Just days after Mohammed Youssef Abdulazeez allegedly shot and fatally wounded four Marines and a sailor in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Florida Gun Supply owner Andy Hallinan declared his store a “Muslim-free zone” for reasons related to public safety.
Then, on September 9–just two days before the 14th anniversary of the horrendous 9/11 terror attacks–Hallinan tweeted that he was running a “9/11 week” special and indicated that the “coupon code” was the word “Muslim.”
The tweet contained an image of a American flag emblazoned with, “Never Forget 9.11.2001,” and the following text: “It’s 9/11 week. Use coupon code ‘Muslim’ at our site for $25 off any gun. Come in Fri for a free car wash and beer!” Hallinan faced a barrage insults for the tweet and was called an Islamophobic. He responded on 9/11 by tweeting an announcement that his store is carrying a new lubricant for guns called, “Liberal Tears Gun Oil.”
Breitbart News previously reported that the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR Florida) is suing Hallinan for his decision to ban Muslims from his store in the first place. CAIR Florida chief executive director Hassan Shibly said, “American Muslims have a right to browse and purchase guns, take classes on gun safety and shoot guns at a range without having to be profiled and discriminated. Such discrimination is not only illegal, it is bad for our country and makes us less safe and less free.”
CAIR announced their suit against Hallinan less than two weeks after he announced the “Muslim-free zone.”
It should be noted that Hot Springs, Arkansas, gun range owner Jan Morgan banned Muslims from her facilities in September 2014. In so doing, she cited similar concerns as Hallinan, saying, “We are dealing in lethal firearms. I am not going to let a Nazi shoot in here, or a Ku Klux Klan member in here, either.” CAIR reacted by writing a letter to then-U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, asking him to intervene. The Department of Justice responded by assuring CAIR that they are “monitoring” Morgan’s Gun Cave Indoor Firing Range, apparently for civil rights violations or unlawful discrimination.
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
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