Alleging that campus visits by a Muslim activist are "tantamount to advocating overturning the Constitution in favor of Sharia Law," a conservative coalition on Monday demanded that the Hillsborough County School District "sever all connections" to the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
A letter signed by Conservative Theological University president Gene Youngblood and 14 others representing conservative educational and religious groups also "respectfully requested":
- A vetting process be implemented to ensure Islamic groups have no connections or affiliations to Muslim Brotherhood entities.
- A list of all schools and classes which CAIR or other Islamic groups have been allowed to speak to in the Hillsborough School District.
- Equal time with each of the classes "to give a factual presentation by experts of our choice to speak on similar topics."
- All school board members, faculty and superintendent attend a briefing on "Islamic Indoctrination in America's Public Schools" conducted by coalition "experts."
- "Factual supplements be prepared and implemented in conjunction with our experts and textbook teams."
The coalition, under the heading of "United Conservative Groups," was responding to news reports of CAIR Florida director Hassan Shibly speaking to world history classes at Steinbrenner High School in Tampa last fall.
Referring to CAIR as a "Hamas entity," the coalition charged that the council is "working to subvert American law, loyalty to America, American values and our American heritage, and they have no place in our public schools."
See full statement here.
Steve Hegarty, spokesman for the Hillsborough County schools, said district officials would review the coalition's letter "and respond to the portions that require a response."
Hegarty added, "I think it's important to point out the context of Mr. Shibly's visit. He visited as a representative of a major world religion. We have also had speakers representing other faiths including Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Judaism."
Shibly said it was "insane" to characterize CAIR as a "federally designated Hamas entity."
Noting that the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office had apprised him of pending charges against a suspected Islamist terrorist in Tampa on Monday morning, Shibly said CAIR respects the rule of law.
"We wouldn't have been called by the FBI otherwise," he said.
As he told Sunshine State News last month, "If Muslims were as bad as these people say we are, we'd all be at Guantanamo."
Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.
