Interfaith Groups, Community Leaders Embrace Nashville Islamist

My group, Americans for Peace and Tolerance, in collaboration with the Tennessee Freedom Coalition, today released a 15 minute video exposing radical Islamist preachers who were embraced by Nashville’s civic and religious leaders and the media. The video shows a prominent Nashville Muslim leader indoctrinating Vanderbilt University students and Nashville mosque members with his extremist and anti-American views.

This film is based on a six-month investigation, and features actual lectures by Vanderbilt’s Muslim chaplain and spokesman of the new Islamic Center of Tennessee, Awadh Binhazim, which include extremist, hateful and at times bizarre teachings. Among these:

Muslims should work to institute Sharia Law in the U.S

Muslims should not become Westernized and must confront the West.

The Torah and the Gospels have been falsified by corrupt rabbis and priests.

Islam doesn’t allow for personal choice.

Islam demands that homosexuals be put to death.

Muslims discovered America before Columbus.

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Our investigation established that Mr. Binhazim’s non-profit organization, Olive Tree Education, had until 2007 promoted on its website the writings of Anwar Al Awlaki, the Yemeni-based Al Qaeda leader who’s had a hand in the Fort Hood shooting, the Christmas Day attempted airline bombing over Detroit, and the attempted Times Square bombing. Olive Tree’s Outreach Director Amar Razali promotes Awlaki as an Islamic scholar “Of Exemplary Level”on his blog to this day.

Alarmingly, Mr. Binhazim and other leaders of the Islamic Center of Nashville mosque are promoted and legitimized by Nashville’s interfaith leaders, government officials, and media outlets.

Americans for Peace and Tolerance and Tennessee Freedom Coalition call upon Nashville’s leaders to cease legitimizing extremist Muslim leaders and to seek out truly moderate Muslims as partners in outreach.