Prayer Breakfast” on Feb. 8, said a statement issued Monday by the academy’s office of public affairs. “In fulfilling its commitment to the community, the United States Military Academy will feature another speaker for the event.”
General Boykin, a longtime commander of Special Operations forces, first caused controversy after the Sept. 11 attacks when, as a senior Pentagon official, he described the fight against terrorism as a Christian battle against Satan. His remarks, made in numerous speeches to church groups, were publicly repudiated by President George W. Bush, who argued that America’s war was not with Islam but with violent fanatics.
Since his retirement in 2007 and a new career as a popular conservative Christian speaker, General Boykin has described Islam as “a totalitarian way of life” and said thatIslam should not be protected under the First Amendment.
Last week, after learning that General Boykin would be speaking at the prayer breakfast, a liberal veterans’ group,VoteVets.org, demanded that the invitation be revoked. In a letter to West Point’s superintendent, the group said General Boykin’s “incendiary rhetoric regarding Islam” was “incompatible with Army values” and would “put our troops in danger.”
Lt. Col. Sherri Reed, West Point’s director of public affairs, defended the invitation on Friday, saying that “cadets are purposefully exposed to different perspectives” and that the breakfast “will be pluralistic with Christians, Jewish and Muslim cadets participating.”
But by Monday, several other groups had condemned the invitation and concern was also reportedly being voiced by some faculty members and cadets. The Forum on the Military Chaplaincy (a liberal group of retired military chaplains), the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and the Council on American-Islamic Relations made public appeals to the Pentagon to cancel General Boykin’s appearance.
A fourth-year cadet at West Point, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he feared reprisals for breaking military discipline, said in a telephone interview before the cancellation was announced that “people are definitely talking about it here.”
“They’re inviting someone who’s openly criticizing a religion that is practiced on campus,” he said. “I know Muslim cadets here, and they are great, outstanding citizens, and this ex-general is saying they shouldn’t enjoy the same rights.”
The cadet asked, “Are we supposed to take leadership qualities and experience from this guy, to follow in his footsteps?”
A similar controversy erupted last week, in the days before General Boykin spoke at the mayor’s annual prayer breakfast in Ocean City, Md. The general made no inflammatory statements about Islam, instead describing how prayer had helped him through dangerous military operations.
But Peter Montgomery, a senior fellow at People for the American Way, a liberal advocacy group, said the West Point invitation was a mistake. West Point, Mr. Montgomery said, would have given “a platform to someone who is publicly identified with offensive comments about Muslims and about the commander in chief.”
General Boykin is a leader of an evangelical group called Kingdom Warriors and a visiting professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. He did not respond to telephone and e-mail requests seeking comment.
January 31st, 2012 at 3:34 pm
He should be allowed at private events, but to say such things about an entire group of people(including those who may be serving in the future) is inflammitory. He has the right to his views, but views like that should be taken with a grain of salt, and not be endorsed.
January 31st, 2012 at 3:50 pm
wow, this pic is terrifying. Nothing tops the Pam pic with her eyes rolling back but this comes close.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:22 pm
Islam, like all other religions, is just as much and fully entitled to first amendment protection under he constitution of the United States. Anyone who states or suggests otherwise I recommend for them strongly that they either live with live these religious freedoms while hating them or to get out of this country.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:28 pm
To be honest, what I don’t really understand is why do so many conservative Christians in this country hate Islam? What has it done to them? Do you see Muslims screaming almost every day at the top of their lungs here that Christianity should not be protected under the first amendment or that fighting Christians in America is analogous to fighting Satan? The answer is no….
January 31st, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Also, do Muslims in America state that there should be no churches here?
January 31st, 2012 at 4:37 pm
Sorry, just wanted to post this: http://touch.slate.com/slate/#!/entry/the-problem-with-polygamy,4f271968f8a8ba2d230015c4/1
Wanted to post for refuting. Little does this author know that polygamy is actually natural for human males. Monogamy doesn’t reduce the rate of crime, contrary to many arguments, often used by the Christian right….
January 31st, 2012 at 4:50 pm
QualifiedAgnostic,
I agree. People don’t have the right to ban a belief system, no matter how much they may dislike it, especially when their hatred and fear of it, is based on utter nonsense.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:22 pm
If this man were to take an honest look in the mirror he would be horrified by what he see. He is a christian supremisist. A fascist that hates everyone who dosent embrace his world view.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:42 pm
QualifiedAgnostic
9/11 is the reason in a nutshell, but it isn’t just Islam, they hate all the other religions too, including Christianity that does not share their views.
January 31st, 2012 at 7:57 pm
InspiredByMohammad,
Yes, that’s probably it. Of course they probably hate other aspects of Islam too, like the clothing and
polygamy….
January 31st, 2012 at 8:08 pm
Well here is a much nicer story we should read:
http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Kind-mosque-families-raise-pound-500-help-twins/story-15086976-detail/story.html
which can also be read at this site as well:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=293848
February 1st, 2012 at 5:17 am
What else can you expect if you elect a BLACK MUSLIM as your President,Who is like a TRUCK driver assigned to fly a plane full of American passengers?Wait,if he ever gets re-elected!!!Same thing happened with VETRAN CHRISTIAN preacher BILLY GRAHAM’S SON.Obama is a true Muslim and ANTI-CHRIST completely in nature.
February 1st, 2012 at 6:34 am
I doubt Lt. Gen. Boykin withdrew willingly. A “peace activist” probably threatened to blow up West Point if they didn’t comply by CAIR’s demands.
February 1st, 2012 at 7:34 am
Awww.. isn’t that cute… people still cling to their conspiracy theories even after being proven wrong. Next they are going to say Obama lived on Mars and went to “madrassa” there.
February 1st, 2012 at 7:37 am
“A ‘peace activist’ probably threatened to blow up West Point if they didn’t comply by CAIR’s demands.” Ahh, it’s so much easier to think you won an argument when you get to make up facts that “probably” exist but have no evidence to show that they actually exist.
February 1st, 2012 at 7:52 am
Nah.. more like they just wanna be cute and stick to labels and stereotypes. Lets just let them run their mouths/keyboards till they exhaust themselves. Beats television any day.
February 1st, 2012 at 8:26 am
@ Lilly
“Awww.. isn’t that cute… people still cling to their conspiracy theories even after being proven wrong. Next they are going to say Obama lived on Mars and went to “madrassa” there.”
OMG MARTIAN LEFTIST JIHADIST!!!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES
J/K
February 1st, 2012 at 8:40 am
A “peace activist” probably threatened to blow up West Point if they didn’t comply by CAIR’s demands”
or most people probably hate bigots like you and Boykin and feel that you guys are an embarrassment to our country!
February 1st, 2012 at 8:44 am
ROFLMAO!!!
February 1st, 2012 at 8:48 am
Since we have pathetic Republicans (except Ron Paul who no one cares for since he’s anti-war)our “Muslim” Obama will be re-elected President and will keep bombing more Muslims. Iran’s next! Islamophobes should be happy but I guess he’s just not white enough.
February 1st, 2012 at 9:06 am
Khushboo, the real bigots are the “tolerant” leftists who attack our military while defending groups like CAIR, who was recently whining over some dead Taliban. Liberals and Islamists have a known hatred for our troops. They defend “peace activists” like Carlos Bledsoe and Nidal Hasan.
February 1st, 2012 at 9:15 am
And what of the “Peace Activists” defended by the US government and given a slap on the wrist when they wipe out towns of civilians who harbor no enemies. Or is it because they are not a specific group they are killed?
February 1st, 2012 at 9:40 am
@rocky load of crap
no its people who call themselves human rights fighters yet either defend mass murders,or support desecrating corpses because of there vendetta with groups they dont like cough cough pam geller.
February 1st, 2012 at 3:05 pm
Rocksforbrains, it hasn’t been confirmed whether those were talibanis or not but I guess it doesn’t matter to you either way since peeing on anyone is alright for you. Those troops should be condemned. There are many in the military who are opposed to these wars but don’t have a choice. I, as well, as many Muslims sympathize with them. Many of them are now voting for Ron Paul who’s anti-war but I bet you don’t care about that. You just want to demonize us because that’s all you can do.
and quit lying! No one called Carlos nor Nidal a “peace activist”!
February 1st, 2012 at 3:14 pm
rockey retard and lawerance think genocide deniers like spenser and geller are heros. They used to aggrevate me but then I realized they are’nt very educated, they were never taught morals and think lies are ok if it fits their purpose
February 2nd, 2012 at 2:32 pm
Crow
What genocides have they denied? I am speaking with the person that makes a moral equivalence with Iran’s nuclear ambitions and Israels alleged program and claims there is a Palestinian genocide?
http://www.hrweb.org/legal/genocide.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-11108059
February 2nd, 2012 at 2:33 pm
This is what happens when one man has a belief that his imaginary friend and bronze age mythology is better than anothers iron age supernatural superstition and imaginary friend.
February 2nd, 2012 at 6:20 pm
The genocide of Bosnian Muslims. Fat hitler of jihadwatch denies it and so does ilsa koch of pam shrugs does too as do you. To tell the truth Iran doesn’t worry me much…I don’t buy israels propaganda. Did you know the ministry of propaganda made a film about an Iranian nuclear strike? LoL, ok it wasnt a goverment ministry but it might as well have been. As for the genocide of Palestinians, the Palestinians need to stay alert, netanyahu govermemt is as evil as mislosavitch and its govepment if not more so.
February 2nd, 2012 at 7:37 pm
Crow
I asked question? I don’t buy left-wing bull like calling a man that isnt’ Hitler Hitler, I don’t say Palestinians are suffering genocide YOU DO and have written as much and where have I denied genocide? Try actually ANSWERING what is asked accusations just make you look ridiculous and makes your position a joke. Don’t read Pam Geller I’ve written I hate her as a person. I read Jihad watch though.
Nice to know brutal murderous theocratic dictatorships don’t bother you. Let me guess are you a left-winger, Muslim or another so called useful idiot that things sane rational democracies are the same as vile regimes like Iran??
February 6th, 2012 at 11:02 am
so called useful idiots? spenser is as bad as geller and that’s pretty bad. nice work misrepresenting me on Iran, never defended their theocratic regime. Although Israel, is a bigger threat than Iran, israel threatens to ignite the whole region by hitting Iran and them (rightfully) responding. I have a feeling israel (netanyahu, barak, lieberman etc are WAAAAAAAAAY nastier than anyone elset) and don’t give me the crap about Ahmadinejad threatening to deystroy israel, he didn’t and even if he wanted to he doesn’t have the power. sorry the response is so late if you have kids you’ll understand. and try to switch out of the jihadwatch “thinking” I’ve read that site and it’s truly vile